Mesothelioma Lawyers, William Kherkher

An Infamous Anniversary Brings Additional Ominous Thoughts

As we move into September, every American remembers where he or she was six years ago on a beautiful Tuesday morning. September 11th will live on in the memories of every American who was alive and old enough to remember that day forever. The issues surrounding how and why it happened, who's responsible, who will be held accountable and whether the United States is safe from another September 11th-type attack are still being debated.

However, one somewhat overlooked aspect of 9/11 is the damage it may have done to people's long-term health. Specifically, whether or not those who worked in and around the attack site in Manhattan were exposed to asbestos, how much asbestos they may have been exposed to, the likelihood of the asbestos from the towers infecting people in the future and what, if anything, could be done about it.

There is a lot to think about in regards to how this could all play out, and we'll examine a couple of these points below:

When will we know if there's a problem?

The answer to that question is that there is no set answer. That's not avoiding the question, that's just the way it is. When a person inhales asbestos fibers, and these fibers manage to find their way into the lungs and embed themselves there, the forthcoming disease tends to begin to take root. However, that's not always the case, as studies have shown that the latency period for mesothelioma can be up to 30 years in duration.

That doesn't mean that some won't get sick sooner, and it's quite possible that some already have. However, we also may not know if 9/11 was their main source of exposure and how much asbestos was absorbed by a particular patient on that day.

Whom to sue?

This is a question that could be even more complicated than the one described above. The potential defendants could include the owners, builders or managers of the towers that came down, the city of New York, the terrorists who brought about this exposure or just about anyone else who was tied to this situation over the years that the World Trade Center stood and ultimately fell.

Overall

As you see, this is not only a tragic, but horribly complicated situation. As you take some time in the next few days to remember that day and those who perished tragically as a result of it, bear in mind that more consequences could be looming. If you've been exposed to asbestos as a result of 9/11 or because of anything else, please contact our asbestos lawyers at Williams Kherkher to schedule a free initial consultation.