Mesothelioma Lawyers

Finding out how you were exposed

One of the first questions that many people ask when their doctor tells them that they have mesothelioma, asbestosis, pleural plaques or one of the other conditions caused by asbestos exposure is, "How did I get this?" It's an important question to answer, because pinpointing how and where you were exposed to asbestos can be the key to a successful lawsuit. That compensation can pay for your medical bills and ensure that your family isn't burdened with them.

Most people who develop mesothelioma worked in or around asbestos for many years and may not even have known it. For decades, some companies concealed the fact that their employees were handling asbestos, and didn't tell them how to prevent exposure to it. At other companies, employees may have known that they were handling asbestos, but no one told them that it was dangerous. The companies also didn't tell them that they were bringing home asbestos dust on their clothing, shoes, hair and skin to poison their families. Still other people breathed in asbestos dust in the air because a company nearby was mining, milling or making things with asbestos. In addition, there were nearly 3000 products containing or made with asbestos that were used by consumers in one way or another.

Just being around something that was made with asbestos doesn't necessarily mean that you were exposed to asbestos fibers. As long as the asbestos is intact, it presents no danger. When it's broken, however, it releases fibers into the air that can be inhaled or swallowed. At that point it becomes friable, meaning that it may be releasing asbestos dust into the air. Workers in many industries were exposed to friable asbestos in the course of their jobs. If you worked in any job where you handled or removed products with asbestos, you may have been exposed to asbestos dust, often without knowing it.

Asbestos exposure in the workplace

Construction Work
Those who worked in construction may have been exposed to asbestos when they cut or drilled asbestos tiles, if they did insulation work with blown-in or packed insulation that contained asbestos, if they laid floors or installed ceiling tiles with asbestos, when they handled asbestos insulating tape or boiler wrap and when they applied asbestos paints or sprays to buildings and foundations. This is just a partial list - there were hundreds of products containing asbestos used in construction. There have been cases of mesothelioma traced to even short-term exposure to asbestos in summer construction jobs.

Demolition Work
Workers in demolitions may have been exposed when asbestos containing products were disturbed during demolition or renovations. Cutting, sanding, drilling and smashing tiles, cement and other products containing or treated with asbestos releases asbestos dust into the air.

General Manufacturing
Workers in factories that made products with asbestos may have been exposed to asbestos dust in packing and unpacking asbestos products, and in working with it.

Shipbuilding
Asbestos was heavily used in the shipbuilding industry. Anyone who worked in or around shipyards is at risk for having been exposed to asbestos.

Railroad workers
Asbestos was used for insulation on boilers and in other ways on the railroads. Railway engineers and stokers were at particular risk for exposure to asbestos dust.

Automotive workers
Workers who installed and repaired brakes and clutches are at risk for having been exposed to asbestos dust when installing or grinding brake and clutch linings.

Custodians and maintenance workers
Those who maintain and repair buildings, particularly those built prior to the 1970s, are at risk for exposure to asbestos if there are asbestos products in the buildings where they work. Asbestos may be disturbed during maintenance and renovation and become a hazard to all those in the building.

Steel workers
Asbestos was heavily used in the steel industry, and those who worked as smelters or in other capacities in steel mills may have been exposed in the course of their jobs.

Family and Household Exposure
There are many reported cases of mesothelioma in the families of mill workers, miners, shipyard workers and others who worked with asbestos. It's believed that they were exposed to asbestos dust carried home on the clothing and bodies of the worker. Wives who laundered asbestos-laden clothing are at particular risk.

Community Exposure
People who lived within a mile or so of any factory, mill or mine where asbestos products were mined or produced are at risk for exposure to asbestos dust that was released into the air. Children often played in areas that were contaminated with asbestos dust. There have been cases where asbestos dust was disturbed during the renovation of public buildings like post offices, schools and office buildings, exposing those who used the building to asbestos dust.

Asbestos in the Home
Many of the homes built prior to the 1970s were built with products containing asbestos. Most of these products present no danger to homeowners and families, unless they are disturbed in some way. Homeowners who have done significant renovations to their property may have been (or may be) exposed to asbestos dust when removing floor or ceiling tiles, sanding floors that were covered with asbestos tiles or installed with glue that contains asbestos, drilling into walls that were treated with asbestos, removing drywall or insulation.

If you suspect that you may have been exposed to asbestos dust, you should consult a doctor. While a chest X-ray won't show fibers of asbestos in your lungs, it may show the early signs of damage from those fibers.

You may also want to consult a good mesothelioma attorney. Because of the callous disregard shown for consumers and employees by companies that used or manufactured products with asbestos, you may be entitled to recover medical expenses and other damages from the companies that were at fault for your exposure.