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The latest statistics show that between 1980 and 2000, over 8,000 men and over 1,000 women died from Mesothelioma. |
The lawyers at The Ferraro Law Firm have vigorously and successfully fought for the rights of asbestos workers and their families since 1985. The firm, based in Miami, Florida, represents more than 20,000 asbestos claimants and has won in excess of $500 million in compensation for their injured clients; stricken with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and other diseases caused by their asbestos exposure. The firm works with leading medical experts and scientists worldwide to help them build your case.
Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that has been used as insulation and a fire retardant in a wide variety of products. Asbestos can produce dust that, when inhaled, becomes deposited in the lungs. Asbestos in the lungs can cause or contribute to the development of illnesses, especially mesothelioma (a malignant form of cancer in the lining of the chest or abdominal cavities), asbestosis (a fibrous scarring of the lungs) and lung cancer.
Federal regulation of asbestos began in the 1970s. Due to health concerns, all new uses of asbestos in the United States were banned in July 1989. That year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule, entitled "Asbestos: Manufacture, Importation, Processing, and Distribution in Commerce Prohibitions," which eventually led to banning about 94 percent of the asbestos used in the US (based on 1985 estimates). Most asbestos uses established before that date are still allowed, but now are strictly regulated by the government.
If you have an asbestos-related illness like mesothelioma or an asbestos contamination problem in your home or business, talk to an experienced, skilled asbestos attorney. Contact our firm to learn more about your potential legal remedies.
Mesothelioma, a relatively rare condition, is a deadly, aggressive cancer almost always linked to contact with asbestos. Typically, people suffering from mesothelioma have a history of asbestos exposure that was heavy, repeated and concentrated in an industrial setting. However, the heavy exposure may have been for a period as short as a couple of months.
In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to airborne asbestos fibers increases the risk of two other major diseases: asbestosis and lung cancer. Asbestos also heightens the risk of stomach, gallbladder, larynx and kidney cancer. Asbestos-related diseases can take decades to develop, often manifesting after retirement from an industrial career that involved asbestos exposure. Governmental regulation of asbestos has tightened significantly since the 1970s, so asbestos exposure has been greatly reduced.
In the past century, thousands of people were exposed to harmful, airborne asbestos fibers in industrial settings and through the use of asbestos-containing products and construction materials. Sometimes the dangerous, often fatal, diseases from breathing or ingesting asbestos fibers are not manifest for even up to 50 years. Even now, people exposed decades ago are developing asbestos-induced illnesses like mesothelioma and asbestosis.
Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral used in construction materials and consumer products for its fire-resistant and strengthening properties. When asbestos is released into the air in microscopic, dusty and threadlike fibers, it can be breathed into the body and lodged dangerously in the lungs, where it can lurk for decades before producing severe, even fatal, diseases, such as mesothelioma.
Asbestos and Mesothelioma Resource Links
Asbestos Exposure: Questions and Answers
American Lung Association: Mesothelioma Fact Sheet
National Cancer Institute: Malignant Mesothelioma
American Cancer Society: Asbestos
American Cancer Society: Malignant Mesothelioma
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For Mesothelioma legal information or a free case evaluation, contact the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Attorneys at The Ferraro Law Firm.
The Ferraro Law Firm represents victims of Mesothelioma & Asbestos Cancer Nationwide.
1-800-275-3332 | Miami 305-375-0111 | Fax 305-379-6222