Asbestos Injury

Asbestos injury results from dangerous levels of exposure to asbestos in the work environment or any other environment where asbestos fibers are airborne. Inhaling or ingesting asbestos fibers can lead to a variety of asbestos injuries including cancer and asbestosis. Most types of asbestos injury have a long latency period which means that people who were exposed to asbestos as early as the 1940s are still susceptible to developing a serious asbestos injury.

Asbestos Injury Risk

The risk of developing an asbestos injury is particularly high for people who work in the construction industry. Workers in the factory, railroad, mining, automotive, building, and shipyard industries as well as their families also run the risk of developing an asbestos injury. Workers who are exposed to asbestos on the job can bring the fibers home on their clothes, shoes, skin, and hair, thereby putting their loved ones at risk for an asbestos-related injury.

Asbestos injury is caused by exposure to dangerous levels of asbestos for an extended period of time. In an effort to prevent asbestos injury, the federal government has placed limits on permissible exposure levels. No employee can legally be exposed to more than 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter in an eight-hour day or 1 fiber per cubic centimeter for any thirty-minute period. Other laws have also been established to protect employees from asbestos injury.

Types of Asbestos Injury

There are a few types of asbestos injury that can occur when a person is exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos. Asbestosis is a progressive, non-cancerous asbestos injury that can potentially lead to disability or death. Asbestosis occurs when asbestos fibers are inhaled and cause scarring on the lower lobes of both lungs. This scar tissue impedes the lung's elasticity and lowers gas exchange functions. This asbestos injury can have a long latency period and can get worse if not properly monitored and treated.

Another type of asbestos injury is mesothelioma , an often cancerous and deadly disease that attacks the mesothelium or lining of organ tissues. This cancer often compromises the pleural lining of the lungs, or the peritoneal lining of the organs in the abdominal cavity. Mesothelioma can also remain dormant for years and, once diagnosed, has a very poor prognosis. Individuals with this asbestos injury typically have less than a year to live after diagnosis .

Asbestos injury is also linked to lung , esophagus, colon, kidney, larynx, and pancreas cancer. The risk of developing lung cancer is seven times greater for people who have been exposed to asbestos.

Though it has been known for many years that asbestos injury poses a serious health threat, some companies and other organizations continue to negligently expose others to asbestos. If you have been the victim of an asbestos injury, you have the legal right to seek compensation for your suffering. For more information on asbestos injury cases, please Contact an Asbestos Attorney experienced with mesothelioma injury and asbestos law.