Other Asbestos Related Diseases

While mesothelioma is the most notorious asbestos-related disease, it is unfortunately not the only disease caused by exposure to this toxic material.  Asbestos was used in a vast number of industrial, construction, and safety applications for decades before average Americans were warned of the true danger of the material.  Due in part to the systematic withholding of this information by the industry, thousands of people have unknowingly contracted an asbestos-related disease. 

The most common non-mesothelioma asbestos-related diseases include:

• Asbestosis: This deadly condition is caused when asbestos particles enter the lungs and shred the alveoli, the delicate tissues that enable the lungs to infuse oxygen into the blood.  Asbestos damages these tissues which causes scar tissue to form over them, reducing the ability of the body to get the air it needs.  Eventually the lungs will stop functioning altogether.  Asbestosis cannot be cured, and is generally fatal within a few years.
• Lung Cancer: Asbestos is a carcinogen. It can lead to lung cancer because the tiny particles irritate the tissues inside the lung, which can cause them to mutate into cancerous tumors.  Lung cancer is the most lethal cancer in the world, and effects thousands of innocent people who were exposed to asbestos.
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease:  As small, jagged asbestos shards are inhaled, they can lodge in the narrow pathways that bring air into the lungs.  Once they settle they begin to tear at the delicate tissues and block air from entering the lungs.  This condition is usually permanent and progresses over time.

 

Asbestos-related diseases kill nearly 10,000 people each year.  If you or someone you love was a victim of an asbestos-related disease, you have legal options and we can help.  Our dedicated, experienced, and compassionate attorneys have secured verdicts and settlements for asbestos disease victims and their families, and we can help you and your loved ones seek the financial compensation you deserve for your physical and emotional distress.  Contact us today, and let us help you fight for justice tomorrow.