Exposure to asbestos fibers has been linked with a number of possible asbestos diseases, including a substantial lung cancer risk.

A growing number of people are filing lawsuits over asbestos diseases, often after years of exposure at their workplace. Lawsuits claim that not enough was done to prevent or limit this risk, and that workers were not adequately warned about the risk of asbestos diseases linked with exposure.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral used for commercial purposes such as electrical or building insulation, as well as countless other uses.

The microscopic fibers of asbestos can accumulate in the lungs, but then quickly spread to distant organs. Asbestos exposure can cause several critical asbestos diseases, including lung cancer. Asbestos diseases may take decades to develop.

Because of the high asbestos exposure involved in construction jobs, construction workers make up a large number of those who file asbestos lung cancer lawsuits. These workers have often spent years surrounded by products and equipment made with asbestos without proper protection or even adequate warning about the danger of developing asbestos diseases.

Asbestos Diseases Include Lung Cancer

It can take decades for lung cancer and other asbestos diseases to present symptoms, but it can then spread rapidly to organs all across the body. This rapid rate of development often means that asbestos diseases aren’t diagnosed until they have reached a later and more dangerous stage of development. For many patients, the time span between their asbestos exposure and diagnosis is too great to recognize the connection.

Asbestos lung cancer is one of the most significant asbestos diseases linked with exposure to this substance, and it is a serious problem indeed. Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., and it causes the most cancer deaths in the country as well. Asbestos lung cancer makes up a portion of these deaths: around 4,800 people die due to asbestos lung cancer each year.

Back in 1986, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) announced that lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure was, in fact, the greatest risk linked to asbestos. The link between asbestos exposure and lung cancer has been documented since at least the 1930s.

Filing a Lawsuit Over Asbestos Diseases

According to many lawsuits filed over asbestos diseases like lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure, companies that allow workers to be exposed to asbestos should have been aware of the dangerous nature of their asbestos-containing materials. Companies should also be aware of its ability to cause disease and even fatalities. There are many asbestos regulations in place to prevent these kinds of issues.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with or died from lung cancer or other asbestos diseases, you may be able to file an asbestos lung cancer lawsuit. While filing a lawsuit cannot undo the damage done by asbestos diseases, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages that too often go hand-in-hand with asbestos diseases.