Secondary Asbestos Exposure: Everything You Need to Know

Have you received an asbestos exposure related health diagnosis when you have never worked directly with asbestos or asbestos products? Does it leave you feeling confused and overwhelmed? You are not alone. Many victims of secondary asbestos exposure, like you, wonder how this could happen. Often, they came into contact with someone who had direct (primary) exposure to asbestos.

One of the most common examples of this is when a man works with products containing asbestos at his job and gets asbestos fibers on his work clothing. Later, when his wife does the laundry, she handles his work clothing, unknowingly exposing herself to the asbestos fibers on them. Years later, she is diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness.

There is a lot of information readily available on primary asbestos exposure, but perhaps less on secondary asbestos exposure. Still, it is important to understand the potential for and consequences of both types of exposure.

Here, we take a closer look at secondary asbestos exposure and what should be done if you or a loved one suffered harm because of it.

What Is Secondary Asbestos Exposure?

Primary asbestos exposure is often avoidable but frequently occurs in the workplace. This form of exposure happens when someone comes into direct contact with tools, equipment, or products that contain asbestos.

Secondary exposure is indirect. You have no actual direct contact with the initial asbestos. Secondary asbestos exposure usually occurs from contact with the workspace or materials, such as clothing of other people who handled asbestos directly. ⁽¹⁾ Yet, secondary asbestos exposure can also occur via contamination of the environment. ⁽²⁾

“Everyone is exposed to asbestos at some time during their life. Low levels of asbestos are present in the air, water, and soil. However, most people do not become ill from their exposure. People who become ill from asbestos are usually those who are exposed to it on a regular basis,” says the National Cancer Institute. ⁽³⁾

Who Is at Risk of Secondary Asbestos Exposure?

Some occupations put workers at higher risk for asbestos exposure than others: ^{(4) (5)}

• Military services.
• Ship maintenance and repair.
• Automotive maintenance and repair.
• Construction and demolition.
• Manufacturing.
• Mining.
• Millwrights.
• Refineries.
• Electrical work.

These workers handle asbestos products directly or work in environments where asbestos is pervasive. So not only does their risk of exposure increase, but so does the risk for secondary exposure for their families — spouses, children, and other in-home relatives. ⁽⁶⁾

Asbestos fibers can cling to textiles, such as furniture and carpets, or even pet hair. Then when workers with asbestos fibers on their hair, skin, or clothing come home, it spreads through the house, affecting everyone who lives there. ⁽⁷⁾

Health Risks Associated with Secondary Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos exposure comes largely from inhalation of asbestos fibers. So, the associated health risks often affect the lungs or the linings around the lungs and may spread from there.

These potential illnesses include: ⁽⁸⁾

• Malignant mesothelioma.
• Asbestosis (diffuse interstitial fibrosis).
• Cancer of the lung.
• Pleural effusion (buildup of fluid between lungs and chest wall).
• Visceral pleural fibrosis.
• Parietal pleural plaques.

The association between asbestos exposure and lung diseases is well established by research. One National Academy of Sciences book on asbestos exposure related diseases explains the connection, “The physical and chemical characteristics related to the carcinogenicity of asbestos fibers include fiber dimensions, chemical composition, biodurability, and surface reactivity.” ⁽⁹⁾

Can You Be Exposed to Asbestos and Not Know It?

You could be exposed to asbestos without knowing it. Asbestos fibers are microscopic and invisible. They have no taste or smell. They don’t cause irritation of the skin, eyes, or throat; so, it is hard to sense them in the air. ⁽¹⁰⁾

Americans have had broad exposure to asbestos for decades. It is in the environment and was used in countless commercial products. It still is found in older products and in older buildings. ⁽¹¹⁾

Can Secondary Asbestos Exposure Lead to Mesothelioma?

Secondary asbestos exposure can result in asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma. ⁽¹²⁾

Many victims of secondary exposure have been women. Deaths among U.S. women from mesothelioma have increased from 489 in 1999 to 614 in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The most deaths were associated with health care and social assistance industries, in addition to homemaker occupations. ⁽¹³⁾

How Much Secondary Asbestos Exposure Is Dangerous?

The National Cancer Institute states, “it is clear that the health risks from asbestos exposure increase with heavier exposure and longer exposure time.” ⁽¹⁴⁾ Still, any exposure to asbestos is considered dangerous.

Products containing 1% of an asbestos mineral, such as products containing talcum powder, are considered asbestos containing. Mesothelioma is known to result from only very small amounts of exposure to asbestos in many cases. ⁽¹⁵⁾

How Long Does It Take for Symptoms to Appear?

Asbestos-related illnesses have latency periods of 10 to 40 years. This means there is a gap between exposure and when symptoms appear. During this latency period, people do not feel sick. ⁽¹⁶⁾

People normally go to the doctor once they experience symptoms and are then diagnosed. As with all diseases, early detection can be extremely beneficial in terms of effective treatment and overall health. This is why it is so important to see your doctor immediately if you suspect you have been exposed to asbestos. ⁽¹⁷⁾

What Are the First Signs of Asbestos Exposure?

If you have been exposed to asbestos, you may exhibit early symptoms at some point in time. These include shortness of breath, a cough, coughing up blood, and chest pain or tightness. Other early symptoms include trouble swallowing or unintended weight loss. ⁽¹⁸⁾

Reach out to your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms, because they could be related to asbestos exposure. This is especially true of any respiratory illness. ⁽¹⁹⁾

Recognizing Symptoms of Asbestos-Related Illnesses

Here are some common symptoms of asbestos-related illnesses: ⁽²⁰⁾

• Crackling sound in the lungs while breathing.
• Persistent dry cough.
• Shortness of breath.
• Pain or tightness in the chest.
• Weight loss due to lack of appetite.
• Clubbing (abnormal widening and rounding) of toes and fingertips.

