Asbestos and Mesothelioma

Problem Summary

Factory workers, shipyard workers, construction workers, railroad and automotive workers, manufacturers of asbestos products, mine workers and other workers exposed to asbestos on the job may be at risk for mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer and other potentially life-threatening health problems caused by the hazardous material. And while the use of asbestos in the United States has been heavily restricted since the 1970s, estimates put the number of individuals exposed to asbestos since its first use in the U.S. in the millions.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos, you may have grounds to file a mesothelioma lawsuit against the person or party responsible for your asbestos exposure.

About Asbestos & Mesothelioma

Asbestos is a natural mineral found in rock and soil, and because of its flexibility and resistance to heat, electricity and corrosion, asbestos was commonly used to make construction materials, textiles and automotive parts across the United States. Health regulations in the last 50 or 60 years have significantly reduced asbestos exposure among workers, though some workers in construction and other industries still face workplace exposure to asbestos. Some commercial materials asbestos can still be found in include the following:

• Building insulation
• Roofing and siding shingles
• Blankets that protect hot water pipes
• Vinyl tiles used for flooring
• Heat-resistant fabrics
• Automobile brake linings and clutch pads
• Plaster, cement and caulk

Asbestos is a known carcinogen and the only known cause of mesothelioma, a deadly type of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and abdomen. Asbestos is made up of fibers that separate very easily into microscopic pieces when they are handled or damaged, and when these asbestos fibers are released into the air, they can be inhaled and build up in the lungs.

Asbestos exposure that occurs over a long period of time, which may have been the case for millions of workers in the asbestos mining, railroad, automotive and construction industries, can increase the risk of potentially life-threatening diseases like mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.

Unfortunately, many of the companies that produced, distributed or used asbestos products knew about the dangers associated with the material and failed to warn workers of the hazards they could face by being exposed to it.

 

“Asbestos is no longer mined or processed in the United States, but it can still be found in commercial products, such as brake pads, floor tiles, clothing and cement pipes, and an estimated 30 million homes, schools and workplaces in the United States are still contaminated with asbestos.”

Asbestos Side Effects

Asbestos is no longer mined or processed in the United States, but it can still be found in commercial products, such as brake pads, floor tiles, clothing and cement pipes, and an estimated 30 million homes, schools and workplaces in the United States are still contaminated with asbestos.

Unless you are exposed to asbestos on a regular basis, your chances of suffering side effects from exposure are low. However, workers in mining, construction, railroad, automotive and other industries who worked directly with asbestos on the job for years could be at risk for diseases like mesothelioma or asbestosis.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly cancer affecting the tissue that lines the lungs, heart, stomach and other organs. Caused by the inhalation of asbestos dust or fibers, mesothelioma is typically diagnosed in older individuals who worked with asbestos products or were otherwise exposed to asbestos at work.

The loved ones of these individuals may also be at risk for mesothelioma from breathing in asbestos fibers brought home on workers’ clothing. Unfortunately, mesothelioma has a long latency period and many people don’t begin to develop symptoms of the disease until decades after their exposure to asbestos, which typically results in a poor prognosis and may also make it difficult to connect the two events.

Asbestos is a chronic lung disease resulting from prolonged exposure to asbestos particles in the air. When asbestos dust or fibers are inhaled, they can cause inflammation and scarring in the lungs, which is known as fibrosis. Asbestos is is characterized by symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, a persistent dry cough, a crackling sound in the lungs when breathing in, and clubbing of the fingertips and/or toes.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma Resources & Studies

• 1960 Study Linking Asbestos Exposure to Pleural Mesothelioma in Africa
• Lung Cancer, Asbestos and Mesothelioma Lawsuits
• Research Highlighting the Risk of Mesothelioma and Asbestosis Among Workers in the Textile Industry
• Research Highlighting the Effects of Asbestos Exposure on the Risk of Cancer in Adults and Children
• 2014 Study Tying Even Low Levels of Asbestos Exposure to Mesothelioma
• 2017 Study Exploring the Potential Link Between Environmental Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma

Asbestos and Mesothelioma Settlements & Litigation

Asbestos litigation is considered the longest-running mass tort in the history of the United States, with asbestos exposure lawsuits dating back to the late 1960s. Most people diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis were exposed to asbestos before the late 1970s, when asbestos mining, production and use became heavily restricted in the U.S., though some workers continue to be exposed to asbestos today.

From the early 1970s through the end of 2002, roughly 730,000 plaintiffs in the United States had already filed claims for asbestos-related injuries against thousands of defendants. And as more workers and their families learn about the risk of mesothelioma from asbestos exposure, personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits continue to be filed in courts across the country. To date, hundreds of thousands of plaintiffs have filed mesothelioma lawsuits against companies they allege were negligent in exposing them to hazardous asbestos.

The asbestos litigation has resulted in a number of significant jury awards and settlements. In 1998, 21 steelworkers who developed asbestosis after being exposed to asbestos at an Alabama steel mill were awarded $115 million in damages. In 2005, U.S. Steel was ordered to pay $250 million in damages to the wife of a former steel worker who died of mesothelioma, though U.S. Steel ended up reaching a post-verdict settlement for an undisclosed amount.

After it was discovered that the vermiculite mines in Libby, Montana resulted in mass asbestos exposure, there were two major payouts – the first a $43 million settlement in 2011 that covered more than 1,300 miners and their families, and the second a $25 million settlement in 2017 that covered more than 1,000 more.

In 2012, a $48 million jury verdict was awarded to a construction worker diagnosed with mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos on construction sites during the 1960s and 1970s. In what is believed to be one of the largest consolidated asbestos verdicts in the history of New York, a jury awarded $190 million in a 2013 lawsuit filed by five men exposed to asbestos-tainted products and equipment while working as plumbers, steamfitters and construction workers.