There are several job sites where workers have been exposed to asbestos. This is called occupational asbestos exposure and can come at a significant cost. Our Niagara Falls mesothelioma lawyers have been helping affected workers get justice for decades after being diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness.

Please keep reading to learn about asbestos exposure and its dangerous consequences. If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, please get in touch with us for a free consultation right away.

We can come to your home if need be to give you this initial case review. We aim to make it as easy on you as possible to get justice for your damages.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is not a manufactured substance. It occurs naturally as a mineral, is extremely heat resistant, and does not corrode. The nature of asbestos made it very useful for building, such as insulation. It has been added to products such as paper and plastic to strengthen them. This has resulted in a great deal of occupational asbestos exposure.

However useful the mineral is, it is very toxic. The mineral is virtually indestructible, meaning that when you inhale the fibers, they will remain there indefinitely. Asbestos particles can cause scarring in the lungs, which can lead to grave diagnoses.

The development of asbestos-related injury may not appear in someone until decades after their exposure.

The mineral has not been banned from use, but restrictions on it are so high that it is hardly ever used anymore. However, a ton of asbestos remains in structures to this day.

If left undisturbed, asbestos cannot harm you. When it gets broken apart, it gets into the air where people can inhale the harmful fibers, which is why so many workers have been affected by exposure.

Health Conditions from Occupational Asbestos Exposure

Several health conditions can be related to occupational asbestos exposure. Not everyone who is exposed is going to develop the following health conditions. However, they are serious illnesses that warrant significant compensation from the liable party.

Asbestosis

This is a condition where your lungs become scarred from inhaling asbestos fibers. You may not notice symptoms for many years. Respiratory problems are the top symptoms of asbestosis.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is rare cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, stomach, or heart. Unfortunately, many people won’t receive a diagnosis until a few decades after the exposure. Due to the symptoms being fairly common in many other illnesses, mesothelioma is often not diagnosed until its later stages.

Lung Cancer

If someone smokes and has also been exposed to asbestos, this is called the synergistic effect, in which two cancer-causing factors meet like a flame and gasoline. Lung cancer often manifests as a malignant tumor that causes trouble with breathing.

Workers at Risk of Occupational Asbestos Exposure

There is quite a long list of professions at high risk of exposure to asbestos at work, including United States service members.

In the mid to late 1900s, Naval service members were at an exceptionally high risk of exposure to asbestos due to how much the material was used in ships.

Today, professions involving firefighting, demolition and renovation, auto repair, and more are considered high risk due to the amount of asbestos left over in structures, parts, and buildings.

Their families are also at risk of secondhand exposure if they come into contact with clothes with asbestos.

Call Our Niagara Falls Asbestos Lawyers Today

Occupational asbestos exposure is not without fault. If you have suffered due to asbestos exposure at work, you deserve to have justice for your damages. Our Niagara Falls asbestos lawyers have 100 years of collective experience fighting for the rights of employees affected by asbestos exposure.

Contact us right away if you would like to schedule a free consultation. Do not hesitate to reach out.