If you or a loved one were injured after being exposed to asbestos and/or asbestos dust/fibers, you may be entitled to recover compensation from an asbestos lawsuit case or settlement claim.
A team of products liability injury lawyers and class action attorneys is investigating lawsuit and settlement claims of individuals who were injured after being exposed to asbestos and/or asbestos dust/fibers.
Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring silicate mineral compounds composed of long and thin fibrous crystals that are resistant to heat, fire, electricity and corrosion. Due to its strength, durability and fire-retardant capability, asbestos has long been used in the building and construction industries, military, shipbuilding industry and automotive industry.
Unfortunately, according to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, asbestos is a known human carcinogen (a substance that can cause cancer). It has been estimated that tens of thousands of individuals die from asbestos exposure each year in the United States.
Asbestos Lawsuit Cases & Settlement Claims
Asbestos lawsuit and settlement cases potentially being investigated include claims of individuals who were exposed to asbestos and suffered serious injuries, complications, symptoms and side effects, including:
- Mesothelioma
- Lung cancer
- Asbestosis
- Pleural thickening of the lungs
- Pleuritis
- Pleural disease
- Pleural plaques
- Pleural effusion
- Peritoneal efffusion
- Pericardial effusion
- Rounded atelectasis (folded lung)
- Laryngeal cancer
- Pharyngeal cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Small intestinal cancer
- Colon cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Other asbestos-related cancers
- Other asbestos injury
Asbestos Injury Claims
When asbestos dust is inhaled or ingested, the fibers (composed of microscopic fibrils that cannot be seen with the naked eye) can become permanently trapped in the body, causing inflammation, scarring and genetic damage. Exposure to asbestos can cause various cancers, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer and laryngeal cancer, among others.
Breathing in asbestos fibers can also cause scar-like tissue to build in the lungs (a condition that is called asbestosis) and can lead to loss of lung function. Other potential asbestos related complications and asbestos injuries can include pleural thickening (lung disease in which scarring thickens the pleura or lining of the lungs), plueral plaques (deposits of hyalinized collagen fibers in the parietal pleura), pleuritis (inflamation of the pleura), pleural effusion (build up of water or fluid between the pleura of the lungs) and atelectasis (collapse of lung or lobe of lung).
Despite the dangers of asbestos, it is still present in many older buildings, homes and schools, as well as in certain products.
Types of Asbestos
The most common type of asbestos is called serpentine asbestos, which consists of curly fibers from the mineral Chrysotile (also called white asbestos). Serpentine or chrysotile asbestos is commonly found in insulation, roofing, drywall, cement, adhesives, brake pads, vinyl tiles, gaskets, and fireproofing materials, among other things.
Another type of asbestos is called Amphibole asbestos, which consists of needle shaped fibers from various other minerals including Amosite (brown asbestos), Crocidolite (blue asbestos), Anthophyllite, Tremolite and actinolite. This type of asbestos may also be found in cement sheets, ceiling tiles, acid storage battery casings, rubber, among other things.
Certain talc products (such as talcum powder) may contain some amount of asbestos as a result of contamination during the talc mining process.
Asbestos Symptoms, Signs & Complications
Signs and symptoms of asbestos exposure typically include having symptoms of the diseases caused by exposure to asbestos present themselves, including complications related to the lung, throat, or other organs associated with asbestosis, mesothelioma, cancer, and the like (such as shortness of breath, chest pain and fatigue, etc.).
Unfortunately, asbestos symptoms usually do not appear until years after being exposed to asbestos. In other words, there is a long latency period between the time of exposure until asbestos related illness or symptoms first appear (sometimes as long as 5 to 10 years, sometimes as long as 40 years, and sometimes even longer).
If you or someone you love were diagnosed with asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, laryngeal cancer or other forms of cancers or other asbestos related illnesss or disease after being exposed to asbestos, you may be entitled to compensation from an asbestos lawsuit or settlement. Contact an injury lawyer to request a free case review
*If you or a loved one are experiencing health issues, side effects or complications from a product (i.e., asbestos or asbestos fibers), we urge you to promptly consult with your doctor or physician for an evaluation.
**The listing of a company or product is not meant to state or imply that the company acted illegally or improperly or that the product is unsafe or defective; rather only that an investigation may be, is or was being conducted to determine whether legal rights have been violated.
***The use of any trademarks, tradenames or service marks is solely for product identification and/or informational purposes.
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