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Mesothelioma and the workplace

People can go for decades after being exposed to asbestos without suffering symptoms or serious side effects. Mesothelioma is the life threatening cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. Because the disease is latent to develop, people who have worked in production industries and unknowingly faced daily exposure to asbestos decades earlier are only now becoming diagnosed with mesothelioma. Sadly, employers of these asbestos related production industries were aware of the risks involved with daily exposure; however, they did nothing to protect their employees from the potential dangers.


The National Cancer Institute describes mesothelioma as a rare cancer where cancer cells form in the sac lining the chest, abdominal cavity, or around the heart. Asbestos is linked to causing mesothelioma because when an individual inhales asbestos, the fibers settle most likely in the pleura portion of the lungs. The most popular variation of this cancer is Pleural Mesothelioma, which affects the lungs and can render symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, and difficulty swallowing. The other two less common variations of the disease include Peritoneal Mesothelioma, which affects the stomach, and Pericardial Mesothelioma, which affects the heart.

It is clear that mesothelioma is a dangerous disease. Why employers, since the 1940s, have knowingly allowed their employees to be exposed regularly is questionable. Employers of industries that use or manufacture asbestos should offer their employees education on taking precautions when working in that environment, as well as clearly marking areas where there is a risk of exposure. Also, because asbestos is generally inhaled, proper respiratory equipment, such as masks, should be utilized to lower the risk of exposure.

Because employees of productions industries (these include heating construction, mining, shipyard, etc.) are becoming diagnosed with mesothelioma after decades of no symptoms, employers are legally being forced pay millions of dollars to previous employees for medical and emotional suffering. Hopefully, because of this costly negligence, employers of industries that produce or use asbestos in production will begin to protect their current employees from asbestos exposure so that decades in the future, they are not paying out millions for negligence.

Mesothelioma is a terminal disease and can be prevented if the correct precautions are taken. If you have recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma and feel that it is due to previous exposure to asbestos in the workplace, contact a personal injury attorney with Jim S. Adler & Associates immediately. You have a legal right to collect compensation for your employer's negligence and to minimize the financial, emotional, and physical stress that is caused by this diagnosis. Due to the statue of limitations in different states, do not wait a lengthy period of time after diagnosis to seek legal counsel.

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