Why File a California Mesothelioma Lawsuit?

Filing a California mesothelioma lawsuit just became an even more prudent step for you to take thanks to a new California State Supreme Court victory.  That State Supreme Court victory was won by Kazan Law partner Ted Pelletier, we are proud to say. Thanks to this important new court ruling, companies that exposed workers to asbestos can be held liable for other people living in a worker’s home who become sick as a result.

New California Mesothelioma Lawsuit Ruling Helps Families

California mesothelioma lawsuits can now be filed not only for a worker sickened by asbestos exposure but also by a family member who has become ill from secondary asbestos exposure. The family member may have been exposed to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing, hair or tools of someone who worked with asbestos-containing materials.

Kazan Law partner Ted Pelletier successfully argued that employers, all of whom were well aware of the health hazards of asbestos, had a duty to provide protective measures such as showers or locker facilities for changing clothes to prevent workers from binging asbestos home.

Although many years may elapse between the time of asbestos exposure and the onset of mesothelioma, asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma. Asbestos dust typically is inhaled through the nose or sometimes the mouth. When it is inhaled it can settle in the lungs and damage the cells of the tissue lining the lungs. This is pleural mesothelioma.  The sharp asbestos fibers can also injure the cells lining the abdominal area and cause peritoneal mesothelioma.  There are other kinds but these are the most common.

Whatever kind of mesothelioma it is, the progress of the disease is slow, irreversible and almost always fatal. The new California State Supreme Court ruling is a great step forward in justice for mesothelioma families. And we at Kazan Law are proud of the part we played. But there are other reasons why it is important to file a California mesothelioma lawsuit.

California’s Favorable Laws Can Help a California Mesothelioma Lawsuit

A California mesothelioma lawsuit can benefit from the high level of expertise that California mesothelioma attorneys have in this highly specialized area of law. Kazan law founding partner Steven Kazan is one of lawyers who helped found modern asbestos litigation in the 1970s. Over decades, lawyers like Steven Kazan have had a major impact on California laws on asbestos cases. They have helped to create a legal climate that tends to be more supportive of asbestos victims with fair laws and substantial jury verdicts.  The California legislature and courts have justified the creation and application of special asbestos rules as a reasonable response to the tragic devastation faced by victims of asbestos exposure.

Because of the support for social justice and sympathy for victims of asbestos exposure, many out-of-state asbestos plaintiffs opt to file a California mesothelioma lawsuit.

In addition, California’s laws are more favorable to mesothelioma plaintiffs than the laws of some other states. Some of the other states with large number of asbestos lawsuits have passed legislation to restrict access to the judicial system for people who have been injured by exposure to asbestos, or limit the damages they can recover or make suing more difficult.

California Mesothelioma Lawsuits Are Fast-Tracked

There’s another advantage for filing a California mesothelioma lawsuit. California is usually at the forefront of states in enacting laws that protect the rights of individuals, especially with respect to health and safety.  This can bode well for the sensitive timing of a mesothelioma lawsuit.

For example, since 2000, some states with a large number of asbestos lawsuits began enacting laws to limit new filings. But not California. As a result, some of the state’s courts have reportedly seen an increase in the number of asbestos lawsuits filed by both in-state and out-of-state claimants in recent years.

In response, California chose not to enact the kinds of laws that now obstruct asbestos lawsuits in other states. Instead our courts have enacted measures to manage large asbestos caseloads by trying to expedite claims by mesothelioma patients. This creates a fast-track approach to scheduling that allows the cases of terminally ill patients to go to trial in 120 days.

Who Can File a California Mesothelioma Lawsuit?
Among the restrictions placed on asbestos litigation by some states are laws that limit or exclude out-of-state residents from filing mesothelioma lawsuits. There are no such restrictions in California. Anyone can file a California mesothelioma lawsuit.

And that is an advantage because a well handled California mesothelioma lawsuit is likely to be more successful and deliver larger verdicts. Even if your California mesothelioma lawsuit settles before going to trial, your settlement may be larger in California. Companies know that a trial in a California court is likely to go against them. This can help motivate them to agree to a more generous settlement.

