Asbestos has been used for centuries for everything from wicks to clay pots. In some ancient cultures, asbestos was used to wrap the dead to protect them from deterioration while others used it for paper and bank notes.

After the start of the Industrial Revolution, however, asbestos use became widespread as its fire-resistant properties made it excellent insulation for turbines, boilers and electrical generators. However, people during that era were unaware of the hazards of asbestos exposure.

Today, it is known that exposure to asbestos can lead to many illnesses, including mesothelioma and other forms of cancer.

What Asbestos Does and Where It’s Found

Asbestos can be found in many different workplace environments. It can be found in older buildings where it was used as insulation, in brake linings and in shingles.

During World War II, it was used in the building of ships for the war effort. When asbestos becomes airborne, fibers can enter the respiratory system, embedding in the lining of many internal organs.

In some cases, those who are exposed to asbestos develop lung cancer or a rare form of cancer that forms in the thin linings of the chest and abdomen.

Injuries Caused by Asbestos

For some, asbestos can cause chronic respiratory problems that cannot be cured through medicine or surgery. Some of the injures can be devastating, requiring long-term disability, including severe asthma, chronic bronchitis or other lung diseases.

In severe cases, someone exposed to asbestos can develop lung cancer, which only has a five year survival rate of 54 percent if discovered early and only a four percent survival rate if found in later stages when it has spread to other organs.

Asbestos exposure has also been linked to a rare form of cancer known as mesothelioma. This type of cancer has a very long incubation rate, which means it may not be diagnosed until as much as 30 years after someone has been exposed.

In some cases, the person diagnosed may not even remember that they were exposed to asbestos. This type of cancer has only a five to ten percent survival rate after five years regardless of the stage of diagnosis.

Contact our Asbestos Work Injury Attorneys

Anyone who has been exposed to asbestos and then is diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness may be eligible for compensation under asbestos work injury claims. It is possible that a diagnosis of lung cancer, chronic lung illness or mesothelioma could also be covered under workers’ compensation.

An asbestos work injury attorney can advise you what steps to take in order to receive the benefits you are entitled to under workers’ compensation.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation or other forms of compensation under the law. Contact Lundy Law today to learn what rights you may have. Call us at 1-800-Lundy Law or fill out the simple form on our website to arrange for a consultation regarding your claims after asbestos exposure.