Asbestos poisoning occurs when a person experiences harmful health complications as a result of hazardous exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is the name of a group of fibrous minerals that were used extensively to make thousands of products between the 1930s and 1970s. Asbestos poisoning can occur when harmful asbestos fibers are released into the air and inhaled or ingested.

Asbestos poisoning can lead to a number of adverse long- and short-term physical ailments. The symptoms of asbestos poisoning may not appear for ten to fifty years after initial asbestos exposure .

Effects of Asbestos Poisoning

Asbestos poisoning can lead to the following:

  Asbestosis

  Numerous cancers

  Mesothelioma

  Pulmonary hypertension

  Immunological effects

  Other respiratory and digestive damage

The most deadly result of asbestos poisoning is the development of cancer. While lung and digestive system cancers have been linked to asbestos poisoning, the most common cancer caused by asbestos poisoning is called mesothelioma .

Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the pleural lining of the lungs, the peritoneal lining of the organs in the abdominal cavity, or the pericardial lining of the heart. After asbestos poisoning, mesothelioma can take up to fifty years to produce any outward symptoms . Mesothelioma asbestos poisoning claims the lives of ten thousand people annually and approximately two thousand new cases are diagnosed every year.

Asbestos poisoning can also lead to a non-cancerous progressive disease known as asbestosis . Asbestosis is typified by a build-up of scar tissue in the lower region of the lungs. Asbestosis may not be evident for fifteen to thirty years following asbestos poisoning. This condition significantly restricts breathing and hinders adequate oxygen intake and gas exchange in the lungs. Asbestosis, if left untreated, can lead to serious disability and even death.

Asbestos Poisoning Risk

Asbestos exposure is particularly threatening for those employed in the following industries: building and construction, automotive, railroad, shipyard, and factory. Though asbestos use is no longer common, many structures still house hazardous asbestos materials that can cause asbestos poisoning. An estimated 1.3 million construction workers still face significant threats of asbestos poisoning on the job.

Victims of asbestos poisoning have the legal right to seek compensation for their injuries through an asbestos lawsuit. Employers, manufacturers, and even landlords or building owners can be held responsible for the asbestos poisoning their negligence failed to prevent. To learn more about your legal rights and options after suffering asbestos poisoning, please contact us. Our asbestos attorneys are experienced advocates for victims of asbestos-related diseases.

Related Asbestos Poisoning News

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Nov 26, 2007 - Asbestos Mine Damages Wetlands in Vermont