Also some of the best asbestos law firms in the country like Kazan Law are based in California. Your mesothelioma lawsuit can give you financial stability to comfort you during your illness and provide for your family once you are gone. Where you file – and what law firm you choose to represent you – can make the difference of millions of dollars in the settlement or jury verdict you receive. That is a key reason to file a California mesothelioma lawsuit.

A California Mesothelioma Lawsuit Will Not Require A Lot of Travel

Your location and the expense of travel should not stop you from filing a California mesothelioma lawsuit. When you work with a top asbestos law firm, your lawyer will travel to your location to meet with you. Kazan Law lawyers regularly meet with clients outside California, sometimes traveling across the country to work with clients who have mesothelioma. We understand that you will be better able to help give us the information we need to win your California mesothelioma lawsuit in the comfort of your own home.

So if you or a loved one has mesothelioma, contact us for a free evaluation to see if a California mesothelioma lawsuit is right for you.

source: kazanlaw.com

Asbestos Exposure in the Military

The most common place where people have experienced asbestos exposure is in the workplace. The work sites with some of the highest rates of asbestos related disease may come as a surprise: the US Armed Forces’ ships and installations around the world. Veterans are more than three times as likely to develop mesothelioma as those who have never served in the military. Mesothelioma is a rare and fatal cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Exposure in the Navy
While members of every branch of the military run a higher risk of asbestos disease than the civilian population, the Navy has the highest rates of asbestos exposure. Members of the Navy and civilians who built and serviced naval vessels worked in an environment awash in deadly asbestos fibers.

Because asbestos is a good heat insulator, US Navy ships built between 1930 and the early 1970s were loaded with the toxic mineral. It was used for insulation in boiler rooms and around piping that ran throughout the ships. Asbestos was also used to construct rooms and entranceways in areas of the ship that might be prone to fire, since it is also resistant to fire.

One of the greatest risk factors for developing mesothelioma, asbestos-caused lung cancer, or other asbestos related disease is a stint working in the boiler room of a Navy ship. In the heat and hustle, it was not uncommon for tiny asbestos fibers to come loose. Floating through the air and invisible to the naked eye, these fibers were easily inhaled and could stick and stay in the lungs.

Because mesothelioma usually takes decades to develop, Navy veterans are still being diagnosed with this and other diseases caused by asbestos exposure that may have occurred forty or more years ago.

Asbestos Exposure in the Army

Starting in the early 1980s, the US Armed Forces stopped using asbestos as an insulator and construction material. The legacy of asbestos lingered on much longer, though, since buildings constructed with asbestos-laden materials continued to be used for many more years. And military vehicles like trucks, cars, and motorcycles used asbestos brakes and other parts.

Veterans of the Marines and Air Force, as well as the Army, may have suffered asbestos exposure while they worked and lived in buildings on military bases that were built with asbestos in ceiling tiles, insulation, or other parts of the structures. In addition, asbestos brake linings were used on military vehicles which may have remained in service for years after the toxic properties of asbestos were understood or the dangers simply ignored. Service members who worked repairing those vehicles may have a special risk of asbestos exposure.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs provides a list of military occupations that are particularly associated with asbestos exposure: “mining, milling, shipyard work, insulation work, demolition of old buildings, carpentry and construction, the manufacturing and installation of products such as flooring, roofing, cement sheet, pipe products, or the servicing of friction products such as clutch facings and brake linings.” Even if you didn’t fill one of these roles, you may have been exposed to asbestos during your military service if you were around others doing those tasks.

Asbestos Exposure in Vietnam and Beyond

One group of veterans who appear to have an elevated chance of asbestos exposure are those who served in Vietnam. During their deployment, military ships, vehicles, and structures would all still have contained asbestos.

