For decades, little was known about how dangerous exposure to asbestos could be. What’s worse: even people who didn’t handle the substance on the job still came in contact with it through someone else’s work clothes or in their homes. Now many of these people are dealing with a mesothelioma diagnosis.
How Secondhand Exposure to Asbestos Causes Mesothelioma
During much of the 20th century, people worked with asbestos without being informed of the health risks associated with inhaling material’s fibers. These workers unknowingly brought home microscopic particles on their clothing and shoes, in their hair, and on their belongings. Their loved ones—generally spouses and children—who greeted them at home were then exposed to asbestos through hugs, shared laundry, and asbestos fibers on the furniture.
Today, employers must provide asbestos workers with a place to change out of their work clothes and with shower facilities so that asbestos fibers don’t travel home with them. However, these safety regulations weren’t in place from the 1950s through the 1980s when the material was frequently in use.
There’s no amount of asbestos inhalation that is known to be safe. Instead, any exposure can result in significant health consequences. The dangers presented to individuals by secondary exposure to asbestos are just as significant as those faced by people who worked directly with it, even decades later.
Mesothelioma is a devastating and deadly cancer. While you work with your doctors to decide on the right medical treatment, it’s also important to talk to an experienced mesothelioma lawyer about your legal options.
Your Legal Solutions
It can be difficult to establish liability for mesothelioma from indirect exposure to asbestos. However, an experienced mesothelioma lawyer may be able to help determine this, as well as protect your rights and potential recovery.
Please contact our experienced mesothelioma lawyers today for a free, no-obligation consultation. If we take your case, then we’ll represent you on a contingency fee basis. That means we won’t charge for our legal services until your case is resolved. As we develop a partnership, we’ll discuss these financial aspects in advance and come to an agreement of the fee’s percentage together.
To learn more, please call us, or use the contact form on this page or call us directly at 318.541.8188.