Asbestos Related Diseases
Asbestos
If you are a victim of an asbestos-related disease, this is the place for you. We’re here to counsel you through your options.
Asbestos is a mineral that can be found naturally in the environment. Because it is strong and resistant, it has historically been used in a variety of ways, including in insulation, brakes, shingles, flooring, and many other products. When asbestos is disturbed, dust is created, can be inhaled, and get stuck in tissues that line and protect vital organs (i.e. the lungs, pancreas, stomach, even heart). Asbestos has been responsible for one of three occupational cancer deaths in this country for decades. It is estimated that over 100,000 people per year die from asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer, among others.
Negligence claim
Most people with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos fibers at work, typically in blue-collar jobs, including mechanics, plumbers, pipefitters, electricians, insulators, demolition and construction workers, and others. Why don’t asbestos-related diseases fall under the legal realm of workers’ compensation claims? Simple: time and liable parties. Since these diseases were found and linked to employment decades after the exposure took place, it became commonplace for employees to forget where their exposure took place. Additionally, the workers’ compensation system limited them to filing claims against their employer, as it cannot extend to manufacturers and suppliers. Pursuing a Negligence Claim may be the best option for you and your family. Let us do the work, so you can focus on your treatment and your family.
You’ve Come to the Right Place
Navigating through billboards and TV ads can be overwhelming, especially when you or a loved one has received a life-altering diagnosis. At Escorcia Law, we understand that this may be your primary chance to provide for your family and cover your medical expenses. It will not cost you or your family anything to hire an attorney to handle your claim. These types of cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis only. That means that the attorneys will only recover if you recover.
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelial lining of the lungs and the chest cavity, the peritoneum (abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac surrounding the heart). It is different than lung cancer, in that mesothelioma is not associated with smoking. The only established causal factor is exposure to asbestos or similar fibers. The latency period for mesothelioma may be 20–50 years. That means that it could take up to 50 years between the original exposure to asbestos, and the mesothelioma diagnosis. As a result, patients are usually decades away from who originally exposed them to this deadly chemical. The prognosis for mesothelioma is grim, with most patients dying within 12 months of diagnosis.
To learn more about Mesothelioma, click here.
Asbestosis
Abestosis is a serious lung disease that presents as a scarring of the lung tissue resulting from the production of growth factors that stimulate fibroblasts (the scar-producing lung cells). It does so by multiplying and synthesizing the scar tissue in response to injury by the inhaled fibers. The scarring may eventually become so severe that the lungs can no longer function. Similar to Mesothelioma, Asbestosis has a long latency period that ranges between 10–20 years from the original exposure to asbestos or related fibers.
To learn more about Asbestosis, click here.
Lung, larynx, and ovarian cancer
Studies have also found links between exposure to asbestos and different forms of cancers including lung, larynx and ovarian cancers. Certain lung cancers can be attributed to inhalation of asbestos fibers, particularly if the exposure was “often”. “Often exposures” can be linked to workplace asbestos, given that these fibers were commonly used in construction work. Most cases of lung cancer in asbestos workers develop at least a decade after first exposure to asbestos. For workers exposed to asbestos who also smoke, the lung cancer risk is even greater than adding the risks from these exposures separately.
Studies have also found clear links between workplace exposure to asbestos and cancers of the larynx and ovaries. Some studies have also suggested that workplace asbestos exposure may be linked to other cancers, including cancers of the pharynx (throat), stomach, colon, and rectum. However, the evidence for a link between these cancers and asbestos is not as strong as it is for the other cancers discussed here. It’s not clear exactly how asbestos might affect risk for these cancers, but swallowed asbestos fibers might somehow contribute to the risk.
To learn more about asbestos related cancers, click here.
Escorcia Law, P.C.
Liliana P. O’Shea, Esq.
Liliana@EscorciaLaw.com
Se Habla Español
Lindsey Z. Lampros, Esq.
Lindsey@EscorciaLaw.com