One of the times where there is the greatest hazard of asbestos exposure is during removal of asbestos from boiler rooms and infrastructure. Construction workers who engage in this type of work today wear special protective gear. During Vietnam, some soldiers were tasked with ripping out asbestos-laden materials, often without proper protective gear.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs also notes that veterans who served in Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries may have been subjected to asbestos exposure. Although the conflicts in the Middle East happened after the military had stopped building with asbestos, hazardous fibers may have been released when buildings built in previous decades were damaged or destroyed in the fighting.

VA Benefits and Mesothelioma

The Veterans Administration does offer healthcare for veterans suffering from mesothelioma and other diseases caused by asbestos exposure during their military service. If you have an asbestos-related disease due to asbestos exposure in the military, you are eligible to apply for disability benefits through the VA.

In fact, the VA even has special centers at some of its facilities which employ experts in mesothelioma care. Veterans can travel to these centers or receive care remotely from the specialists there.

The good news is that the cost of mesothelioma care at the VA is likely to be lower than if you pursue treatment through private insurance. The VA gives highest priority to veterans with mesothelioma, so you shouldn’t have to wait for care – once you are approved for benefits.

The bad news is that these VA benefits are not always easy to claim for diseases due to asbestos exposure. Because mesothelioma takes so long to manifest, it can be difficult to prove that your asbestos exposure took place during your military service.

Compensation for Veterans

Veterans with mesothelioma or other asbestos diseases have another option to seek compensation for their illness. Like civilians who suffer from the long term consequences of asbestos exposure, veterans have the right to file a lawsuit against the corporations that manufactured or sold the asbestos materials that made them sick.

If you served in the military prior to the late 1990s and you develop mesothelioma or another disease caused by asbestos exposure, you should talk to an experienced asbestos attorney. An asbestos lawyer can guide you through the process of claiming compensation for your illness, pain and suffering, and lost wages. A lawyer can help you protect your rights and receive the compensation you and your family need to insure that you get the best possible healthcare and that your family is taken care of once you are gone.

source: kazanlaw.com

Advantages of a California Mesothelioma Lawsuit

Did you know that you can file a California mesothelioma lawsuit in any state in the country? You don’t have to file in the state where you live. You don’t have to file in the state where a corporation you are suing is headquartered (which would be impractical in any event, since many mesothelioma cases involve multiple corporations from different states). People can file a California mesothelioma lawsuit from any state in the US. If the facts are right, at Kazan Law we think that is just what you should do.

Advantages of a California Mesothelioma Lawsuit

California is one of several states with higher than average levels of asbestos exposure. In fact, there are more deaths due to mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses each year in California than in any other state. In addition to heavy industries and shipping, where asbestos was commonly used, Californians face an added threat from asbestos mines.

Not surprisingly, California is also one of the states with the largest number of asbestos lawsuits. This is partly historical: when people with mesothelioma first began to file lawsuits in the 1970s, many of the plaintiffs were based in California because of the state’s high rate of asbestos disease.

That isn’t the only reason so many people file asbestos lawsuits in California. Mesothelioma lawsuits are in a special category in California courts. The judicial system in the state has different rules governing asbestos litigation, including a faster route to trial for plaintiffs with mesothelioma.

In addition, California’s laws are more favorable to mesothelioma plaintiffs than the laws of some other states. Some of the other states with the largest number of asbestos lawsuits have passed legislation to restrict access to the judicial system for people who have been injured by exposure to toxic asbestos fibers,  or limit the damages they can recover or make suing more difficult.

For example, after Texas defendants lost lots of mesothelioma lawsuits in the late 1990s, the state passed laws that limit the legal liability of the corporations responsible for negligently exposing people to asbestos. When one of these corporations merges with another company or is sold, their responsibility for paying the damages they owe is reduced in Texas.

Who Can File a California Mesothelioma Lawsuit

Among the restrictions placed on asbestos litigation by some states are laws that limit or bar out-of-state residents from filing mesothelioma lawsuits. There are no such restrictions in California. Anyone can file a California mesothelioma lawsuit if the facts are right.

