Asbestos consists of a group of 6 naturally occurring minerals composed of soft, flexible fibers that are resistant to heat, fire, electricity, and corrosion. These qualities make the mineral useful for myriad purposes. Companies have been utilizing asbestos for decades in everything from automobile brakes to building insulation to roofing tiles. But while the characteristics of asbestos make it very useful in manufacturing many products, they also make asbestos highly dangerous to those who have worked with and around those asbestos-containing products.
Sadly, asbestos exposure has proven to be extremely toxic and potentially fatal. Exposure to asbestos-containing products is linked to Mesothelioma, a fatal cancer of the tissue that lines the heart, lungs, and other organs. The Minneapolis Mesothelioma Attorneys at GoldenbergLaw are currently handling cases where an individual has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos. If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos or asbestos-containing products and developed Mesothelioma, call us today for a free asbestos lawsuit consultation. Get the Gold standard Mesothelioma representation you deserve.
Case Quick Facts
What is Asbestos?
The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986 recognizes 6 types of asbestos that fall into two categories: amphibole and serpentine. Serpentine asbestos fibers are curly and they only contain one kind–chrysotile (known as white asbestos). Amphibole asbestos fibers have straight, jagged shapes and there are five recognized types: crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite.
Asbestos comes from all over the world; however, the current main exporters are Russia, Kazakhstan, and China. The toxic mineral was also once mined through North America. Asbestos deposits in the U.S. are located mainly on the western and eastern coastal states. Asbestos mining was prominent in the U.S. through the mid to late-1900s reaching its peak in the 1960s and 1970s, but the last asbestos mine in the U.S. was closed in 2002.
What is Asbestos Used For?
Despite its toxicity, asbestos is still used in hundreds of U.S. products, including:
- Insulation in walls and attics
- Asbestos insulation for oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets
- Vinyl tiles used for floors
- Sound absorption products
- Ceiling tiles
- Shingles
- Siding on houses
- Hot water and steam pipes coated with an asbestos material or covered with an asbestos blanket or tape
- Fabrics that resist heat
- Car brakes
- Automobile clutches
- Paper products
- Cement products
- Textured paint and patching compounds used on walls and ceilings
- Asbestos paper, millboard, or cement sheets on walls and floors surrounding wood-burning stoves
- Talc-containing crayons
- Talcum powder products such as Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder
Who Is Most At Risk for Asbestos Exposure?
Key risk factors and the following occupations are most in danger of asbestos exposure:
- Working at an asbestos mine or asbestos-processing plant
- Working in a high-risk occupation such as construction or heavy industry
- Heating and ventilation engineers
- Demolition workers
- Plumbers
- Construction workers
- Electricians
- Firefighters
- Power plant workers
- Shipyard crews
- Serving on military ships or facilities built with products containing asbestos
- Living in a residential area near an asbestos mine or contaminated site
- Disturbing asbestos products during a home renovation without proper safety measures
Family members of veterans and other asbestos industry workers also have an elevated risk of developing an asbestos-related disease because of secondhand exposure.
Is Mesothelioma Only Caused by Asbestos?
Asbestos exposure is the most common cause of Pleural Mesothelioma. As a result, about 8 in 10 Mesothelioma patients have been exposed to asbestos.
How Can I Be Exposed to Asbestos?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, asbestos can be released into the air by disturbance of asbestos-containing material during product use, demolition work, building or home maintenance, repair, and remodeling. Exposure may occur only when asbestos-containing material is disturbed or damaged in some way to release particles and fibers into the air.
Primary risk factors and occupations that are most in danger include:
- Working at an asbestos mine or asbestos-processing plant
- Working in a high-risk occupation such as construction or heavy industry
- Heating and ventilation engineers
- Demolition workers
- Plumbers
- Construction workers
- Electricians
- Firefighters
- Power plant workers
- Shipyard crews
- Serving on military ships or facilities built with products containing asbestos
- Living in a residential area near an asbestos mine or contaminated site
- Disturbing asbestos products during a home renovation without proper safety measures
Family members of veterans and other asbestos industry workers also have an elevated risk of developing an asbestos-related disease because of secondhand exposure.
