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The Law is on Your Side in an Asbestos Settlement

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Asbestos related illnesses have become one of the most scandalous examples of public health neglect in modern times.  Because of the widespread use of asbestos in building materials and many other products for almost 30 years, we are now seeing the outcome in the form of lung cancer and other dire lung diseases that came from exposing construction workers and the general public to asbestos that was used in the insulation or siding of many public buildings, offices and homes.


It is easy to say that the owners of buildings with asbestos insulation or construction companies who used asbestos did so without knowledge of the dangers that could come from a large public exposure to the material.  But we now know that the potential health risks were well know long before 1985 when the legal system finally banned the use of asbestos in most products.  


Asbestos has been in use in a wide variety of applications far back into history.  The widespread use of asbestos in building construction took off in the 1950s even though already the medical community was beginning to see the dire results of asbestos poisoning on workers who came in direct contact with asbestos as part of their jobs.  In a situation where insulation or other building materials constraining asbestos are going to rupture and release the hazardous asbestos fibers into the air to be breathed in by all on the site, such exposure is inevitable.

Maybe the continued use of asbestos despite the clear dangers was not confronted because the deadly lung diseases caused by asbestos did not surface for many decades after the contamination.  No doubt, the companies using the abundant and effective insulation that was made with asbestos thought they were getting away with something.  But just as the people who were exposed to asbestos at the time paid a costly price in their health and even with their lives decades later, the legal system has given us some recourse in seek a settlement from the business can was negligent when you came in contact with unprotected asbestos fibers.

There is plenty of legal precedent that show that if your doctors have confirmed that your lung disease is the result of asbestos poisoning, you have the grounds to seek settlement from the company that was responsible.  It might be a former employer that used asbestos in a process you had to work with during your employment with them.  It might just be the builders who put asbestos in an office or home you spent a lot of time in.  They too are liable if you are suffering from asbestos related lung problems.

It is sad to say that you will need two highly qualified professionals to help you cope with a dread illness that is the result of exposure to asbestos.  You will need a good doctor and a good lawyer.  But you should not hesitate to seek that legal help.  The medical costs of your treatment for lung cancer or other asbestos diseases are going to be significant.  The least the company that caused the damage can do is help pay for those costs.  

On top of that, if you must battle cancer, you will lose time you would be working at your current job.  The lost income from that impact on your schedule is also part of the settlement that is due to you.  You will need documentation of who you worked for or how you came in contact with asbestos and who was at fault.  But you should be encouraged to seek help with the expenses of your battle is asbestos related illness.  It’s the least they can do to help you after the damage to your life they have caused.

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