Your location and the expense of travel should not stop you from filing a California mesothelioma lawsuit. When you work with a top-notch asbestos law firm, your lawyer will travel to your location to meet with you. Kazan Law lawyers regularly meet with clients outside California, sometimes traveling across the country to work with people who have mesothelioma. We believe you can contribute more to the success of your mesothelioma lawsuit if you are able to rest in the comfort of your own home.

The bottom line is that California mesothelioma lawsuits are often more successful and usually deliver larger verdicts. California juries really understand the claims of plaintiffs who are terminally ill because of the negligent actions of corporations who valued corporate profits over workers’ health.

Even if your California mesothelioma lawsuit settles before going to trial, your settlement may be larger in California. Defendants know that a trial in a California court is likely to go against them. This gives them an incentive to agree to a more favorable settlement.

In addition, some of the top asbestos law firms in the country like Kazan Law are based in California. When you choose a lawyer to represent you in your California mesothelioma lawsuit, you can choose from among the best.

Your mesothelioma lawsuit can provide the financial stability to comfort you during your illness and provide for your family once you are gone. Where you file – and what law firm you choose to represent you – can make the difference of millions of dollars in the settlement or jury verdict you receive. Picking a law firm can be the most important financial decision of your life. That is yet another reason to file a California mesothelioma lawsuit.

Justice in California

There is one more good reason to file a California mesothelioma lawsuit. It’s not about money – although your compensation is important. It’s about right and wrong and justice for the next generation of mesothelioma sufferers.

When you bring a corporation to trial in California, you make it more expensive for that corporation to do the wrong thing. There are certainly still plenty of bad corporations in the world. There are some that are actively poisoning and harming people with toxic chemicals at this moment. But the more we hold those corporations to account for their actions, the less economic incentive they have to cut corners on safety.

When you file a California mesothelioma lawsuit, you aren’t just asking for compensation for your own injuries and money to replace the income your family is losing. You are standing up for the next generations so they have safer workplaces with better protections from asbestos and other toxic substances. Your lawsuit might just save someone else’s life!

source: kazanlaw.com

How Does an Asbestos Lawsuit Begin?

If you or a member of your family has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-caused lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease, you may want to consider filing an asbestos lawsuit. Because of the clear connection between the negligent use of asbestos by US industries and mesothelioma, many people have filed lawsuits and won compensation for their injuries.

The first thing you can do to help make your asbestos lawsuit a success is to hire the best asbestos attorney you can find, one with a great deal of experience in filing asbestos lawsuits. The next thing you can do is to learn about the process so you can best help your lawyer make your case.




Collect Your Asbestos Lawsuit Documents

In order to file an asbestos lawsuit on your behalf, your attorney will need proof of your diagnosis and the state of your health, as well as the cost of your medical treatment so far. In addition, your attorney will need to know your work history, to determine where you may have been exposed to asbestos. Top-notch asbestos law firms employ experienced investigators. An investigator will use your background information to gather evidence about where you were exposed to asbestos.

If this seems like an overwhelming amount of work, especially as you are coping with a severe illness, don’t worry. A good mesothelioma attorney will go over everything with you and will be able to help gather the documents you need for your asbestos lawsuit.

Beginning Your Asbestos Lawsuit

Before beginning the formal litigation process, your attorney may approach representatives from some of the corporations responsible for your asbestos-related disease. Some parties choose to enter into settlement negotiations with the most well respected mesothelioma attorneys before a lawsuit is filed, to avoid the time and expense of going to court. Instead some corporations ask us NOT to sue them so they can settle without wasting money on their lawyers.

If any of the parties have set up an asbestos trust fund, your attorney will initiate the trust paperwork. The corporations with asbestos bankruptcy trusts can’t be named in an asbestos lawsuit. They have already admitted their liability for exposing people to asbestos and have set aside money under court supervision to compensate those who become ill with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.

The parties who don’t agree to compensate you will be named in your asbestos lawsuit. Your lawyer will draft a complaint, which states the facts of the case and identifies all the parties in the lawsuit.

