Environmental Attorneys Group 1900 28th Avenue S. · Suite 107 · Birmingham, AL 35209 Phone: (205) 326-1000 · Toll Free: (800) 585-0461 · Fax: (205) 326-1007 Obtaining Justice For Victims Of Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma, And Other Toxic Illness Environmental Attorneys Group, LLC serves the Birmingham, Alabama area with the express purpose of fighting for hardworking men and women who have been robbed of their health in ways which were completely avoidable if they had just been warned. We defend people who are suffering from life threatening, emotionally and financially devastating illnesses contracted only because they went to work every day and worked hard to support their families. We use our experience and knowledge to fight for justice for these people, whose illnesses were foreseeable and preventable, if their health had been a higher priority than the desire of unscrupulous corporations to eke an extra dollar out of the sweat of their employees. We are grateful that we can support our own families by working every day to help sick and injured people whose reward for their years of dedicated service to their employer is a fatal illness and financial and emotional devastation for their families. We have designed our site as an informational tool for people seeking legal services or just information on various medical and legal issues. We hope it shows you who we are, what we do, and what you can expect from us. If you have any legal questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us by telephone or email. Our firm is a team of friendly, caring and experienced attorneys who will be glad to speak to you and answer your legal questions. If you call us and we cannot take your case because it involves an area we do not handle, we will put you in touch with an attorney we feel confident in recommending to serve your needs. So if you don't see a practice area for your concern, do not hesitate to contact us to inquire. We will be glad to advise you on where to find competent counsel. Asbestosis Facts Asbestosis is a serious, chronic, non-cancerous respiratory disease. Inhaled asbestos fibers aggravate lung tissues, which causes them to scar. Symptoms of asbestosis include shortness of breath and a dry crackling sound in the lungs while inhaling. In its advanced stages, the disease may cause cardiac failure. There is no effective treatment for asbestosis; the disease is usually disabling or fatal. The risk of asbestosis is minimal for those who do not work with asbestos; the disease is rarely caused by neighborhood or family exposure. Those who renovate or demolish buildings that contain asbestos may be at significant risk, depending on the nature of the exposure and precautions taken. Asbestosis is a progressive disease involving scarring of lung tissue as a result of exposure to the microscopic fibers of asbestos. Between 1979 and 1996, asbestos caused 3,922 deaths. Because it is so hard to destroy asbestos fibers, the body cannot break them down or remove them once they are lodged in lung or body tissues. They remain in place where they can cause disease. There are three primary diseases associated with asbestos exposure: - Asbestosis
- Lung Cancer
- Mesothelioma
Inhalation of asbestos fibers places individuals at risk for a variety of lung diseases including scarring of the lung (asbestosis). Asbestosis typically takes twenty to thirty years to occur, and clinical findings may be subtle and difficult to recognize without experienced and sophisticated evaluation. Asbestosis Asbestosis is a disease which is characterized by pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive scarring of the lungs caused by the accumulation of asbestos fibers. Asbestosis is associated exclusively with chronic, occupational exposure. The build up of scar tissue interferes with oxygen uptake through the lungs and can lead to respiratory and heart failure. Often, asbestosis is a progressive disease, even in the absence of continued exposure. Symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, and vague feelings of sickness. When the fibrosis worsens, shortness of breath occurs even at rest. Among those at risk are persons engaged in milling the ore, the manufacture of asbestos products, lagging, asbestos spraying, building, demolition, and laundering of asbestos worker's overalls. Symptoms develop slowly after a period of exposure which can vary from a few to many years. In some cases exposure may have begun so long ago that it cannot be recalled. Breathlessness occurs first and progresses as the lung loses its elasticity. There may be little or no cough and chest pain seldom occurs. The individual becomes weak and distressed on effort and, eventually, even at rest. Asbestosis predisposes the patient to cancer of the bronchus, a risk increased by cigarette smoking. The chest should be x-rayed every two years and special lung function tests are helpful. Diagnosis depends on history of exposure, chest X-ray, lung function testing, symptoms and physical signs. Lung Cancer Lung cancer causes the largest number of deaths related to asbestos exposure. The incidence of lung cancer in people who are directly involved in the mining, milling, manufacturing and use of asbestos and its products is much higher than in the general population. The most common symptoms of lung cancer are coughing and a change in breathing. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent chest pains, hoarseness, and anemia. People who have been exposed to asbestos and are also exposed to some other carcinogen -- such as cigarette smoke -- have a significantly greater risk of developing lung cancer than people who have only been exposed to asbestos. One study found that asbestos workers who smoke are about 90 times more likely to develop lung cancer than people who neither smoke nor have been exposed to asbestos. Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that most often occurs in the thin membrane lining of the lungs, chest, abdomen, and (rarely) heart. About 200 cases are diagnosed each year in the United States. Virtually all cases of mesothelioma are linked with asbestos exposure. Approximately 2 percent of all miners and textile workers who work with asbestos, and 10 percent of all workers who were involved in the manufacture of asbestos-containing gas masks, contract mesothelioma. People who work in asbestos mines, asbestos mills and factories, and shipyards that use asbestos, as well as people who manufacture and install asbestos insulation, have an increased risk of mesothelioma. So do people who live with asbestos workers, near asbestos mining areas, near asbestos product factories or near shipyards where use of asbestos has produced large quantities of airborne asbestos fibers. Other Cancers Evidence suggests that cancers in the esophagus, larynx, oral cavity, stomach, colon and kidney may be caused by ingesting asbestos. For more information on asbestos-related cancers, contact your local chapter of the American Cancer Society. Determining Factors Three things seem to determine your likelihood of developing one of these asbestos related diseases: - The amount and duration of exposure - the more you are exposed to asbestos and the more fibers that enter your body, the more likely you are to develop asbestos related problems. While there is no "safe level" of asbestos exposure, people who are exposed more frequently over a long period of time are more at risk.
- Whether or not you smoke - if you smoke and you have been exposed to asbestos, you are far more likely to develop lung cancer than someone who does not smoke and who has not been exposed to asbestos. If you work with asbestos or have been exposed to it, the first thing you should do to reduce your chances of developing cancer is to stop smoking.
- Age - cases of mesothelioma have occurred in the children of asbestos workers whose only exposures were from the dust brought home on the clothing of family members who worked with asbestos. The younger people are when they inhale asbestos, the more likely they are to develop mesothelioma. This is why enormous efforts are being made to prevent school children from being exposed.
Because each exposure to asbestos increases the body burden of asbestos fibers, it is very important to reduce and minimize your exposure. Where can I get more information? See our helpful Resource Links If you have any more questions or concerns, please contact your community or state health or environmental quality department or Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 888-422-8737
FAX: (404)498-0057 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health clinics. These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. For toxicological profiles contact:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Phone: 800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000 Please feel free to Contact us about any questions you may have or call us toll-free at (800) 585-0461 or (205) 326-1000. We will answer any questions you may have free of charge. If it is necessary for us to meet with you in your home or health care facility, we will be happy to make arrangements with you for that meeting. | Mesothelioma [click here to see video] Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases. It is estimated that there are 2,000 to 3,000 new cases per year of mesothelioma in the United States. Whereas the occurrence of mesothelioma used to be considered rare, it appears to be increasing. Asbestos exposure is considered the main cause of mesothelioma. In fact, malignant mesothelioma is so strongly associated with asbestos exposure that it is considered "an epidemiologic marker" for exposure to asbestos. In the absence of confirmed asbestos exposure, mesothelioma occurs rarely if ever. Mesothelioma is a tumor of the pleura, peritoneum or pericardium. The most common appears to be pleural mesothelioma, which arises in the cavity surrounding the lungs. The latency period of mesothelioma (i.e., the time between exposure and development of the disease) can be as little as five years or as long as 70 years. However, by the time the symptoms appear and the cancer is diagnosed, the disease is often so advanced that it is fatal. Pleural Mesothelioma: Pleural mesothelioma appears to be the most common. It develops in the space surrounding the lungs within the chest cavity and sometimes invades the lungs. The main symptoms are often pain in the chest, severe difficulty breathing, persistent cough and usually weight loss. Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Peritoneal mesothelioma usually arises in the abdominal cavity with persistent pain, nausea, and, due to accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, a swollen abdomen. Pericardial Mesothelioma: Pericardial mesothelioma is the rarest of mesotheliomas. Mesothelioma of the scrotum and ovaries have also been reported. Comprehensive Cancer Centers – Many of these Cancer Centers have ongoing mesothelioma trials and cancer support groups. See our helpful Resource Links Please feel free to Contact us about any questions you may have or call us toll-free at (800) 585-0461 or (205) 326-1000. We will answer any questions you may have free of charge. If it is necessary for us to meet with you in your home or health care facility, we will be happy to make arrangements with you for that meeting. |
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