ASBESTOS STATISTICS

Asbestos disease is a preventable modern-day plague on society

Statistics show that despite recent laws enacted to protect workers from on-the-job asbestos exposure, the incidences of asbestos diseases like mesothelioma are actually on the rise.

April 22, 2010 – Mesothelioma cancer is caused by occupational asbestos exposure. Retired workers from the construction, automotive and maritime industries are most at risk and make up the vast majority of mesothelioma cases today.

Asbestos disease is a preventable modern-day plague on society. It’s preventable when an employer or asbestos product company act to assure the safety of workers and consumers.

History and the following asbestos statistics prove that that rarely happens. This blatant negligence has led to the filing of thousands of asbestos claims by workers dying from job-related asbestos illnesses, and their surviving family members.

Current asbestos statistics

• Most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 20 to 40 years, or more, after asbestos exposure.
• The American Cancer Society estimates the average mesothelioma survival rate of a patient after diagnosis is four to 18 months. According to most studies, however, the median life expectancy is less than a year.
• About 90,000 people die every year around the world from asbestos-related diseases, the World Health Organization estimates.
• In the United States, 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed annually.
• The number of cases of mesothelioma will peak in the United States in 2010, say researchers at the Centers for Disease Control.
• The national death rate for mesothelioma in the United States is 14 deaths per million population, says the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
• Six states (Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wyoming and West Virginia) have death rates greater than 20 deaths per million people, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Asbestos statistics warrant legal action

Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the rights of asbestos-injured workers since 1986. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for workers diagnosed with job-related asbestos exposure.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free case review, please notify us through the communication form at left with a few details about your diagnosis.