Your lawyer will file the complaint and get a summons from the court to serve on the parties named in the suit. These parties, now called the defendants, must file an answer with the court within 30 days. If any of the defendants do not respond to your lawsuit within the required time, your lawyer can seek a default judgment against that party. After a default is entered, your attorney will pursue that party for compensation.

Defendants always respond by denying that they are liable for exposing you to asbestos. Some may argue that your illness is caused by other factors, such as smoking. This push back is a normal part of the litigation process. An experienced asbestos attorney will have heard all these arguments before and will know how to respond to them.

Asbestos Lawsuit Discovery

The next phase of your asbestos lawsuit is called the discovery process. During this phase, both your attorney and the attorneys for the defendants will ask for documents and other evidence about the case. The defense will want copies of your medical records. Your asbestos lawyer will ask for information about the use of products containing asbestos at different places where you worked or lived, who sold them, and what they knew.

Part of the discovery process is taking depositions. Depositions do not take place in a courtroom, but they are sworn testimony recorded by a court reporter that may be used in court during the trial.

It is likely that the defendants will ask for your deposition. This may sound scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Your lawyer will work with you beforehand to prepare you to testify and will be right by your side every minute. If your health is failing, the deposition is a chance to record your account of your asbestos exposure and illness. Later on, if you are unable to come to court to testify at trial, a recording of your deposition may be played instead,  and will become evidence.

The discovery process can take several months. At times, you may feel that your lawsuit has stalled and that nothing is happening. For much of this time, however, your legal team will actually be hard at work. They will be combing through the documents received from the defendants through discovery, looking for evidence to bolster your asbestos lawsuit.

Will Your Asbestos Lawsuit Settle or Go to Trial?

Television likes the drama of the courtroom, but most people who get sued do not. Most lawsuits end with a settlement before trial. Asbestos lawsuits are no different: more than 90%  end with a settlement and never go through trial.

The discovery process plays a big part in settlement negotiations. If the documents received through this process show that a defendant knew about the hazards of asbestos exposure and did nothing to protect you and others, that party is unlikely to win at trial. They may choose to settle with you to avoid the cost of trial, as well as the embarrassment of having their misconduct exposed.

If you are offered a settlement by one or more of the defendants in your asbestos lawsuit, your attorney will negotiate the settlement amount and will help you assess whether the offer is fair. The advantage of settling is that you will receive compensation much sooner than if your case goes to trial. If you win at trial, a jury may award you more money than you would get from a settlement. There is no guarantee, however, of winning at trial, or getting more than what was offered, so settlement may be a good idea.

Seek advice from an experienced asbestos attorney as soon as you are able. That is the best way to get your asbestos lawsuit off to a smooth start and heading to a good result.

source: kazanlaw.com

Understanding Mesothelioma Symptoms

If you have been exposed to asbestos, either through your work, in a home, school, or office building, or through a spouse or parent who brought home asbestos fibers on work clothing, it pays to be vigilant for signs of asbestos diseases. The thin, spiky fibers of this toxic mineral can lodge in lung tissue and cause long-term irritation that may eventually lead to mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. It can take many years – often decades – for this irritation and inflammation to lead to mesothelioma symptoms.


While researchers search for a cure for mesothelioma, the best way to improve your life expectancy if you have this form of cancer is to catch it early, when surgery or chemotherapy have the best chance to slow the progress of the disease.

As we age, it can be harder to tell the difference between normal aches and pains and signs of something more serious. Understanding mesothelioma symptoms can help you decide when you should consult your doctor and ask for testing.

 Mesothelioma Basics

Although you may not have heard of it, the mesothelium is a membrane that serves a vital function in your body. This thin lining surrounds your abdominal organs, giving them a lubricated surface so they can move. The mesothelium also protects your heart, lungs, and reproductive organs.


Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer, caused by exposure to asbestos, that affects this membrane. Pleural mesothelioma, is cancer of the lining around the lungs. Pericardial mesothelioma affects the sac around the heart and peritoneal mesothelioma attacks the protective lining around the organs in the abdomen. Like many cancers, mesothelioma comes in a number of different forms. Asbestos exposure is the known cause of mesothelioma.

