Asbestos and Mesothelioma

Asbestos is a mineral fiber historically used among manufacturers and builders because of its resistance to heat, electricity, and chemical damage, as well as its sound absorption properties and durability. When inhaled, microscopic asbestos fibers can bypass the body's natural defenses and work their way deep into the lungs. There, the fibers accumulate and irritate the lung tissue, which often leads to the development of asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma and asbestosis.

At the Locks Law Firm, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York mesothelioma and personal injury attorneys can help you and your family obtain compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering if you or a family member has this terrible disease. Our personal injury lawyers have obtained multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of clients throughout the tri-state area. If you have been exposed to asbestos, contact a mesothelioma and catastrophic personal injury attorney at the Locks Law Firm today.

Asbestos Exposure

People can be exposed to asbestos in their workplace, their communities, and even their homes. Occupational exposure to asbestos is most common in the construction industry, particularly from the removal of asbestos-containing materials during renovation or demolition. Additionally, factory workers and others are frequently exposed to asbestos fibers during the manufacture of asbestos products (such as textiles, friction products, insulation, and other building materials), and mechanics can suffer exposure during automotive brake and clutch repair work.

Additionally, many victims are diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases even though they never directly or personally participated in activities that might have exposed them to asbestos. According to a recent study detailed in Environmental Health Perspectives, people who don't work with asbestos can still suffer asbestos-related lung abnormalities. The Environmental Protection Agency found that asbestos released from mining or manufacturing operations may pose health threats to entire communities. For example, the population of the mining city Libby, Montana had a 6.7 percent chance of having pleural abnormalities – the highest incidence to date among people who didn't work with asbestos.

Although most products manufactured today do not contain asbestos, from the beginning of the twentieth century until the 1970s many types of building products and insulation materials used in workplaces and within homes contained the dangerous mineral. These products include steam pipes, boilers, furnace ducts, textured paints and patching compounds, floor tiles, cement roofing, shingles, siding, and walls around wood-burning stoves. Those few products which today still contain asbestos are required to be labeled as such.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey mesothelioma and personal injury attorney today and schedule a free, confidential consultation.

Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Diseases

Asbestos can cause an array of diseases that result in irreversible lung damage and, often, death. The most common diseases linked to asbestos exposure are:

• Malignant Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibers which affects the thin membranes of the abdomen and chest. Malignant mesothelioma is almost always a fatal, and the average time of survival after diagnosis is 11 months.

• Asbestosis. Asbestosis is a non-malignant asbestos-related disease that causes scarring of the lung tissue.

• Asbestos Lung Cancer. Asbestos lung cancer can start in the lining of the bronchi (the tubes into which the trachea divides), the trachea, the bronchioles (small branches of the bronchi), or the alveoli (air sacs of the lungs). Although asbestos lung cancer usually develops slowly, once it occurs, cancer cells can spread quickly to other parts of the body.

• Asbestos Pleural Disease. Asbestos pleural disease is a non-malignant disease that causes functional impairment of the lungs by decreasing the lungs' volume and rate of gas exchange.

Asbestos exposure can also cause cancer of the digestive tract, colon, larynx, esophagus, and kidneys, as well as some types of lymphoma. Typically the symptoms of these diseases do not appear until many years after exposure to the dangerous fibers occurred. If you or a loved one has contracted an asbestos-related disease, contact the Locks Law Firm. With offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, a mesothelioma and personal injury attorney at our firm can help you obtain just compensation.

Contact a Locks Law Firm Asbestos or Mesothelioma Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or an asbestos-related illness, contact the Pennsylvania, New Jersey or New York Offices of the Locks Law Firm today to schedule an appointment.