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MESOTHELIOMA AND ASBESTOS INJURIES
Asbestos is hazardous to your health and amazingly is still found in many homes around America. Prolonged exposure to asbestos can cause a disease known as mesothelioma to develop in your body. This disease is deadly and it is also incurable. If you were unknowingly exposed to asbestos because of another’s negligence, you can take legal action.
Landlord-tenant law governs the legal issues, rights and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants in terms of rental agreements for homes or apartments you may have lived in. This is a complex and multifaceted area of law. For many decades, asbestos was common in manufacturing. It was used in the manufacture of many different materials used in homes and apartments all the way up until 1989 when it was partially banned by the Environmental Protection Agency.
In this post, you'll discover what asbestos is and where it can be commonly found. We will explain the various risk factors that come with exposure including mesothelioma. Finally, you can see who may be held liable for asbestos and mesothelioma injuries and where to find the right lawyers.
HOW WILL YOU KNOW IF YOU’VE BEEN EXPOSED TO ASBESTOS?
If you have been exposed to asbestos, symptoms of a disease may not come for years or even decades. Some of the factors that can cause you to get sick from asbestos are:
- Duration of exposure
- Concentration of asbestos
- Kind of asbestos
- How often you were exposed
- Origination of asbestos
- Individual health
How long and how much asbestos you were exposed to will determine what kind of symptoms or diseases you may end up with. Also, there are multiple kinds of asbestos that will do somewhat different things to your body.
The frequency you were exposed to asbestos matters as well. Plus, whether the person had pre-existing conditions or was a smoker can affect how asbestos related diseases affect them.
WHAT IS ASBESTOS?
Asbestos itself is a group of six various minerals that are typically found in soil and rock. They are made up of sturdy, tiny fibers that resist heat and some chemicals, which explains why they were popular in building materials for a long time.
These very same minerals have also been found to cause various lung ailments including mesothelioma. What’s more, asbestos is hard to detect because it is invisible to the naked eye as well as being completely odorless.
WHERE IS ASBESTOS COMMONLY FOUND?
Asbestos was used for a very long time which is why it can still be easily found in older homes, schools, and buildings. Some places where asbestos was commonly used in these buildings are:
- Ceiling and floor tiles
- Shingles
- Sidings
- Certain cements
- Fire resistant fabric
- Asbestos millboard and paper
- Certain paints
All of these places are simply just a few of the possible spots asbestos can be found. If you have been around these kinds of places for extended periods of time, you may have been exposed to asbestos at some point in time.
WHO CAN BE HELD LIABLE FOR ASBESTOS AND MESOTHELIOMA INJURIES?
There are now regulations in place to limit workers to the exposure of asbestos and, if your employer was not following these regulations, they could be held liable for any asbestos-related diseases you develop.
Also, if you rented a home that had asbestos, you could potentially file a personal injury claim against the landlord. However, the landlord will have had to have known that there was asbestos and purposefully not done anything to fix this issue for the case to be successful.
There is also a way you could claim product liability if a certain product you used caused your exposure to asbestos. Most products that have asbestos have been phased out by this point but if you are sold one that caused you to develop an asbestos related disease, that manufacturer can be held liable for your ailment.
There are others who could be held liable for your asbestos exposure as well, but these are the most common examples seen that produce successful personal injury claims.
Liability is almost always proven by an act of negligence from someone who owed a duty of care. So, if you can prove that another party was negligent in preventing your exposure to asbestos, you can build a strong case to get the compensation you need to pay for medical expenses.
WHAT IS MESOTHELIOMA?
Mesothelioma is the most notable disease that comes from asbestos exposure and can affect the linings of the lungs, heart, or abdomen. It is a rare kind of cancer that there is no cure for right now. There are roughly 3,000 new cases of this disease diagnosed every year in America.
After long exposure to asbestos, (for a few years or in very high concentration) it is possible to develop mesothelioma. There are also three different kinds of mesothelioma a person can develop which are:
- Pleural mesothelioma
- Peritoneal mesothelioma
- Pericardial mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form and it affects your lungs. Some symptoms that you may have developed this disease are:
- Difficulty breathing
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Night sweats
- Raspy voice
- Difficulty swallowing
Peritoneal mesothelioma is the next most common kind of mesothelioma and it affects your abdomen. Some symptoms for this disease are:
- Anemia
- Sudden weight loss
- Fever
- Abdominal pain
- Hypoglycemia
- Constipation
Finally, there is the least common form of mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma, which affects your heart. The symptoms for this one include:
- Chest pain
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Fever
- Heart palpitations
If you are displaying any of these symptoms, first, go see a doctor immediately to get tested for mesothelioma. Then, if you were diagnosed with this disease and you believe it was in part due to another’s negligence that you were exposed to asbestos, contact an attorney to see if you can hold that party liable.
CONTACT TRUSTED LAWYERS FOR ASBESTOS AND MESOTHELIOMA EXPOSURE AND ILLNESS
Asbestos is deadly and can cause diseases that can change your life forever, treatment for some of these diseases will pile up a long list of expenses as well.
If you feel you weren't at fault for your asbestos exposure, legal organizations like Law Leaders can help you get the compensation you deserve. Their team of expert lawyers are experienced in asbestos and mesothelioma personal injury claims and will fight hard for your case.
We can help you determine whether you might have a mesothelioma case. Get a free asbestos/mesothelioma consultation when you call today - let's discuss your options.