Recognizing Mesothelioma Symptoms

Mesothelioma symptoms may be hard to recognize because, taken individually, most symptoms could have a range of other, more mundane, causes. Here are some symptoms that might be a warning sign of mesothelioma as well as other types of cancer:


    Excessive tiredness without a clear cause
    Unexplained or sudden weight loss


The warning signs for each type of mesothelioma may be slightly different. Here are some signs that you should get checked for pleural mesothelioma, which affects your lungs:


    Chest or back pain
    Difficulty breathing, short of breath
    Persistent cough, wheeziness, or hoarseness
    Coughing up blood
    Difficulty swallowing
    Fever
    Swelling in the upper body, especially around the face or arms.


In addition, if your doctor notices that you have fluid around your lungs or a blood clot in one of the arteries that supplies blood to your lungs, you might want to get checked for pleural mesothelioma. If you are experiencing some of these mesothelioma symptoms, and especially if you have been exposed to asbestos, you may want to ask your doctor to check for mesothelioma.

For peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the lining around your abdominal organs, you may experience a somewhat different set of mesothelioma symptoms, including:

    Pain in the stomach or groin
    Swollen belly caused by excess fluid
    Difficult bowel movements or constipation
    Nausea that can’t be explained by other causes

Pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the lining around your heart, can look a lot like other heart problems. Symptoms may include:

    Chest pain
    Difficulty breathing, especially when lying on your back
    Coughing
    Tiredness
    Swelling in your abdomen
    Heart palpitations (fast, irregular heartbeat)
    Heart failure

In advanced cases of mesothelioma, you may notice some additional mesothelioma symptoms:

    Jaundice, which gives your skin and eyes a yellowish tinge
    Extreme and noticeable fluid retention or swelling
    Low blood sugar


Mesothelioma Diagnosis

If you have worked with or otherwise been exposed to asbestos, you should keep an eye on your health. If you are experiencing mesothelioma symptoms, your doctor has several tools to determine whether you are suffering from this cancer or if there is another reason you aren’t feeling up to par.

Your physician will probably start by checking your breathing and listening to your lungs. The next step may be X-rays to look for telltale signs of mesothelioma. Your doctor may want to do additional imagining such as a CT or CAT scan or an MRI. If these tests indicate that mesothelioma may be present, a tissue biopsy will be needed to make the final determination whether this rare cancer is the cause of your symptoms. In most cases, the biopsy can be done through minor, outpatient operation that requires a very small incision.

Early Detection to Help Fight Mesothelioma


No one wants to hear the bad news that they have cancer, least of all one as malicious as malignant mesothelioma. The only thing worse is not getting diagnosed. If you think you may be having mesothelioma symptoms, make sure your doctor knows your full work and medical history.

While there is no cure yet, there are treatments that can slow the growth and spread of mesothelioma, so you can have more time to spend with the people you love. If your doctor thinks you might have mesothelioma, early testing is your best chance to extend your life.

source:  .mesotheliomacircle.org

The Cause of Mesothelioma is Asbestos

Mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly form of cancer that attacks the thin lining of cells inside your chest and abdomen, and in the spaces around your heart. This layer of mesothelial cells, known as “mesothelium,” also surrounds the majority of your internal organs.


The mesothelium protects you internally by creating a special lubricating fluid that allows organs to move against each other. For example, this fluid makes it easier for your lungs to expand and contract inside the chest when you breathe.

Malignant mesothelioma tumors are most often found in the outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall (the pleura), but can also appear in the linings of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum), heart (pericardium), or testis (tunica vaginalis).


Cause of Mesothelioma 

Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma in the United States.  In fact, 70 to 80% of all reported mesothelioma cases are directly linked with a history of asbestos exposure in the workplace.

According to the World Health Organization, every year over 107,000 people around the world die due to mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases.  Many of these people have worked in careers such as mining, where they inhaled or ingested asbestos fibers, or were exposed to airborne asbestos dust and fibers in other ways. Many others have been exposed through their service to our country in the military-especially the Navy.

