Diagnosis with an asbestos-associated illness is usually serious. The physical damage caused by asbestos is irreversible in the human body.
Our lawyers in Atlanta are experienced and ready to aggressively pursue your claim for compensation if you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or a related condition. Contact us for a free case evaluation today.
Understanding Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos is the name given to a group of silicate minerals that offer high strength and low conductivity of heat and electricity. Used for centuries, asbestos is commonly associated with insulation and heat-resistant wraps and clothing. Asbestos was commonly used in a wide range of industries, including:
- Industrial, commercial, and residential construction
- Ship building and shipyards
- Foundries and metal works
- Power plants
- Military vessels
- Plumbing, pipefitting
- Textiles
With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the dangers of asbestos exposure slowly emerged. Asbestos personal injury litigation has become increasingly common since the late 1960s. Faced with injury claims from workers decades after exposure, many large companies have sought bankruptcy protection. Making the situation more difficult for victims of asbestos exposure in Georgia is the long latency period of asbestos diseases.
A latency, or period of time between exposure and onset, of between 10 and 40 years is not unusual for either asbestosis or mesothelioma. The length of time can make it difficult to collect on claims for asbestos related diseases.
Our Atlanta Asbestos Attorneys Understand Mesothelioma
As more workers and their families sickened, the danger of asbestos fibers became more apparent. Asbestos fibers are not only strong, they separate into very fine threads—slim enough to be woven into fabric. Asbestos is easy to breathe in, and that is where the danger begins:
When airborne, asbestos can lodge in the body where it becomes a silent, and patient killer. The sharp fibers become stuck in sensitive lung tissue and the mesothelium.
The mesothelium is a thin layer of tissue that surrounds and protects the lungs, the abdominal cavity and other parts. When asbestos enters the lungs, or the mesothelium, it remains there.
The body mounts an inflammatory response around the fiber, encasing the particle in scar tissue, and reducing the flexibility of the damaged tissue over time. The loss of flexibility of lung tissue caused by asbestos exposure is called asbestosis, and the cancer that develops in the mesothelium after exposure to asbestos is called mesothelioma.
Unfortunately, there is currently no successful treatment for either asbestosis or mesothelioma. Another condition, called pleural plaque, is a scarring condition of the lungs that can be caused by asbestos exposure. While benign, pleural plaques are often a marker of asbestos exposure.
Asbestos Was Commonly Used in Georgia
Before its danger was known, asbestos was used in common household products. Today, although there is no known safe level of exposure to asbestos, the mineral is not banned for industrial use in the United States. Asbestos is still found in automotive and electrical parts, roofing and other products. Each year, workers are still exposed to asbestos.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was mined throughout the United States. Georgia has significant levels of asbestos in its surface soils, and in former asbestos mines that dot the state along the Appalachian Mountains. For many, diagnosis with an asbestos-associated disease comes later in life. Those with heavier exposure sometimes have an earlier diagnosis.
In either case, if you are diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, it is important you speak with a Georgia asbestos attorney as soon as possible to carry out an investigation of your exposure, and preserve any injury claim.
With decades of experience with personal injury and asbestos claims, Morgan & Morgan is a national law firm that is well-experienced with helping clients deal with a shortened life span and the discomfort caused by mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural plaques. Our Atlanta lawyers understand your need for compensation as soon as possible.
Contact Us
When your life is changed by a diagnosis of an asbestos related disease, our Atlanta mesothelioma attorneys deliver the information and aggressive legal representation needed to help you and your family.
Contact our downtown office today at (404) 965-8811, or take advantage of our free case evaluation.