 Asbestos abounds in the home
Asbestos is a known carcinogen that can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer of the thin membrane surrounding many organs including the lungs and heart. Although it is not commonly used today because of the danger in poses to human health, asbestos was used extensively in many home-building products up until the 1970s.
It is a naturally occurring mineral fiber that was used primarily as a fire and heat retardant. If your home is 25 years old or older, it may contain products manufactured with asbestos listed here: - Textured paint and wall-patching compounds
- Roofing and siding shingles
- Decorative embers in gas fireplaces
- Stove-top pads
- Protective paper on walls and floors around wood burning stoves
- Some vinyl floor tiles
- Hot water and steam pipes – may be coated with an asbestos material, covered with an asbestos blanket, or wrapped with asbestos-based tape
- Oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets may have asbestos insulation
- Houses built between 1930 and 1950 may have asbestos-based insulation
It is important to note that asbestos was not used in every product. For example, not all hot water pipe blankets were made with asbestos.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), products already in your home that are made from asbestos are not necessarily dangerous to you or your family. If the product is intact, generally speaking it does not pose an immediate risk. However, water damaged, ripped, or broken products made with asbestos may pose a health risk since the asbestos fibers may no longer be contained within the product. Do not touch or handle these products. Even small vibrations such as touching the product may cast off asbestos fibers into the air, which you may inhale. If you suspect that you may have damaged asbestos-based materials in your home, or if you are planning renovations that may cut into asbestos walls or floors, contact a professional to assess the asbestos risk and remove any dangerous products. Do not attempt to remove or repair on your own, and avoid using those areas of the house containing damaged asbestos products until the full extent of the risk is known. Corporations have long known the dangers of using asbestos in household products – even before government bans were put into place. If you or a member of your family has contracted a serious illness like mesothelioma or other asbestos-related disease, you could be eligible for compensation to cover expensive medical costs and other costs including pain and suffering. But nobody will just hand it to you. Contact an asbestos lawyer at Jim S. Adler & Associates to make sure that your rights are protected, and that you receive a settlement that will cover your full costs. Jim S. Adler & Associates offers a free case review. DISCLAIMER: The Texas law firm of Jim S. Adler & Associates, which has principal offices at 3D/International Tower, 1900 West Loop South, 20th Floor, Houston, Texas 77027, is licensed to practice in Texas. Yet the firm also works in conjunction with local and outside counsel to litigate claims in other states as necessary, including the states of: Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming Jim S. Adler & Associates also has offices at City Place Building, 2711 North Haskell Ave., Suite 2100 LB40, Dallas, Texas 75204-2887; Bank of America, 12605 East Freeway, Suite 400, Houston, Texas 77015-5619 (serving Channelview, Texas); and San Pedro Plaza, 7330 San Pedro Ave., Suite 700, San Antonio, Texas 78216-6237. |