EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS
Symptoms of asbestos disease can take years to develop

Asbestos exposure can occur at home or in the workplace through everyday products such as: asbestos shingles, asbestos ceiling tile, asbestos insulation, brake pads, boilers and more. Mesothelioma symptoms can take decades to develop.

The personal injury law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal 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 clients injured by occupational asbestos exposure.

News on asbestos exposure

November 17, 2009 - Although experts agree that health risks from asbestos are greater when the exposure is heavier and of a longer duration, investigators have found asbestos-related diseases in individuals with only brief exposures.

Mesothelioma is a job-related asbestos cancer that kills approximately 3,000 individuals in the United States every year. Most victims contract mesothelioma at work through regular exposure in industries that include construction, automotive and military.

Heavy asbestos exposure peaked during the 1960s and 1970s in Western, industrialized nations and declined as worker safety rules were instituted and as the industrial use of asbestos decreased.

Despite the slowdown in its use, asbestos is still imported and used in the United States for its insulation properties. The United States imported and used an estimated 1,820 tons of asbestos in 2007, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Mesothelioma’s long latency period

Many of those who develop asbestos-related diseases show signs of illness a long time after their initial exposure, sometimes as much as 50 years later. That’s why workers exposed to asbestos in the 1960s and 1970s are only now being diagnosed with mesothelioma, for example.

Mesothelioma symptoms can take years to develop. They include coughing, chest pain, weakness or fatigue, and difficulty breathing. The most common form of mesothelioma is malignant pleural mesothelioma, but the cancer can also affect the heart and stomach.

From 1940 through 1979, it is estimated that 27 million people had potential asbestos exposure at work. Of these, 19 million endured exposure in excess of the equivalent to two months’ employment in primary manufacturing or as an insulation installer.

According to the Environmental Working Group, total deaths related to asbestos between 1979 and 2000 were 230,000.

Time to seek justice

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free consultation with an asbestos lawyer, please notify us through the communication form on this page. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, lost wages and suffering.

Weitz & Luxenberg works on a contingency basis, so there is no cost to you until we obtain a verdict or reach a settlement in your favor.