Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog

Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers know companies across the world exposed both workers and consumers to deadly asbestos fibers while fully aware of the health consequences.

In a recent article from ABC News, authorities are concerned homes in Sydney may be have been built with deadly asbestos in the 1960s and 1970s.

This story involved asbestos “fluff” pumped into the roof spaces in homes to act as insulation. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that can be processed into a variety of forms to serve as insulation that is resistant to heat, electricity, and chemicals.

While asbestos was once thought an amazing product that was both cheap and effective, we know now that breathing asbestos fibers for even a short period of time can lead to the deadly form of cancer known as mesothelioma. The fibers are inhaled and get embedded in the lung tissue. The body has no natural way to expel these fibers, so they remain in the lungs, causing cancerous growths.
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According to a recent story from Construction Enquirer, two brothers who ran a billiards hall have been sentenced to prison for exposing workers to deadly asbestos fibers. One of the workers was only 17-years-old at the time of exposure.

Court records indicate the owners were never qualified in demolition or construction work, and were not licensed in asbestos removal. The government health service had issued numerous warnings and citations about the presence of asbestos in the building they were attempting to renovate. The health service issued a cease order demanding that they stop all work involving asbestos.

Despite these government notices, the owners were found to have removed several truckloads of asbestos-containing debris. They took the toxic material to an unlicensed disposal location. Witnesses observed workers covered in dust and not wearing any protective clothing or equipment.

The judge noted that at least seven workers were observed working in this asbestos-filled environment. Both brothers pleaded guilty to conduct which constituted a wilful disregard for the safety of workers. One of the defendants was sentenced to 22 months in prison and the other was sentenced to 14 months of incarceration. They were also ordered to pay £43,000 in fines and court costs.

Our Boston Mesothelioma attorneys note one of the most disturbing parts of a story like this is that there is no way of knowing if the workers will develop a deadly form of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is caused when asbestos fibers become embedded in the lung tissue of those exposed to the toxic substance. Once the fibers are embedded, mesothelioma can develop 20 to 50 years after exposure in typical cases. There are no symptoms or treatment. There is also no way for doctors to remove fibers, and the human body does not have a natural mechanism for doing so.
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A recent article from Michigan Live focuses on an investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into complaints of improper asbestos removal at an old school for the blind building.

Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers know that asbestos removal is a dangerous process. Not only can the removal process lead to additional exposure, an incomplete removal process can leave people with a false sense of security.

At this school building, EPA inspectors arrived wearing full body HAZMAT suits to protect themselves from the deadly fibers. When asbestos fibers are breathed into the lungs, they become embedded in the tissue, leaving the body with no effective way to remove them. The fibers then interact with the cells of the lungs and abdomen and can lead to mesothelioma lung cancer.
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A recent British article reports that a hospital administration trust has reported itself to the government health service after staff members raised concerns that the buildings in which they work contains asbestos, a deadly substance known to cause mesothelioma.

The government investigation lead to findings that resulted in the trust pleading guilty to five separate safety violations pertaining to the presence of asbestos. At this time, authorities stated that no employees had contracted mesothelioma, but they were concerned that many eventually would become ill.

As your Boston Mesothelioma attorney can explain, this deadly form of lung cancer is not usually detectable until decades after exposure. It is for that reason that significant litigation is often needed to prove when and where the asbestos exposure occurred. Typically, the exact time and place of the exposure is not documented by a government agency before the disease develops.
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Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers understand that companies across the world are still selling asbestos-filled products despite known safety risks.

According to a recent article from WRAL, asbestos is being presented in Asia as an affordable solution for poor residents. Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers know exposure to asbestos can cause a deadly form of lung cancer.

Apparently, asbestos industry executives met at a luxury hotel for an asbestos conference, where they pushed the benefits of asbestos products for poor families. They discussed using asbestos roofs, pipes, and walls for the many people currently living in thatched huts.

Asbestos is banned in the majority of developed nations, but it has been used all across the developing world. While the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 100,000 people die each year from mesothelioma, the asbestos executives are claiming that asbestos is not that dangerous and argue they are doing what is essentially charitable work by helping the poor.
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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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