Thousands of Texans are exposed to asbestos every year. If you have been exposed to asbestos, you may be entitled to compensation. Contacting a personal injury attorney is one of the most important things you can do after exposure. Asbestossettlements may be upwards of $500,000 or more, and can help pay medical bills, rehabilitation bills, and pain and suffering.
But act quickly! According to Texas’s statute of limitations, a victim has only two years to file his or her asbestos case. Unfortunately, many Texas residents never realize that they were entitled to some type of compensation, or they wait too long and can no longer file their claim.
Asbestos exposure can result in mesothelioma, lung cancer, colon cancer, and other lung problems. These problems often result in death. For many people, what once was an exciting development in geology is now a lifelong detriment to living a normal life. Most legal experts advise that you take action now. Receive a FREE CASE EVALUATION today from some of the most knowledgeable and experienced Texas asbestos exposure attorneys.
Types of Asbestos Exposure
People can be exposed to asbestos through drinking water, touching materials that contain asbestos, and working with construction materials. Since most people know that asbestos are harmful and illegal to use, if you have been exposed, the liable party should be held responsible. Asbestos exposure lawyers will help you file a personal injury claim, wade through the complex legal system with ease, and work hard to win you a large settlement. Asbestos exposure attorneys help with every step of the process, and the initial consultation is FREE.
Unfortunately in today’s world, cancer-causing agents are almost everywhere. They are in polluted air, smoke from cigarettes, exhaust from factories, the materials in our houses, and even in food and water.
While eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help, some of us are exposed to cancer agents that are beyond our control and can’t be fixed by a simple diet.
Asbestos, manganese poisoning and second-hand smoke are some of the most recent cancer agents being covered by the media today. Miners and construction workers are most at risk of mesothelioma, which is caused by asbestos exposure, and welders and steel workers are at risk of manganese poisoning, which is caused by metal fumes and causes symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease. Everyone who inhales second-hand cigarette smoke is at risk of lung cancer and heart disease.
Fortunately, many illnesses can be prevented if workplaces adhere to safety standards and if smokers keep a distance from everyone else while smoking. However, not everyone follows safety guidelines and they put other people at risk.
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer caused by inhalation of or exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is made from fiberous minerals, and was used in brake shoes, gaskets, electrical insulation, thermal insulation, fire proofing materials and floor tiles, as well as many other industrial products. Although new uses of six types of asbestos products were banned in 1989, many buildings built before 1989 still contain asbestos products, and many companies still work with the product.
People contract mesothelioma when materials containing asbestos are disturbed. Asbestos is most often disturbed when buildings are demolished or remodeled. The asbestos dust and fibers enter a person’s lungs and cause cancerous cells on the lining inside the body that protects internal organs. These cells lead to cancerous tumors. Asbestos dust can be transported on clothes, inside vehicles and by many other means. Mesothelioma can also be contracted if asbestos is swallowed. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, swelling and pain, and coughing.
In fact, asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma. People involved in mining and transporting asbestos are most at risk. Others most at risk include people who work at plants that manufacture asbestos products, construction and maintenance workers, auto mechanics, insulators, ship mechanics and steel workers. Bystanders, or people who work with those most at risk, often are exposed as well. Also, people who live and work in towns were asbestos is mined are at risk, as well as people who frequent old buildings containing asbestos products and those who wear asbestos clothing. It is important to note that mesothelioma does not often show up for more than 20 years after exposure takes place. Injury attorneys are well versed in the risks and consequences of working with or being exposed to asbestos, and they can inform you of your rights and help you file personal injury claims.
Mesothelioma is divided into two categories: malignant mesothelioma and benign-fiberous mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is a cancerous tumor that forms after multiple, sustained exposures to asbestos. Many cancerous tumors form after 20 to 50 years of exposure to asbestos. Surgery is the most common treatment for cancerous tumors. However, cancerous tumors can metastasize, or spread, making radiation and chemotherapy options for therapy. Benign-fiberous mesothelioma is a non-cancerous tumor that affects the pleura, or the lining of the lungs. This non-cancerous tumor increases in size until it greatly affects breathing.
Mesothelioma is diagnosed by first taking X-rays to determine the level of fluid build-up or the existence of a tumor. Doctors then take a sample of fluid or tissue to study. It often takes a few days to determine the results. Mesothelioma is treated with surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Mesothelioma is a costly, painful illness. Personal injury lawyers can answer any questions you have about asbestos and mesothelioma, and they can help you determine who is responsible and what compensation you are entitled to.
Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that is very flexible and soft, making it an ideal material for use in clothing. Its heat resistant properties and tough durability make it ideal for building materials and auto parts as well. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that is smaller than the eye can see and that cannot be smelled or tasted. However, exposure to asbestos can lead to a cancer called mesothelioma.
Despite the health risk, asbestos continues to be mined and used in many products because it does not burn, barely transmits any heat, is a poor conductor of electricity, resists corrosion and is durable yet flexible. This makes asbestos useful for fire proofing materials, heat insulation, electrical insulation and even clothing. Asbestos that is painted, bonded, coated and/or covered does not normally present a health risk.
There are only six types of asbestos materials that are banned, the first being any new uses of asbestos in products that weren’t historically made from the mineral. The other five types of asbestos materials that are banned from sale and distribution include asbestos flooring felt, rollboard, commercial paper, specialty paper and corrugated paper.
Asbestos products that are not banned include asbestos-cement corrugated sheet, asbestos-cement flat sheet, asbestos clothing, pipeline wrap, roofing felt, vinyl-asbestos floor tile, asbestos-cement shingle, millboard, asbestos-cement pipe, automatic transmission components, clutch facings, friction materials, disc brake pads, drum brake linings, brake blocks, gaskets, non-roofing coatings and roof coatings, according to the EPA. Injury attorneys are well versed in the risks and consequences of working with or being exposed to asbestos, and they can inform you of your rights and help you file personal injury claims.
Asbestos is most dangerous when it is disturbed. For example, when it is mined, used to produce materials, or when materials containing asbestos are disassembled or demolished, asbestos is most likely to be inhaled or consumed. Asbestos dust can be transported on clothing, materials and tools, and is dangerous to anyone who comes in contact with it. Once asbestos is inhaled or consumed, it can cause tumors on the lining in the lungs, stomach, abdomen and heart.
Asbestos damages the body’s lining because of its fibrous nature. Most of the fibers are exhaled, but some attach themselves to the lining of the body, causing severe and fatal injuries. Symptoms of asbestos-related illnesses include difficulty breathing, increased swelling, fluid and pain in infected areas, and coughing.
Exposure to asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma. People involved in mining and transporting asbestos are most at risk. Others most at risk include people who work at plants that manufacture asbestos products, construction and maintenance workers, auto mechanics, insulators, ship mechanics and steel workers. Bystanders, or people who work with those most at risk, often are exposed as well. Also, people who live and work in towns were asbestos is mined are at risk, as well as people who frequent old buildings containing asbestos products and those who wear asbestos clothing. It is important to note that mesothelioma does not often show up for more than 20 years after exposure to asbestos takes place. Personal injury lawyers can answer any questions you have about asbestos and mesothelioma.
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