A growing number of cancer patients are filing lawsuits over lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure, often after years of exposure at work.

Asbestos lung cancer may be rare, but lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure is still a serious risk from many who are surrounded by the dangerous substance. Indeed, way back in 1986, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) announced that lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure was, in fact, the greatest risk of the mineral.

The link between asbestos exposure and lung cancer has been documented since at least the 1930s.

It can take decades for lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure to present symptoms and develop, but once it does, it can spread rapidly to organs all across the body. This rapid rate of development often means that lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure isn’t diagnosed until it has reached a later and more dangerous stage of development.

This is further exacerbated by the disconnect between asbestos exposure decades prior and cancer symptoms in the present: if the patient had ever had knowledge of lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure, the connection could easily be lost through the decades without such symptoms.

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, if disturbed, can be breathed in and can accumulate in the lungs; it can then quickly spread to distant organs. Asbestos exposure can cause several critical health problems such as lung cancer. Asbestos mesothelioma cancer may also take decades to develop.

Because of this delayed response, construction workers make up a large number of those who file asbestos mesothelioma lawsuits, as they have often spent years surrounded by products and equipment made with asbestos without proper protection or even warning of the dangers of such exposure.

Determining whether a patient’s cancer diagnosis is lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure is left down to two specific criteria. First, the latency period between the asbestos exposure and lung cancer diagnosis must be ten years or more, since the lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure rather than some other cause remains dormant for at least that long. The second major criteria is that there must be a larger than normal amount of asbestos fibers found in the lung tissue.

Filing an Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuit

According to many lawsuits filed over 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 caused by asbestos exposure, you may be able to file a lung cancer or mesothelioma lawsuit or seek an asbestos fine.