Asbestos Exposure Injuries
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are three major health effects associated with asbestos exposure:
- Mesothelioma (rare form of cancer found in the thin lining of lung, chest, abdomen, and heart)
- Lung cancer
- Asbestosis (serious progressive, long-term, non-cancer disease of the lungs)
However, additional injuries from asbestos exposure include:
- Pleural effusion (type of pleurisy; collection that develops around the lungs after a few years after exposure)
- Pleural plaques (hard structure around the lungs and diaphragm; calcification)
- Pleuritis
- Diffuse pleural thickening (thickening of tissue around the lungs)
- COPD
- Laryngeal cancer (voice box cancer)
- Ovarian cancer
General Symptoms of Asbestos-Related Injuries:
Signs of asbestos exposure affecting the lungs:
- Shortness of breath
- Dry cough or wheezing
- Crackling sound when breathing
- Chest pain or tightness
- Respiratory complications
- Pleural effusion (accumulation of fluid in space surrounding a lung)
- Pleural plaques
- Pleural thickening
- Asbestosis
Signs of asbestos exposure affecting other parts of the body:
- Abdominal swelling and distention
- Abdominal or pelvic pain
- Bowel obstruction
- Hernia development
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Hoarseness
- Difficulty swallowing
- Clubbed fingers
- Swollen fingertips
- Fatigue
What Happens If I Am Exposed to Asbestos?
When asbestos dust or fibers are inhaled or ingested, the mineral fibers can become permanently trapped in the body and accumulate. No amount of asbestos exposure is considered safe, but asbestos generally has the most devastating impacts when a person is exposed to an immense concentration of it, or if they are exposed on a regular basis over a prolonged period of time.
Most asbestos exposure comes from inhaling asbestos fibers in the air. However, asbestos fibers may also be swallowed when people consume contaminated food or liquids (such as water that flows through asbestos cement pipes). This can also occur when people cough up asbestos that they have inhaled, and then swallow their saliva.
Is Mesothelioma Always Fatal?
According to the American Thoracic Society, malignant mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos fibers is a fatal disease. The average survival time of mesothelioma patients is between 12 and 21 months.
Mesothelioma Litigation Summary
Thousands of Mesothelioma lawsuits are filed every year across the United States as a result of individuals suffering the serious and likely fatal disease most commonly caused by asbestos exposure. A Mesothelioma lawsuit is a civil complaint that is brought against the companies that manufactured the asbestos-containing product. The goal of this complaint is to seek monetary damages for the injuries caused.
There are several different manners in which to pursue legal action related to wrongdoing on the part of the companies who manufactured the asbestos product. An injured party may bring a personal injury case. Specifically, the individual harmed by the asbestos product may bring a lawsuit. Alternatively, if that injured person has passed away, the heirs of the injured person may bring a wrongful death lawsuit. If an individual was injured due to asbestos exposure while working, a workers’ compensation claim might be an appropriate avenue to pursue.
Pursuing litigation related to asbestos exposure can be complex, and consulting with an attorney well versed in asbestos claims can help navigate this often seemingly daunting task.
Do I Have An Asbestos Case?
If you have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma or Asbestosis after being exposed to asbestos, contact the Minnesota Asbestos Exposure Attorneys at GoldenbergLaw today.
GoldenbergLaw Can Help
GoldenbergLaw is currently investigating cases where an individual has been exposed to asbestos and been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis. The Minneapolis Asbestos Exposure Attorneys at GoldenbergLaw has been litigating cases for over thirty years and have the knowledge and expertise to provide you with the Gold standard of advocacy that you deserve. Contact us today for a free mesothelioma lawsuit consultation, and leave the sleepless nights to us.