Asbestos Exposure

How Does Asbestos Enter the Human Body?

For the past century, unrestricted use of Asbestos in plants, factories, shipyards, and other industrial facilities has contaminated almost all job sites. Asbestos exposure in shipyards, manufacturing, refineries, and other workplaces accounts for thousands of occupational deaths per year.

Respiration

Asbestos enters the body through respiration--by breathing the fibers into the lungs. Our doctors explain that the Asbestos fibers that tend to stay in the lung tissue are just light enough to become airborne and just heavy enough to get stuck in the lung's lobe.

Because Asbestos fibers have an electrostatic charge, they tend to cluster together even while in ambient air. A worker would not be exposed to just one fiber because a tiny cluster (roughly the head of a pin) can contain tens of thousands of individual fibers. The sheer number and the fact that they have hooks that get caught in lung tissue overwhelms the body's ability to defend itself from damage.

Ingestion

Another way that Asbestos enters the body is by swallowing fibers. The same fibers are caught up in air currents are then ingested and carried through the digestive tract.
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The digestive tract's length from the esophagus to the colon is roughly seven times the body's length. The Asbestos fibers are like barbs or fishhooks traveling through the system and have ample opportunity to get hooked into the tissue in transit.

Once the Asbestos fragments are stuck in the human tissue, they damage the cells that they touch as they pass through the body. Over the decades, the cells can migrate to the lungs, abdomen, and other organ linings and eventually cause Mesothelioma.

Asbestos exposure at work accounts for over three thousand occupation-related Mesothelioma deaths each year in the United States -- it also causes tens of thousands of deaths related to Asbestos Lung Cancer.

Mesothelioma from Jobs with Asbestos Exposure

Mesothelioma diagnoses are linked to on-the-job Asbestos exposure. Unfortunately, this exposure accounts for thousands of occupational deaths per year in the United States. Companies used Asbestos to make thousands of products.

From the 1920s to the 1990s, many workers handled Asbestos or asbestos-containing products daily. In the mid-1970s, Asbestos started to be removed from new insulation and construction materials, but decades later, remodeling any building built before 1980 can lead to significant exposure.

Many Mesothelioma victims served in the Military or worked in manufacturing, construction, automotive repair, and other industries with extreme on-the-job Asbestos exposure, including shipbuilding, foundry work, and refinery work.

In most cases, asbestos-related diseases are developed in 10-50 years after a person inhaled their first Asbestos fibers.

The risk of asbestos exposure is high for those who mine and process raw Asbestos, manufacture asbestos-containing products, or repair buildings or machinery with Asbestos containing components.

Even after Asbestos was banned in some industries, workers continued to face severe Asbestos exposure while renovating and demolishing any building built before 1980.

Occupations at High Risk for Asbestos Exposure

Although workers in the industries above face a much greater risk of Asbestos exposure than people in other occupations - there is no safe level of exposure to Asbestos. Many people who have had only small exposures have developed severe health problems.

Military Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma

Compensation For Asbestos Victims

If you been diagnosed with lung Cancer or Mesothelioma, or if a family member has died from Mesothelioma, Flint Law Firm will be able to help you obtain compensation.

The process of maximizing this Asbestos compensation for you and your family can begin in just a few months.

Asbestos Exposure FAQ's

Isn't Asbestos Banned In The Workplace?

No, Americans are surprised to find out that Asbestos is not banned for many uses in the United States. You can buy Asbestos-containing parts and products today. There was a ban on its use in insulation in 1974 and drywall and paint products in 1979, but Asbestos continues to be used in brakes, clutches, sealants, and corrosion resistant fittings. Workers continue to be exposed to new Asbestos every day, not just from existing buildings or equipment. Flint Law Firm can help if you were exposed to Asbestos at work.

Am I Eligible For Workers' Compensation For Mesothelioma Or Asbestos Lung Cancer?

Yes, you may be eligible for Workers' Compensation in addition to filing an Asbestos product liability claim. Flint Law Firms experienced attorneys will help you navigate your state laws and protect your rights. It is important that you act quickly after any diagnosis that you think may be related to your work exposure to Asbestos. There is a limited period to ask for help.

How Do I Know If I Was Exposed To Asbestos At Work?

Asbestos litigation has been going on for over four decades. Flint Law Firm has an extensive database of every worksite across the country that has been proven to contain Asbestos. If you have a diagnosis of Mesothelioma or Lung Cancer, please call us and speak with one of our attorneys. We will do a short interview about your work history and tell you all the possible sources of Asbestos exposure. Sometimes the exposures are clear cut, and sometimes the source is only apparent after completing our investigation.