Mesothelioma
The Alabama injury lawyers at Fischer, Goldasich & Aughtman, LLC are particularly outraged at the blatant disregard and disrespect that some of the country’s largest employers have demonstrated toward their employees over the years regarding exposure to asbestos fibers. While knowledge of the dangers of asbestos has been revealed over time, all too often the safety of workers has taken a backseat to the profit margins of these mammoth corporations. As a result, mesothelioma is a continuing tragedy in the American workplace, as both the American worker and his family members are unknowingly at risk for this painful and fatal disease.
What is Mesothelioma or Asbestos Cancer?
Mesothelioma, also known as asbestos cancer, is an incurable cancer caused by either breathing in or swallowing fibers made of asbestos. It can take as long as 40 years from the time that the victim takes in the toxin before the cancer, mesothelioma, manifests. There are several forms of mesothelioma, and most mesothelioma can spread to other parts of the body (“metastasize”). Mesothelioma is often fatal.
Pleural Mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of asbestos cancer. This form of cancer develops from breathing in asbestos fibers, where they work their way into the lung tissues and cause lung cancer.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma is another form of cancer caused by asbestos. It results when victims swallow asbestos fibers, and the fibers imbed themselves in the intestines, causing cancer in the lining of the abdomen as well as a growth of cancerous tumors.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
The rarest form of asbestos cancer is known as pericardial mesothelioma. In this type of cancer, the asbestos fibers are ingested and travel through the lymph glands, imbedding themselves in the mesothelium lining of the heart.
Sources of Asbestos Fiber
Asbestos is a mineral that has been mined since the late 1800s, gaining worldwide popularity because not only is asbestos flexible and fire-retardant, it is almost indestructible. With these positive characteristics, this mineral has been widely used for many years, internationally, in the manufacturing and building industries. Common uses of asbestos include:
- Brake linings
- Building insulation
- Carpet underlay
- Caulking/Putties
- Ceiling panels
- Ceiling tiles
- Cement piping
- Cement board
- Chalkboards
- Electrical wiring
- Floor tile
- Joint Compound
- Laboratory Gloves
- Laboratory Hoods
- Laboratory Tabletops
- Linoleum
- Roofing materials
- Spackling
- Toasters
- Toaster Ovens
- Wall panels.
Those Commonly at Risk for Mesothelioma, or Asbestos Cancer
Anyone exposed to asbestos fibers risks asbestos cancer. Historically, most mesothelioma cases involve victims who have been employed to work with, or near, asbestos products on a daily basis. Many mesothelioma victims are construction workers or refinery workers and their families, and they have jobs such as:
- Bricklayers
- Carpenters
- Electricians
- Mechanics
- Roofers
- Plasterers
- Plumbers
- Welders/Iron Workers.
The Employers of Mesothelioma Victims
Multinational corporations are notorious as being defendants in personal injury cases based upon asbestos exposure resulting in asbestos cancer, and mesothelioma victims have sought recompense from many of these companies, including:
- Chrysler / General Motors
- Corning Fiberglass
- Dow
- Ford Motor Company / General Motors
- Goodrich
- Goodyear
- Halliburton
- IBM
- Nabisco
- Reynolds Aluminum
- Toyota
- Union Carbide
- Uniroyal Tires.
For more information:
Environmental Protection Agency - Asbestos
If you or a loved one has suffered a personal injury or wrongful death due to asbestos exposure, then please feel free to contact the experienced trial attorneys at Fischer, Goldasich & Aughtman, LLC to schedule a free, initial legal consolation.
Our top trial lawyers are dedicated to helping the injured find justice and the firm of Fischer, Goldasich & Aughtman, LLC stands ready to help you. We can be reached locally at (205) 423-8504 or toll-free at (866) 557-8504.