The James Esparza Law Firm
Asbestos Lawyers
Salt Lake City, Utah
Asbestos Lawsuits
Asbestos
is a fiber used to insulate pipes, ceilings, walls, etc.
It is also used by the automotive and shipping industries.
Products containing asbestos are often referred to as ACMs,
which stands for Asbestos Containing Materials.
Jobs
Associated with Asbestos Exposure: Shipyard, Hotels, Construction sites, Asbestos plant Remodeling, Custodian, Handyman, Phone Company, Schools, Hospitals, Power Plants, Longshoremen, Boiler Rooms, Engine Rooms, Boiler Makers, Steamfitters, Metal lathers, Operational Engineers, Electricians, Asbestos Workers/Insulators/Layers, Shipyard Workers, Military (Navy/Army tank units/Motor pool), Merchant Marines, Firefighters, Cement plant workers, Steel Workers, Automotive and other repair shops, Loading Docks, Heating and Air Conditioning, Pipefitters, Plumbers, Railroad Workers, Utility Workers / Power Companies, Glass factory workers, Oil Refinery, Chemical Plants, Industrial Plants, Industrial Painter, Sheetmetal workers, and Laborers |
The problem with Asbestos is that it is a tiny fiber that is easily inhaled into the lungs. This can result in a variety of serious health problems including:
• Lung Cancer - which can sometimes take 20–30 years after asbestos exposure to show up.
• Asbestosis – which is a hardening and scarring of the lungs that causes breathing problems and heart disease, including cardiac failure. This may not show up for 15-30 years after exposure.
• Mesothelioma - is a cancer that can affect people who have had only minor exposure
to asbestos. Virtually every instance of mesothelioma has been linked to asbestos. This disease affects the linings of the chest and abdominal cavities and the internal organs. Symptoms include: shortness of breath, pain in the lower back or side of the chest, coughing, and weight loss.
• Pleural Plaque/Thickening - involves scarring of the lung lining, which restricts breathing and puts patients at risk for more serious complications.
• It has been estimated that over 25 million people have been exposed to asbestos in the past 40 years
• The most common symptoms of exposure are shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, a dry crackling sound in the lungs while inhaling, and weight loss
• Problems can take years to show up, but this does not mean that your asbestos exposure is not the cause of your problems.
• Not only people who worked with asbestos are at risk. Family members may also have problems because tiny asbestos fibers are very aerodynamic and can be brought home on clothing or other objects.
• The U.S. government put a moratorium on the production of most asbestos products in the early 1970s, but use of asbestos products continued into the early 1980s.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concludes that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos fibers. If you or a member of your family as been exposed and is showing any symptoms, you should be tested by a doctor.