What is Asbestos?  

Asbestos fibers are thin, natural minerals that are durable, resistant to heat, fire, acids and electrical friction. They are virtually indestructible.

For this reason, asbestos became the insulation material of choice by the late 19th century.  Large-scale asbestos mining began when manufacturers found that asbestos properties, combined with other materials, could be used in thousands of industrial, maritime, automotive, scientific and building products.

Also, asbestos fibers are long, thin and flexible, so that they can be woven into cloth and other textile products.

The use of asbestos continued to grow throughout the 20th century, long after medical research gradually revealed that breathing in minuscule asbestos fibers starts a chain of physical and metabolic events that ultimately leads to serious health problems, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, or an incurable breathing disorder called asbestosis.

Today, asbestos is classified as a known human carcinogen, and by far the major cause of mesothelioma.

Asbestos Products

Asbestos mineral fiber established a long history of heavy usage within the manufacturing and construction industries due, in large part, to profound strength, insulating features, affordability, and fire resistant properties.

The following list shows the wide range of materials and products that could contain asbestos:

    Insulation products (eg., pipe and block insulation, sprayed on insulation)
    Gaskets and packings
    Fireproofing/acoustical textu-*re products (includes decorative plaster, fire curtains, fire doors)
    Textile and cloth products (eg., blankets and asbestos gloves)
    Spackling, patching and taping compounds (eg., caulking, joint compounds, adhesives)
    Asbestos-cement pipe and sheet material
    Tiles, wallboard, siding and roofing (eg., shingles, vinyl sheet flooring)
    Friction materials (eg., car brakes and clutches)
    Vermiculite (found in potting mixes, brake pads, acoustic tiles)
    Laboratory hoods and table tops

Asbestos may also be found in automobile and elevator brake shoes, elevator equipment panels, ductwork, electrical panel partitions, electrical cloth, cooling towers, and chalkboards.

In 1973, under the EPA’s Clean Air Act, most spray-applied asbestos products were banned for fireproofing and insulating purposes. Mining for asbestos ceased in 1983 in the United States. In 1989, the EPA tried to enact a full ban that included most but not all asbestos containing products. Two years later, in 1991, that asbestos ban was overturned by an appellate court ruling. The decision to overturn the ban did not include these six asbestos-containing products which remain banned: Corrugated paper, rollboard, commercial paper, specialty paper, flooring felt, and perhaps most notably, any new asbestos products

Asbestos Exposure

Occupational Exposure: More than 75 different types of jobs in America have been known to expose workers to asbestos.  Occupations in the construction industry have been hit the hardest. Plumbers, pipefitters and electricians have been the most vulnerable to mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. The occurrence of mesothelioma, in both the shipbuilding and the electrical power industries,  has also been abnormally high.

Mesothelioma Diagnosis

If you are experiencing what you believe to be mesothelioma symptoms you should consult a physician immediately. Inquire about medical tests for asbestos related diseases and a pulmonary function test. Imaging tests, biopsy tests, and blood tests may be part of the process to determine whether you have mesothelioma.  Consequently, the process for your doctor to determine a mesothelioma diagnosis is based on your past exposure to asbestos (where-when-how), your symptoms, a physical examination, and test results.

Mesothelioma Specialists

Beyond your primary care doctor or internist, the following is a partial list of the types of medical professionals you may need to consult during the diagnosis process:

    Pulmonologist: A lung disease diagnosis and treatment specialist
    Radiologist. A specialist who understands and interprets x-ray testing
    Oncologist: A doctor who specializes in the treatment and diagnosis of cancer
    Pathologist: A doctor who identifies cancerous diseases through tissue and cell examination

 source: mesotheliomacircle.org

Talc, a common ingredient in baby powder and makeup, contains stray asbestos

Talc is a common ingredient in many everyday products, but as a number of recent lawsuits have brought to light, it may also contain trace amounts of asbestos, a material whose airborne fibers can scar lungs and cause cancer.

