Articles Posted in Asbestos Exposure

Our Boston mesothelioma attorneys understand that, while companies were well aware that they were exposing people to deadly asbestos fibers while they were doing it, now they often try to claim they had no idea.

According to a recent article in the Western News, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created quite a controversy over the fact that the agency may leave homeowners with the responsibility and financial consequences of cleaning up asbestos in Libby, Montana.

At one point, Libby, Montana was home to mines that produced 80 percent of the world’s vermiculite. Vermiculite is a silica-based mineral that often contains asbestos.
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According to a recent story on the British news site Get Surry, authorities in that country have found asbestos-filled waste a few feet from a pond in a wildlife preserve. Apparently, due to the expense of commercial waste disposal in Britain, illegal dumping of construction trash is fairly common. The unfortunate practice is locally known as, “fly-tipping.”

As if fly-tipping isn’t harmful enough to the environment, the fact that people are illegally dumping asbestos materials in a nature preserve is even more concerning to authorities. Police are on the lookout for suspicious vehicles or activity so that they can catch those responsible.

Asbestos is made from six naturally occurring silicate minerals. Although toxic in its natural form when disturbed, it was commonly refined into fibers during the industrial revolution in Europe and the United States. The fiber form of asbestos is much more dangerous, due to the fact that it can be easily inhaled into the lungs, where it can cause malignant mesothelioma. This deadly form of lung cancer typically forms 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.

The problem for patients is there is no way for doctors to intervene early because the symptoms do not develop for decades after exposure. Once patients are diagnosed, they are often very sick. Some of the major symptoms of mesothelioma are chest pain, coughing up blood, fluid around the lungs and wheezing. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should seek medical attention as quickly as possible.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should speak with a Boston mesothelioma lawyer about the facts of your specific situation. You may able to receive financial compensation for your illness. As your attorney will explain, pinpointing the time period of your exposure and the source of your asbestos exposure will be crucial to the success of your case.
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Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers understand one of the most important parts of any lawsuit is being able to establish which companies or individual defendants are responsible for asbestos exposure that could have happened many years ago.

According to a recent story from Oregon Live, asbestos was found for a second time at the same buildings owned by a municipality. Five buildings were purchased by the city to be used as a parking lot for a public library branch. During the initial inspection, asbestos was discovered in some of the five buildings. The city arranged for safe disposal of the asbestos.
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Our Boston mesothelioma injury lawyers understand that many factory workers exposed to asbestos were also heavy smokers, and defendants may try to exploit this fact.

Carter v. Wallace & Gale Asbestos Settlement Trust, an appeal from the Maryland Court of Appeals, ruled on multiple legal issues. Some of them were pertaining to an asbestos litigation settlement trust. This is a common situation, due to the fact that many asbestos installers have gone bankrupt. After a bankruptcy, the court can set up a trust to assume liability for any asbestos-related liability that may arise.

However, one of the more interesting rulings in this case dealt with the issue of a worker who died of lung cancer, who suffered from mesothelioma, but who also smoked at least two packs of cigarettes a day for most of his life.
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Our Boston Mesothelioma lawyers know that naturally occurring asbestos must be removed in a safe manner so as not to expose people to the deadly fibers.

According to a recent article in the Las Vegas Sun, naturally forming asbestos has caused delays in road construction projects. Scientists from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas were asked to examine a bluish-gray mineral that was found on rocks at the construction site of a planned highway bypass.

Researchers used sample collection tape to extract the mineral and examined it under a microscope. Under magnification, they saw what they know as telltale white fibers in the shape of drinking straws, which form asbestos.
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Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers understand that heath consequences of asbestos exposure are a global concern.

When thinking of asbestos and the profoundly devastating effects mesothelioma has had on hundreds of thousands of people, we often think of the later half of the 20th century. A brief review of the history of asbestos will show that it is a naturally occurring mineral that has been mined around the world for thousands of years.

It was during the industrial revolution in the later half of the 19th century that it was being used to make heat and chemically resistant textile for building. Asbestos also acts as an insulator to electricity. It has been used as insulation material, floor tiles, fire blankets, and various other consumer and industrial products. One of the reasons for its popularity was the low cost to refine the mineral.

Asbestos has been used around the world, and a recent article in the Accrington Observer describes the tragic result its use has caused in the town of Hyndburn, England. According to reports, 40 people died from mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure between 1981 and 2011. To put these figure in context, the town coroner sees a total of 15 to 20 deaths in a given year.
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Our Boston mesothelioma plaintiff lawyers understand that asbestos-related illness cases can involve complex litigation to determine which of many possible defendants are responsible for the plaintiff’s injuries.

In Bostic v. Georgia-Pacific Corp., an appeal from the Supreme Court of Texas, the plaintiff was diagnosed with mesothelioma. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2002 and died the following year. Mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that is most often caused by breathing in asbestos fibers.

According to the record, the plaintiff was exposed as a child to asbestos in the form of a drywall compound manufactured by the named-defendant. The case went to trial and the jury found that the defendant was liable for the injuries to the plaintiff.

The jury was also asked to make a determination of causation between numerous companies. This is common in asbestos litigation. It is often impossible to determine who manufactured the actual asbestos that injured a particular plaintiff. In fact, there were many companies who made asbestos during its heyday, when it was marketed as a sort of miracle insulation material.
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Before the dangers of asbestos became apparent, the fibrous material was used in a variety of construction applications, including pipes. Unfortunately, many asbestos pipes still exist in buildings throughout Boston today.

Asbestos pipes can present significant dangers to workers who install them or who repair them. If the pipes become damaged, the homeowners or people in the building may also be at serious risk of exposure. Those who are affected and who develop mesothelioma, asbestosis or other health conditions should consult with an experienced Boston mesothelioma lawyer as soon as possible for help.
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A contractor whose construction company exposed employees and the public to asbestos will spend six months behind bars for violations of the Clean Air Act. The contractor will also pay a $10,000 fine, will face six months of home confinement, and will be on probation for three years after he is released. The special agent in charge of the local EPA’s criminal enforcement program said the “sentence should serve notice that EPA and its partner agencies remain committed to protecting communities through tough enforcement of the nation’s environmental laws.”

Contractors, construction companies and building owners have certain obligations when it comes to preventing asbestos exposure. Victims who are exposed to the deadly fibers could potentially take legal action to recover monetary compensation for damages in the event that an individual or company fails to live up to its duties to limit the risk of exposure. A Boston mesothelioma lawyer can help those who have been exposed.
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