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Asbestos Attorney and Lawyer |
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Manufacturers of asbestos have known for
decades that asbestos causes cancer. These companies’
own internal documents reveal a conspiracy to hide the dangers
of asbestos exposure from the public to protect their own
profits.
The result of this conspiracy is an epidemic of staggering
proportions: today asbestos kills thousands more people than
skin cancer each year, and nearly the number that are slain
in assaults with firearms. The best estimates for asbestos-caused
lung cancer deaths over the past two decades range from 5,000
to 10,000 per year (AIA 1980, Nicholson 1982), accounting
for between 100,000 and 200,000 fatalities during that time.
It is estimated that there will be over 100,000 asbestos related
deaths in the next decade.
The Seattle, Washington law firm of Paglialunga & Harris,
PS strongly believes that workers and their families deserve
compensation to help them manage the severe and often fatal
health consequences of working with asbestos. Please contact
us by phone or online for a free case evaluation.
For
more information:
•
What is asbestos?
• How
might someone be exposed to asbestos?
• What are the possible
health risks of asbestos?
• What is mesothelioma?
• What are the symptoms
of mesothelioma?
• What is the prognosis
for people with mesothelioma?
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral used in
many building materials. Inhalation of fibers can lead to
several diseases including cancer. No amount of asbestos is
considered safe. The actual development of disease depends
on many factors including the amount of asbestos that enters
the body, the duration of a person’s exposure, age,
family traits and lifestyle habits such as smoking.
How might someone
be exposed to asbestos?
People whose work brings them into contact with asbestos—workers
who renovate buildings with asbestos in them, for example—
may inhale fibers that are in the air: this is called occupational
exposure. Workers' families may inhale asbestos fibers released
by clothes that have been in contact with ACM: this is called
paraoccupational exposure. People who live or work near asbestos-related
operations may inhale asbestos fibers that have been released
into the air by the operations: this is called neighborhood
exposure.
The amount of asbestos a worker is exposed to will vary according
to:
• The concentration of fibers in the air
• Duration of exposure
• The worker's breathing
rate (workers doing manual labor breathe faster)
•
Weather conditions
• The protective devices the
worker wears
It is estimated that between 1940 and 1980, 27 million Americans
had significant occupational exposure to asbestos.
What are the possible
health risks of asbestos?
Once inhaled, the body cannot breakdown or eliminate inhaled
fibers. A slow buildup of scar-like tissue in the lungs (called
asbestosis) can occur. A form of cancer attacking the lining
around the lungs, heart or abdomen known as mesothelioma is
caused by asbestos exposure.
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.
Mesothelioma is not lung cancer. Instead, it is a specific
kind of cancer that attacks the lining around the lungs, heart,
or abdomen.
What are the symptoms
of mesothelioma?
Symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath and pain
in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and
abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the
abdomen. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include
bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and
fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelioma to
other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble
swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years
after exposure to asbestos.
What is the prognosis
for people with mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is serious and life-threatening. By the time
cancer is diagnosed the survival time of patients is usually
short. Mesothelioma usually spreads throughout the peritoneal
or pleural cavity before diagnosis, and complete surgical
removal is unlikely. Because of this, the average survival
time is only 1 year. If the cancer is found early, approximately
50% of the patients survive 2 years and approximately 20%
survive 5 years. Additionally, unlike with other tumors, chemotherapy
and radiation therapy are not very effective.
Click
here to send us information regarding your case or ask
us to evaluate your case. There is no charge for us to review
your case. A Seattle attorney will review your submission
and reply back to you. |
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1.888.604.3438 |
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“People
harmed by asbestos deserve justice.” |
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