If you have been exposed to asbestos and experience any of these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately. Early detection and screening can help improve your overall health and may even extend your life.

How Do You Know if You’re Sick From Asbestos?

Asbestos exposure related diseases are hard to detect because symptoms mirror other conditions, and it takes years to appear. Still, when a number of asbestos-related symptoms begin to present, don’t dismiss them. Seek medical attention and let your doctor know you may have been exposed to asbestos.

Your doctor can explore your full medical history and exposure history — including your work history. Then the doctor may begin testing for asbestos-related illnesses, particularly if you are experiencing mesothelioma symptoms.

Steps to Take If You or a Loved One Have Been Exposed

The first step you should take after learning you were exposed to asbestos is to speak with your doctor. Asbestos-related illnesses can take decades to develop, so your doctor needs to begin monitoring your health going forward.

Once symptoms of asbestos exposure related illness begin to emerge, your doctor should do a complete medical exam that may include tests and screenings. Here are some of the initial tests your doctor may order: ⁽²¹⁾

• Chest X-ray.
• CT scan.
• Lung function test.

There are a number of online resources available that can provide valuable information on these illnesses. Here are a few of them:

• American Cancer Society.
• American Lung Association.
• National Cancer Institute.

How to Reduce the Risk of Secondary Exposure

Reducing the risk of secondary exposure often begins at work. Workers who regularly perform job tasks dealing with asbestos should not carry asbestos fibers home to family members. They should wear protective outer clothing, including NIOSH-approved respirators that can be washed or discarded. They should also wash their skin, hair, and clothing with soap and water. ⁽²²⁾

Employers are required to protect workers from asbestos exposure. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established standards that employers must meet.

Employers are required to evaluate their workplaces for asbestos. They must meet standards like, “marking off regulated areas, posting hazard signs, using engineering controls (such as ventilation systems equipped with HEPA filters), and finding ways to control work practices to reduce levels of asbestos in the air. Employers are responsible for providing and ensuring proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), including respirators, as appropriate. If respirators are being used, employers need to implement the requirements of the OSHA respiratory protection standard.” ⁽²³⁾

Legal Guidance and Rights for Victims

Victims of secondary asbestos exposure have legal rights to get compensation for injuries caused by their exposure. To exercise those legal rights, you need to file a lawsuit. Due to the complexity of asbestos litigation, it is best to have legal representation. A law firm like Weitz & Luxenberg can guide you through the process.

W&L attorneys listen to your story, investigate the facts, submit claims to asbestos bankruptcy trust funds when applicable, and also file your lawsuit. Our attorneys then negotiate a settlement on your behalf or represent you in court.

Selecting an attorney is key to the successful outcome of your case. You want your attorney to have experience in asbestos lawsuits and a track record of success. Our W&L lawyers do.

Weitz & Luxenberg has almost 40 years of experience fighting for clients who have been harmed by asbestos offenders. We have a history of winning. Our record includes successes in secondary exposure cases where the victims suffered exposure through simple acts such as doing laundry or being in a home or office space with asbestos.

W&L Wins Secondary Exposure Asbestos Cases

For example, W&L won a $43 million verdict for the wife of a carpenter and general contractor. She contracted mesothelioma after she was exposed to asbestos in her own home, by way of her husband. He unknowingly brought asbestos home on his work clothes.

In another case, an auto mechanic received a large financial settlement after his wife died. She contracted peritoneal mesothelioma, due to secondary exposure from doing his asbestos contaminated laundry.

A third client of ours is a former secretary in a company that made asbestos products for the construction industry. She received a large sum of money for her secondary exposure. Our client was exposed by a factory coworker, who collected the trash and brought asbestos into her office on his clothing. She was also exposed to asbestos when her father, who worked for the same company as a machinist, brought home asbestos from construction materials at his job. This repeated secondary exposure resulted in her mesothelioma diagnosis.

How to Prove Secondary Asbestos Exposure in Legal Cases

Asbestos legal cases are considered personal injury when the victim files a lawsuit. They are considered wrongful death when the family of the deceased victim files the lawsuit. In both types of cases, showing how the responsible party was negligent is the key to success.

Legal negligence means the responsible party failed to act with the same degree of concern — to prevent harm — that any reasonable person would under similar circumstances. ⁽²⁴⁾

To prove secondary asbestos exposure, you also need to show the court that your exposure was due to contact with someone who had primary exposure. This can be challenging.

You also need to provide the court with supportive documentation such as a written diagnosis, medical records, work history, and military records. If at all possible, you also want to obtain witness testimony.

How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help

Secondary asbestos exposure is every bit as serious as primary asbestos exposure, and just as lethal. Secondary asbestos exposure can result in the same adverse health effects as primary exposure including lung disease and cancers — such as mesothelioma. 

W&L is one of the most experienced asbestos law firms in the country, with nearly 500 lawyers, paralegals, and support staff dedicated to helping our clients. We have a track record of success in representing victims of secondary asbestos exposure who suffer the painful consequences of someone else’s negligence. We take on the legal battle, allowing you to focus on your health.

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, reach out to us by calling (917) LAWYERS or filling out the form on this page. Our compassionate attorneys respond quickly. We are ready to provide legal support, and we want to hear your story.