Is One-Time Asbestos Exposure OK?

No, one time asbestos exposure is not OK. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, there is no safe asbestos exposure level. The World Health Organization’s outlook is even worse. WHO states that asbestos is so toxic that researchers should not even try to determine a safe exposure level. 

Unfortunately, there is more bad news about one-time asbestos exposure. 20,000 of these microscopic fibers fit between Honest Abe’s nose and mouth on a U.S. penny. So, if you or a loved one ever lived or worked at or near an asbestos hotspot, you probably inhaled at least one fiber.

Now for the good news. A nationwide asbestos lawyer can go to court and get the compensation these victims and their families need and deserve. More importantly, legal actions shine a spotlight on companies that recklessly put profits before people. So, a partnership with a nationwide asbestos lawyer brightens your family’s future and makes a strong statement to everyone else.

These toxic particles, much like other toxic chemicals, cause a variety of serious diseases, which are normally fatal. These diseases include:

• Mesothelioma: One of the rarest and most aggressive forms of lung cancer known to science is very difficult to diagnose and treat. Since it is an environmental or occupational disease, most mesothelioma victims have no medical cancer risk factors or other red flags. Furthermore, the cancer spreads so quickly that doctors simply cannot stop it.
• Asbestosis: One of the only non-malignant asbestos exposure diseases may also be one of the most serious ones. The same fibers that cause cancer also burn narrow lung airways. The resulting scar tissue accumulates and blocks these airways. As a result, victims have constant trouble breathing and eventually basically suffocate.

Inhaled asbestos dust and/or fibers often cause these diseases. Swallowed asbestos often causes various forms of digestive tract cancer, such as throat and stomach cancer.

Furthermore, asbestos particles stimulate free radical particle production. These particles are associated with increased overall cancer risk, even forms of cancer seemingly unrelated to asbestos exposure.

Since no effective mesothelioma treatments are available, the fatality rate in these cases is shockingly high. Some asbestosis treatments are available. However, the cure, such as a radical lung transplant, is often worse than the disease.

We touched on this topic above. Now, let’s break things down further. Industrial and ambient exposure are the two most common asbestos exposure scenarios. In other words, almost anyone could be an asbestos poisoning victim.

For many years, most asbestos exposure victims were industrial exposure victims. Cheap asbestos is completely fireproof, making it the go-to ingredient for things like attic insulation, pipe insulation, and electrical wiring insulation. 

In addition to residential and commercial construction, asbestos was widely used in shipbuilding and in manufactured products. The Navy packed ships with asbestos to avoid cost overruns and onboard fires. Many auto parts, like brake pads and hood liners, must withstand enormous amounts of heat.

Again for many years, ambient (environmental) exposure took a backseat to industrial exposure. Most ambient exposure victims were take-home poisoning victims. Asbestos workers unintentionally carried fibers home, mostly on their clothes. These fibers then infected other people.

Future asbestos poisoning victims will most likely be cross-contamination victims, which is a combination of ambient and industrial. Talc-asbestos is a good example. Since talc and asbestos are chemically similar, unless a company like Johnson & Johnson is extremely vigilant, cross-contamination is almost inevitable.

Mesothelioma victims need and deserve significant compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced nationwide mesothelioma lawyer, contact the Throneberry Law Group. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.