Asbestos is a Toxin that Causes Cancers. So Why Are So Many People Exposed?

Our lawyers have won millions in verdicts and settlements for people who developed cancer from asbestos.

Asbestos, the toxin once touted as the "magic mineral," is now known to be a carcinogen that causes no immediate symptoms, but has a long-term risk of chest and abdominal cancers and lung diseases. Additionally, smokers are at higher risk of developing asbestos-induced lung cancer.

Asbestos is a mineral that exists in a tiny, fiber-like structure, and it was used primarily as an insulator in everything from brake linings to fireproofing materials. From the 1920s through the 1970s, asbestos was used in thousands of job sites across America, in shipyards, schools, construction sites, and countless other locations.

Eventually it was discovered that because of the small size and shape of asbestos fibers, and due to their tendancy to become airborne, workers exposed to asbestos fibers would inhale them and be unable to expel the fibers from their lungs. Family members of asbestos workers also risked asbestos exposure through contact with an asbestos worker's clothes.

Asbestos workers and their families were found to be vulnerable to a whole host of asbestos-related diseases such as pleural plaque, pleural thickening, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Some workers spent a lifetime working with asbestos and never developed any disease, yet some workers had as little as a few months of exposure and became sick.

Weitz & Luxenberg is a leading plaintiffs' law firm that has represented people affected by mesothelioma for over 20 years. Men and women diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure may be entitled to compensation from the companies responsible for their disease. If you would like a free consultation or more information about your legal options, please complete the form on this page, and a representative of our law firm will contact you as soon as possible.