Asbestos

Jackson and Tupelo Asbestos Attorney

Asbestos manufacturers have known of asbestos’s damaging effects since the early 1900's, but chose to ignore them. They chose to put profits ahead of people.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was commonly used in industry and prized for its capability to withstand heat and acid, fire resistance, strength, suppleness, durability, low cost, and ability to bind things together. Asbestos is practically indestructible, but very brittle. Because of its extreme brittleness, tiny asbestos fibers are easily dislodged and inhaled. Moreover, the dust or fibers are tasteless, odorless, and invisible to the naked eye. When inhaled the asbestos fibers do not trigger any immediate effects such as coughing or itching; the victim has no idea that she has inhaled or been exposed to asbestos fibers. Because of this, people who do not directly work with asbestos may have been exposed and not even know it. Once inhaled, the asbestos fibers permanently embed themselves deep in the innocent victim’s lungs.

Asbestos causes several diseases including, mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Asbestos diseases are latent, which means that the particular disease does not exhibit itself until several years after the exposure. In some cases, it may take the particular disease twenty-five or more years to exhibit itself.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops in the linings of the lung or abdomen. Pleural mesothelioma is a mesothelioma that develops in the lining of the lung—the pleural. Peritoneum mesothelioma is a mesothelioma that develops in the lining of the abdomen—the peritoneum. In the early stages of mesothelioma, there are no visible symptoms. It is not until mesothelioma reaches advanced stages that symptoms present themselves. Symptoms include: shortness of breath, rapid and significant weight loss, and chest, lower back or side pain. There is no cure for mesothelioma and death occurs within a few years after diagnosis. Asbestos exposure is the only generally accepted cause of mesothelioma.

Lung cancer, as opposed to pleural mesothelioma, is cancer of the lung itself. Asbestos induced lung cancer is typically found in victims who have been exposed to asbestos and smoke. Asbestos when combined with cigarette (or other tobacco) smoke drastically increases one’s chances of developing lung cancer. A smoker who was exposed to asbestos has ten times the probability of developing lung cancer as a non-smoker, non-asbestos-exposed person. The fact that a person may have smoked does not necessarily limit that person’s legal rights.

Asbestosis is a non-cancerous scarring of the lung itself caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. When inhaled, the asbestos fibers become permanently trapped in the lungs. The permanently trapped fibers irritate the lungs and eventually scar the lung creating a pleural fibrosis. This scarring results in shortness of breath, severe coughing, and chest pain.

Most asbestos diseases are signature diseases–that is, there is usually only one cause–asbestos exposure. The difficulty is determining where the exposure occurred and to whose product the victim was exposed. Countless numbers of hard working people have or are needlessly suffering because asbestos manufactures, in the name profits, consciously disregarded asbestos’s harmful effects. Individuals who have worked in or family member of individuals who have worked with asbestos may potentially have been exposed. Individuals who worked in chemical plants, asbestos mines, mills, or factories, shipyards, steel mills, refineries, construction, asbestos abatement, and as brake mechanics may have a higher likelihood of being exposed.

If a person believes that they or a family member have been exposed to asbestos, they should, at the very least see a doctor and have a chest x-ray. The Fox Law Group, PA, is available day or night to assist you and discuss your legal rights.

Don't suffer in silence. Protect your rights: contact experienced asbestos litigation lawyer Grant Fox.