Asbestos is the generic name for six naturally occurring minerals that have been used in commercial products for their strength, flexibility, low electrical conductivity, and resistance to heat and chemicals. Because of these properties, there are a wide variety of commercial asbestos applications:

• electrical wiring and switching components
  
• fire retardant insulation for buildings  building materials like drywall, joint compound, roofing shingles
  
• HVAC insulation
  
• Automotive gaskets and friction materials (brake pads, clutch linings)
  
• Boiler insulation, pump gaskets and packing materials.

The known risks posed by asbestos exposure to humans have been documented since the early 1900s. The first documented case of asbestosis was in 1924, spurring additional studies that linked asbestos exposure to specific lung diseases.

    Asbestos diseases follow a “dose–response” relationship curve. This means that the more asbestos you inhale (dose), the greater your risk of contracting an asbestos–related disease. For example, if a person worked around asbestos for 5 years and someone else worked in the same job for 15 years and had an equal concentration of exposure, the person with 15 years of asbestos exposure would have a higher cumulative dose and therefore a higher risk of developing an asbestos-related disease.

    Due to the nature of asbestos use, occupational exposure to asbestos occurs more frequently within the trades. Asbestos related diseases have a high latency period; taking from 5-40 years to develop from the initial asbestos exposure. Alerting your doctor to your potential exposure to asbestos will help him or her be on the lookout for the early signs of disease development - leaving you with more options for treatment.
                                   
 The Effects

•  Asbestos diseases are typically the result of the inhalation of asbestos fibers; the effects of which might not be diagnosed until years, or decades, after the exposure to asbestos occurs. The most common diseases associated with asbestos exposure are:

• Asbestosis and asbestos pleural disease - Both result in the inflamation and scarring of the lungs. While not typically fatal, reduced lung capacity will result due to internal scarring of the lungs and the loss of elasticity from pleural thickening.

• Asbestos lung cancer - Develops in the lining of the bronchi, the trachea, bronchiole, or alveoli. Although lung cancer usually develops slowly, cancer cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body. Smoking combined with asbestos exposure significantly increases the chances for developing lung cancer.

• Mesothelioma - A fast acting and almost certainly fatal cancer linked directly to asbestos exposure. The tumor encases the lung as it grows along the pleura, the lining of the chest and abdominal cavity, causing difficulty with breathing and compromising lung function.

Your Options

    If you are diagnosed with an asbestos related disease, your options will be dependent upon the severity of your disease.  For further information about medical treatment options, visit the following:
Asbestosis Treatment
Asbestos Lung Cancer Treatment
Mesothelioma Treatment                
   
     Independent of medical treatment, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries. The producers of asbestos products were well aware of the diseases airborne asbestos could cause. The asbestos lawyers at Brayton Purcell have been involved in protecting the legal rights of asbestos victims, injured workers and their families for over 24 years. Visit the verdicts section of our website for more information about our asbestos case verdicts and settlements.

Brayton Purcell: Advocates for Asbestos Victims for Over 24 Years
For over 24 years, Brayton Purcell has represented clients suffering from asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, or other asbestos-related diseases with compassionate service and tireless advocacy. Our extensive involvement in protecting the legal rights of asbestos victims, including injured workers and their families, assures you that your case will be handled by attorneys with a proven track record in asbestos litigation. Not only will our experienced legal team help you recover financially from your asbestos-related injuries, they will assist you in finding medical support and information related to your diagnosis.

With our comprehensive background in asbestos litigation and extensive resources, we are able to give your case the detailed investigation and attention it deserves. In over 24 years, we have put together an expansive database of product and job site documents and evidence to help prove your asbestos case. Our goal is to handle your case as effectively and efficiently as possible, resulting in the best possible outcome. During the course of your case, we will keep you informed of every step in the process.

We are here for you. Please contact our asbestos attorneys through this web site or by calling 1-866-809-5240 to discuss your potential asbestos case. We will be happy to discuss your legal choices with you and give you time to make an informed decision.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is the name for a group of naturally occurring silicate minerals that can be separated into fibers. The fibers are strong, durable, and resistant to heat and fire. They are also long, thin and flexible, so that they can even be woven into cloth.

Because of these qualities, asbestos has been used in thousands of consumer, industrial, maritime, automotive, scientific and building products. During the twentieth century, some 30 million tons of asbestos were used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and commercial buildings in the United States.

There are several types of asbestos fibers, of which three have been used for commercial applications: (1) Chrysotile, or white asbestos, comes mainly from Canada, and has been very widely used in the US. It is white-gray in color and found in serpentine rock. (2) Amosite, or brown asbestos, comes from southern Africa. (3) Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, comes from southern Africa and Australia. Amosite and crocidolite are called amphiboles. This term refers to the nature of their geologic formation.

Other asbestos fibers that have not been used commercially are tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite, although they are sometimes contaminants in asbestos-containing products. It should be noted that there are non-fibrous, or non-asbestiform, variants of tremolite, anthophylite and actinolite, which do not have the adverse health consequences that result from exposure to commercial forms of asbestos.

Here are some additional "Facts About Asbestos".

What are asbestos-containing products?

What is common to many asbestos-containing products is that they were (are) used to contain heat (i.e. thermal insulation.) It is impossible to list all of the products that have, at one time or another, contained asbestos. Some of the more common asbestos-containing products are pipe-covering, insulating cement, insulating block, asbestos cloth, gaskets, packing materials, thermal seals, refractory and boiler insulation materials, transite board, asbestos cement pipe, fireproofing spray, joint compound, vinyl floor tile, ceiling tile, mastics, adhesives, coatings, acoustical textures, duct insulation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, roofing products, insulated electrical wire and panels, and brake and clutch assemblies. Some of these products contained a very high proportion of asbestos, while others contained small amounts.

Why is asbestos still a problem?

Asbestos is still a problem because a great deal of it has been used in the United States and elsewhere, because many asbestos-containing products remain in buildings, ships, industrial facilities and other environments where the fibers can become airborne, and because of the serious human health hazards of inhaling asbestos fibers.

Many Americans believe that use of asbestos in products was banned years ago. The fact is that asbestos-containing products are still being imported and sold in this country, continuing to endanger people who may come in contact with such products. A majority of these products are imported from Canada and Mexico, two countries where asbestos is still used; further, not all imported asbestos-containing products are clearly labeled with proper content information. (Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2003, and "Asbestos Strategies")

In an August 2003 report, the EPA's Office of Inspector General reiterates that asbestos is still a product very much around us: a survey in the mid-1980s found that, on average, 20% of all buildings in the United States contain asbestos. Further, this latest report confirms that asbestos containing material is still allowed in pipeline wrap, asbestos-cement corrugated sheet, asbestos-cement flat sheet, roofing felt, millboard, vinyl-asbestos floor tile, asbestos-cement shingle, and roof coatings. (Rept. #2003-P-00012).

A 2004 report by the Environmental Working Group provides a timely evalution of the asbestos-related disease epidemic in America - a "public health tragedy caused by asbestos." This report documents the history of asbestos use and provides analysis and statistics to inform the political debate currently being waged to resolve the problem.

Which companies manufactured building materials that included Asbestos?
Have you been exposed?      Review the list and find out.