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If
you or a loved one have been exposed to asbestos and are currently
suffering from mesothelioma, pleural disease, lung cancer
or asbestosis, Parker and Waichman can help you receive
the compensation you deserve for illness.
During
the twentieth century, some 30 million tons of asbestos were
used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and commercial
buildings in the United States.Many asbestos-containing products
remain in buildings, ships, industrial facilities and other
environments where the fibers can become airborne. It is even
possible that you could have been exposed by a family member,
because microscopic asbestos fibers on their clothing can
come off in your home.
Asbestos
exposure has been linked to several serious diseases
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that make up
the lining around the outside of the lungs and inside of the
ribs (pleura), or around the abdominal organs (peritoneum).
For many years asbestos manufacturers have claimed that cigarette
smoking caused mesothelioma, however medical research has
clearly proven that mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure.
There
are currently about 3000 new cases of mesothelioma diagnosed
per year, mostly in men over the age of 40. It is estimated
that there will be about 250,000 cases of mesothelioma before
2020. Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years
after the first exposure to asbestos. That means that if you
worked around asbestos 50 years ago, you could be developing
mesothelioma now.
Asbestos
exposure is also responsible for several other serious health
problems. Pleural Disease, Lung Cancer and Asbestosis
are all linked to asbestos contamination.
Pleural
Disease
is the forming of "plaques" on or thickening of
the lining of the lung, or the lung pleura. Pleural disease
may also take the form of a pleural "effusion".
Similar to asbestosis and other forms of asbestos-related
diseases, pleural disease is a latent disease. This means
that pleural disease typically does not develop until many
years after a person's initial exposure to asbestos.
Lung
Cancer refers to any type of malignant tumor that originates
in the lung itself (unlike mesothelioma, which is in the pleural
lining around the lung.) Lung cancer is often caused from
exposure to asbestos and death from lung cancer is
about seven times more likely to occur among asbestos workers
than among the general population.
Asbestosis
is a noncancerous condition caused by exposure to asbestos.
It is caused by asbestos fibers that become lodged in the
lungs. As the lungs try to protect the body from these foreign
bodies, scar tissue develops and diminishes the lung's capacity
for oxygen.
Asbestosis
is a progressive disease: as the scarring of the lungs gets
worse, the lungs' vital capacity continues to decrease. Asbestosis
can cause severe shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain,
and lead to heart problems. Asbestosis may also be present
in people suffering from asbestos-caused cancers such as mesothelioma
and lung cancer.
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