Asbestos is a mineral that has been used in construction and other building materials for decades. It was once considered a safe material in the United States, but recent studies have revealed that asbestos is dangerous to human health.
If you believe your health has been affected by asbestos exposure, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses and lost wages due to illness caused by asbestos exposure.
What is Asbestos?
Generally, asbestos has been found in buildings and other structures, including schools and hospitals, as well as on the insides of buildings.
Asbestos can cause cancer when inhaled over time and causes lung disease when it gets inside your body through inhalation or ingestion (eating).
The different types of asbestos include the following:
- Chrysotile (white)
- Amosite (brown)
- Crocidolite (blue)
The Importance of an Asbestos Claim
The asbestos claim is important because compensation may be available to you if you suffer from an asbestos-related sickness and need assistance paying for your care and supporting your family. Three years is the typical window of time to file a personal injury claim.
Asbestos claims start from the day you realize your asbestos exposure was the cause of any disabilities you were experiencing. Even if your condition is mild, you should start your claim immediately.
Suppose you do not file your claim within the three-year window. In that case, you may not be eligible for compensation for your current disease or the later development of a more serious condition due to your asbestos exposure.
Types Of Asbestos Claims
Personal injury claims and wrongful death claims are the two most prevalent types of asbestos claims. Another type of asbestos claim that could give victims the essential compensation they need is founded by bankrupt asbestos corporations, known as asbestos trust funds.
1. Personal Injury Claims
An asbestos patient’s legal action is filed as a personal injury claim. Juries can award money as compensation for various losses, including pain and suffering, medical costs, lost wages, and consortium.
2. Claims of Wrongful Death
After an asbestos patient has passed away, family members may file a wrongful death claim lawsuit. In certain situations, jurors can award damages for various losses, including funeral expenditures and cancer-related costs.
3. Trust Fund Claims
Many asbestos corporations have established a list of asbestos trust funds. Companies take this action to protect themselves from further legal action and set aside money to compensate those harmed by asbestos exposure.
How to Make an Asbestos Claim
Suppose you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness and believe your exposure has caused or contributed to the condition. In that case, it is important to contact asbestos compensation & claims lawyers immediately. You should not delay in making this decision because once symptoms appear, they may be irreversible. It is also critical that you reach out for help before the situation becomes dire.
Suppose there is significant damage to your home due to smoke inhalation from an electrical fire caused by faulty wiring in an older building that contained asbestos. In that case, you will need immediate action to avoid making matters worse by waiting too long before contacting an attorney to file compensation claims against those responsible.
How to Find Out if You Have Been Exposed to Asbestos
First, you should ask your doctor if they have ever treated anyone exposed to asbestos. If the answer is no, that might be because they haven’t worked with asbestos in their practice.
If you find out that your doctor has treated someone with asbestos exposure, consider asking them about it again. They would ask you more specific questions like: “Did you ever breathe in any dust particles containing chrysotile?”
Talking to family members, friends, and co-workers who may have been exposed is also important. This exposure could be from work sites where there was a lot of work-related activity involving asbestos materials such as insulation or pipe wrapping.
You should ensure that everyone knows what substances were used during construction projects so they can properly be diagnosed later on down the road when symptoms appear.
Which diseases may come from asbestos exposure?
Because asbestos-related diseases take a very long time to manifest, it is frequently too late to treat them when symptoms first appear. There are four diseases associated with asbestos, and because they all impede airflow in some way, the main symptoms are chest tightness and difficulty breathing.
Here are the four ailments caused by asbestos:
- Lung scarring from asbestosis
- Lung pleural cavity thickening that is not malignant
- Lung cancer brought on by asbestos
- Mesothelioma is a malignancy of the cells of the lung-covering membrane.
It’s crucial to remember that consumers can still sue the business that exposed them to the substance even though a sickness caused by asbestos exposure can take years to manifest.
The Long-Term Health Effects of Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos is a mineral fiber that can cause serious health problems if inhaled. It was used in building materials and insulation until the 1970s when the Environmental Protection Agency banned it.
Asbestos exposure has been linked to numerous diseases, including lung cancer and mesothelioma (a rare form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and chest cavity). It is important to note that not all people exposed to asbestos will get sick.
In fact, the long-term health effects of asbestos exposure are largely unknown. This is because only a small number of individuals who worked with this substance have died from complications caused by their work. However, evidence suggests that even low levels may lead over time to increased risk.
Conclusion
As seen above, asbestos claims are essential for anyone exposed to this dangerous material. It is important to know your rights and how to make a claim. If you or someone you know has been affected by asbestos exposure or other diseases related to the use of asbestos products, contact an asbestos compensation lawyer immediately. Do not hesitate to seek legal help, for it is your right.