Asbestos was a popular building material used prior to the mid- seventies. Asbestos was actually considered to be an ideal material for construction because of its low heat conductivity, its resistance to fire, and its resistance to burning; it was flexible and extremely durable. Asbestos was used in schools, personal residences, offices, ships and in trains. Asbestos was commonly used as an insulating material. For the past thirty years asbestos exposure has been directly linked to the development of a rare but very aggressive form of cancer. This type of cancer is called mesothelioma. The survival rate for people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma is very low. Many times only eight-percent of people survive. If you are a resident of Virginia and have developed mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure please do not hesitate to contact an attorney.

Workers who were placed at high-risk were those who worked at construction sites, shipyards, railroads, manufacturing facilities, factories, railroad facilities, and mines. Other workers at risk for handling asbestos products are roofers, insulators, plumbers, sawyers, power plant operators, and masons. It has been proven that asbestos insulators were placed at the highest-risk for developing mesothelioma. An estimated six-percent of insulators are diagnosed with mesothelioma later in life. They are also three-hundred times more likely to die from this type of cancer than the general public. Not only were millions of workers placed at risk but so were their family members. If a family member handles clothing that is carrying asbestos fibers then he or she can breathe in those fibers being put at risk for second hand exposure to asbestos. People have been known to develop mesothelioma due to this second hand exposure.

Once asbestos is breathed through the nose or mouth the fibers enter the body. Our bodies are unable to break down asbestos, and therefore we are literally stuck with this poisonous substance in our body. The fibers settle into the lining of the lungs or if swallowed the fibers become embedded in the abdomen. Mesothelioma can result from the inhalation of these fibers.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that occurs when cells in the mesothelium, the covering that protects the body’s vital organs, becomes abnormal and begin to divide without any type of control. A licensed health care professional is the only one who can diagnosis mesothelioma. Many times if mesothelioma is expected, he or she will take down the patient’s work history to pinpoint where the patient was at highest-risk for exposure to asbestos. Next, if warning signs of mesothelioma persist, a chest x-ray will be performed. A chest x-ray can show an unusual thickening of the lungs or mineral deposits which are two signs of mesothelioma. Also, fluid in the chest, abdomen, heart, or lungs can be another sign of this type of cancer. If mesothelioma is expected, a sample of the fluid will be tested. Three thousand new cases of asbestos related mesothelioma are reported every year. This is a number that will only go up with time.

Exposure to asbestos could have been prevented. Employers should have enforced guidelines that would have made their workers wear gloves, a mask, and a gown when dealing with asbestos materials. Manufacturers should have put asbestos products through stricter safety tests. Even though asbestos was banned in the United States, it can still be found in over seven-hundred-thousand buildings nationwide. If you are a resident of the state of Virginia and have wrongfully been exposed to asbestos, it would be in your best interest to call an attorney. Your employer or manufacturer might be at risk especially if you have developed mesothelioma as a result of this exposure. An attorney will be more then willing to help you through this rough period of time.