When you learn that there are about 125 million people in the world who have been and are exposed to asbestos at their place of work, you realize you may be one of them.
Asbestos is a fibrous mineral and because of its tensile strength and resistance to chemical attack, it was sought after for many applications, from roofing to water supply lines to the automobile industry and much more.
Even small amounts of asbestos cause illness
Some people are reluctant to sue their employers for asbestos exposure, saying that they were only exposed a little bit, but the truth is, there is no safe amount of asbestos exposure. Even small amounts can cause illnesses.
Asbestos exposure can cause coughing, shortness of breath, respiratory problems as well as cancer. In fact, scientists have linked asbestos to mesothelioma and lung cancer. With illnesses like this, you’re in for lots of medical expenses, and you should be eligible to receive compensation from your employer.
The fact that every form of asbestos is carcinogenic to humans should cause some alarm to you. Aren’t you one of the many employees exposed to asbestos and what can you do about it now? What are your medical bills, particularly since you have a rasping cough that won’t go away and you seem to be constantly out of breath?
Can you sue your asbestos employer? Yes, you can!
The question now is – can you sue your old employer? You were never warned about the asbestos, so surely that old employer of yours was negligent in providing safety measures to prevent your exposure to asbestos? And the answer to this is a resounding yes!
Employers can’t just treat employees the way they like, and in fact, the law obligates employers to warn and protect workers – keep them safe from injuries and health hazards such as the risks involved with being exposed to asbestos.
You have a case against uncaring asbestos companies
Maybe the company was aware of the dangers and didn’t do anything to minimize this risk. You may well have a case against the employer or the manufacturer of the product containing asbestos. The best mesothelioma lawyers can help you get compensation from such an employer.
With any lawyer, you can’t expect the best outcome unless you go with an experienced lawyer that actually specializes in mesothelioma litigation. Make sure you get a law firm that specializes and concentrates on mesothelioma claims and get all your queries answered accurately.
The dangers of exposure to asbestos
If a product that has asbestos in it is disturbed, tiny fibers are released into the air and these can get trapped in the lungs, resulting in scarring and inflammation and serious health problems such as lung damage, shortness of breath and coughing.
It has been classified as a human carcinogen. It causes mesothelioma, a rare cancer. Those who become ill from asbestos have been exposed to asbestos on a regular basis.
There are a number of factors that will help with determining how the asbestos exposure affected you. These are how much asbestos you were exposed to, for how long, the chemical makeup of the asbestos fibers, the source of the exposure and your own individual risk factors such as smoking.
Your lawyer takes all this into account and gets ready to fight for you and get the compensation you need for your asbestos exposure. That is why it is so important to find the right attorney – the one experienced in asbestos exposure and mesothelioma litigation. This way, you get justice and compensation due to you.