* FACT: It is estimated that more than a million schools in the US contain some form of asbestos even today.
Asbestos comes from Greek and means ‘inextinguishable’. This ‘miracle mineral’ is naturally tough and 100% fire resistant, which accounts for its overwhelming popularity in the period between the late 1800s and late 1900s. During this time, asbestos found its way into most of the materials lying around us from pipes to buildings, kitchens, fire-proof curtains, coffee pots, burner pads and ovens. However, by the late 1900’s, enthusiasm for asbestos was on the verge of a huge decline.
In the 1970’s, surveys began to show that asbestos could kill. When asbestos is exposed to heat, friction or damage, it does not break but simply releases microscopic fibers that are about one-tenth the thickness of a strand of hair. Human beings exposed to asbestos breathe the fibers which are floating freely in the air. Once the fibers get inside the body, they cling to the lining of the lungs and cause a number of deadly diseases like mesothelioma, which is one of the leading causes of painful death in people who have been exposed to asbestos dust.
* FACT: In the last 100 years, more than 35 million tons of asbestos went into building homes, commercial buildings, shipyards, fireproof materials and industrial sites. Quite a good percentage of this is still in use.
What makes asbestos exposure difficult to detect is the simple fact that exposure does not lead to disease directly. Diseases related to asbestos exposure remain dormant for about 15-20 years. In case of mesothelioma, the lag period may even go up to 30-45 years. This means that a person exposed to the deadly fiber may start developing symptoms well after retirement or after they are past the age of gainful employment.
Another alarming feature of asbestos fiber is its portability. Microscopic fibers attach themselves tenuously to hair, skin, clothing and shoes. Thus, people who work around asbestos often act as free agents, carrying the deadly dust with them and subjecting others in the family to lethal diseases through secondary exposure.
Most people who die of exposure leave huge debts due to the expensive treatment they have undergone. This is where asbestos cancer lawyers can help. While nothing can bring back a dead person, asbestos cancer lawyers can assure that the person undergoing the disease gets proper treatment and that his near and dear ones are looked after, in case of death.
* FACT: Every year, approximately 2000-3000 new cases of mesothelioma are reported in the US alone
Asbestos related diseases can bring your life to a sudden full stop, and nothing can ward off the pain that lies ahead. However, an experienced asbestos cancer lawyer can help you meet the financial burden this dreaded condition brings. If you suspect that you or anyone in your family may have been exposed to the deadly dust, you need to contact an asbestos cancer lawyer immediately.
Asbestos Exposure Lawyers - With over 51 years of legal experience, Shelton Law Group has helped thousands of individuals and families who have been affected by toxic product exposures like mesothelioma, asbestos and benzene to receive the compensation they are owed.