
According to the National Cancer Institute, exposure to asbestos is linked to many types of cancer, the most common of which being mesothelioma. Other forms of cancer related to asbestos-exposure include cancers of the:
- Larynx
- Ovaries
- Lungs
- Stomach
- Pharynx
- Colorectum
Numerous studies have called out the deadly potential of this substance over the years, which ultimately resulted in its widespread regulation throughout the United States in the 1970s. Unfortunately, as asbestos was used as a fireproofing and insulation tool for over a century, among other uses, thousands of people have lost loved ones after long-term exposure to this toxic substance.
The types of cancer caused by asbestos can be especially damaging because asbestos is an air pollutant, and victims may not be aware of the exposure to it. It gets in the victims’ lungs and can cause lifelong ailments that may only appear years after the fact. Far from being a toxic substance of the past, asbestos continues to cause significant damage to firefighters, factory workers, carpenters, construction workers, police officers, and other at-risk professions to this day.
If your work exposed you to asbestos, and you developed cancer or another disease decades later, you may be able to receive compensation through a lawsuit. It might also benefit you to hire an attorney to handle speaking with insurers, gathering evidence, and arguing your case in court, so you can focus on recovering.
Causes of Asbestos Exposure
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, asbestos use within the U.S. started in the early 1900s. Its use became more widespread in the years following World War II. Once industries realized its potential, they used asbestos in countless ways, including the automotive industry, the construction business, the military, and even in common household items like glues and paints, and floor tiles. In short, as recently as a few decades ago, exposure to asbestos was extremely commonplace.
Unfortunately, many people were not made aware of its lethal implications, including the workers who commonly dealt with the substance, and the customers who unwittingly bought it in their everyday products. By the time the United States government began to act, the damage was already done for countless families, including many types of cancers caused by asbestos.
In the early 1970s, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) banned the use of asbestos in walls and fireplaces, beginning the first of several acts to rid the country of more reckless exposures to the substance.
By 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prevented asbestos from being used in new products. Further, they required school inspections for the substance. However, this did little to take the most dangerous uses of asbestos out of circulation. The order still allowed the use of old products containing asbestos, so long as they were made before 1989.
Today, we are still feeling the ramifications of these inactions. The effects of asbestos exposure often do not show themselves until years or decades later. That means if you were exposed to asbestos in some capacity, you could still be at risk today to developing cancer.
Deaths from Asbestos Exposure
According to the World Health Organization, about 100,000 people around the world die each year from asbestos exposure.
There are a variety of factors that may affect a person’s risk of the types of cancer potentially caused by asbestos exposure of any kind, which can include:
- How long you were around the asbestos
- What type of product contained the asbestos (which may affect the concentration)
- Pre-existing conditions
- What type of asbestos fibers you were exposed to
This is not an exhaustive list of the factors that can increase your risk of developing cancer. If you are sick and have been exposed to asbestos, talk to your doctor.
For a free legal consultation, call (800) 217-6099
Asbestos Exposure Lawyers
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung, larynx, or ovarian cancer after exposure to asbestos, the attorneys at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm would love you speak with you about your legal options.
Victims of these types of cases may be entitled to compensation for their pain and suffering. Even if you are unsure what may have caused your cancer, our lawyers will investigate your case by pulling medical documents, doing research, speaking to former employers, looking at old building plans, examining repair records, and more.
To learn more about your potential right to compensation in these cases, call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today at (800) 217-6099 for your free consultation.
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