Talc is used in everything from makeup to baby powder. It’s even used as a food additive. But it is also sometimes interlaced with asbestos. Although asbestos is known to be dangerous—and known to be found in cosmetic talc— the US Food and Drug Administration has allowed the industry to monitor itself in its use of talc in cosmetics, despite concerns about its toxicity. Manufacturers say they test their talc for asbestos and only use talc that is proven to be asbestos-free. But some experts say that the outdated tests being used can’t detect the low levels of asbestos that may be present and can still be dangerous.

Government documents show that FDA officials first discussed the issue in 1976 but decided to allow the industry to test its own products. Proposals for the FDA to run the tests came up again in 1994 and 2001, but to no avail.

Asbestos was a common material used in buildings, toys, and various products until the mid-1970s, when its toxicity was recognized and its use became more limited. But it is still not entirely out of manufacturing in the US. Recent tests run by the non-profit Environmental Working Group found asbestos in four brands of crayons and toy crime-scene kits, it recently reported.

Asbestos exposure can cause a very aggressive form of cancer called mesothelioma. In the US, about 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year, says the American Cancer Society. If you believe you or someone you care about has been exposed to asbestos, contact Cooney & Conway, a law firm specializing in mesothelioma, to learn more about your legal rights.

source: cooneyconway.com

Talc is a common ingredient in many everyday products, but as a number of recent lawsuits have brought to light, it may also contain trace amounts of asbestos, a material whose airborne fibers can scar lungs and cause cancer.
Talc is used in everything from makeup to baby powder. It’s even used as a food additive. But it is also sometimes interlaced with asbestos. Although asbestos is known to be dangerous—and known to be found in cosmetic talc— the US Food and Drug Administration has allowed the industry to monitor itself in its use of talc in cosmetics, despite concerns about its toxicity. Manufacturers say they test their talc for asbestos and only use talc that is proven to be asbestos-free. But some experts say that the outdated tests being used can’t detect the low levels of asbestos that may be present and can still be dangerous.
Government documents show that FDA officials first discussed the issue in 1976 but decided to allow the industry to test its own products. Proposals for the FDA to run the tests came up again in 1994 and 2001, but to no avail.
Asbestos was a common material used in buildings, toys, and various products until the mid-1970s, when its toxicity was recognized and its use became more limited. But it is still not entirely out of manufacturing in the US. Recent tests run by the non-profit Environmental Working Group found asbestos in four brands of crayons and toy crime-scene kits, it recently reported.
Asbestos exposure can cause a very aggressive form of cancer called mesothelioma. In the US, about 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year, says the American Cancer Society. If you believe you or someone you care about has been exposed to asbestos, contact Cooney & Conway, a law firm specializing in mesothelioma, to learn more about your legal rights.
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Low Dose Asbestos

You may think that your chances of developing an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma are very slim if you have not been directly exposed to asbestos, or if you have not been exposed to it for very long.  While it is known that higher levels of exposure can be more dangerous, a surprising truth is that no amount of exposure to asbestos is truly safe.  Even brief direct exposure, or secondary exposure through others, can lead to disease.

A distinction can be made between asbestos exposure that happens on the job (known as occupational exposure) and exposure that occurs in the environment.  It stands to reason that levels of asbestos particles in the air are significantly higher near places where asbestos is used in industry, such as asbestos factories or mines, or near the demolition of buildings.  Research supports this.  Inside buildings, asbestos levels may be higher if building materials (such as insulation or floor/ceiling tiles) containing asbestos are present.  If the materials are in good condition, the levels are likely to be lower.  However, if they are in disrepair and crumbling, there is a higher risk of the fibers being released into the air.

Asbestos poses a potential health risk any time it is inhaled, as fibers may become trapped in the lungs and cause scarring.  There is generally a latency period of several decades between exposure to asbestos and the onset of disease.  Long periods of exposure to asbestos at lower levels can be as dangerous as shorter exposure at higher concentrations.

As always, you should follow guidelines set in place by government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to protect yourself from known asbestos exposure at work and in the environment. 

source: cooneyconway.com