The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has been researching the global asbestos trade since 2009. As you are likely well aware, asbestos is the cancer-causing mineral that is a leading cause of mesothelioma, a devastating form of cancer. While asbestos is restricted in most industrialized nations, it is still distributed and somewhat aggressively marketed in developing countries.

In conjunction with BBC’s International News Services, the ICIJ launched an advanced documentation campaign in Brazil, Canada, China, India, Mexico, Russia and the United States to research and distribute information about the asbestos industry. In a new article published through “Dangers in the Dust: Inside the Global Asbestos Trade,” the project’s website, reporters addressed head-on the widespread use of asbestos in Indian construction and manufacturing today.

Sheets of asbestos are cost-effective for use in construction, and entire dusty factories in India are dedicated to producing this highly demanded, yet lethal time bomb of a product. Experts believe the foundation has been laid for an emerging epidemic for illnesses related to asbestos exposure, including mesothelioma and lung cancer, throughout India. The government is aware of these dangers, but it is against politicians’ best interest to interfere with a trade that provides needed materials and jobs in India’s rapidly growing economy. India now maintains the second largest asbestos market worldwide, behind China. Products containing asbestos bear no warning labels, and the lobbyists and activists fighting for change have had little success because the asbestos market legitimately serves the livelihoods of tens of thousands of residents, many of them poor.

Meanwhile, asbestos has been strictly limited or banned in 52 developed nations— its use is completely banned in the European Union. Believe it or not, the mineral is still utilized legally in the United States for the manufacture of designated products including car brakes and gun parts. For more information about asbestos exposure in consumer products and workplaces, and the ways mesothelioma develops via asbestos exposure, consider contacting a qualified  mesothelioma law firm.

Asbestos had, from antiquity up through the 1970s, been prized for numerous properties.  For one, it’s incredibly lightweight.  When mixed into concrete, it makes that concrete lighter and increases its tensile strength, which makes it easier to transport and means construction companies don’t have to use as much of it.  It was also used extensively in other industries, including the field of shipbuilding, to serve as insulation for pipes, boilers, and throughout buildings, since it’s a very poor conductor of heat.  It’s also an excellent fire retardant.  It comes in two forms, serpentine and crocidolite.

Due to all these attributes, California lawmakers were proud of the possibilities of the mineral, of which it had considerable quantities.  In 1965, serpentine was named the state rock in order to help bolster the burgeoning asbestos mining industry.  Now, according to an article reported in AP, lawmakers are considering stripping serpentine of its privileged status.

It’s hard to disagree with the reasons put forth by Democratic state Senator Gloria Romero, the legislator spearheading the call.  According to her, California has the highest rate of death from mesothelioma in the nation, and it just doesn’t seem right to be celebrating a rock known for containing the lethal mineral.  Indeed, a large part of the reason why serpentine was originally designated the state rock was because of its asbestos content, so one can certainly see Romero’s displeasure at the current state of affairs.

Historically, the rock was crushed to release its asbestos fibers.  Doing so might release the fibers into the air, where they can be inhaled by workers or can settle on their clothing to be inhaled by someone in the home.  Once inhaled, asbestos fibers cannot be broken down by the body, leading, after a latency period of anywhere from 10 to 50 years, to uncontrolled growth of mesothelium cells.  Once this uncontrolled growth starts, the disease spreads rapidly and devastatingly.  After the onset of mesothelioma, victims’ life expectancies are often measured in months.

Chances are, if you’ve found this blog, you already know some asbestos facts.  Chief among them is that exposure to it can cause mesothelioma.  That’s why you’ll often see the two linked when you read articles about mesothelioma settlements and the like.  But do you know how the two are linked?  Below are some facts about this mineral, and what it can mean for those who are (unfortunately) exposed to it.

Asbestos is a mineral that is found naturally in a fiber-like form.  Due to this form, it’s very lightweight and is a very good insulator and a poor conductor.  These properties have caused it to be historically prized as a construction or industrial material, and it’s been used as insulation for pipes, boilers, buildings, and ships.  Furthermore, when asbestos is mixed with concrete, it increases that concrete’s tensile strength, which means less concrete needs to be used and transported.

Asbestos can be categorized by the two forms (sepentine and amphibole) that it comes in.  Amphibole asbestos can be further broken down into different types, which include crocidolite and amosite.

While asbestos can be found all over the world, the historical leader of mining production for the mineral has been Canada.  Today, other nations, including Russia, Australia, China, and South Africa all produce large quantities of asbestos and compete with Canada.

Back to the previously mentioned fiber-like form of asbestos: when the mineral is disturbed, the fibers very easily break down into dust clouds of miniscule particles which can become airborne.  From there, they’re very easily inhaled or swallowed.  The body, unfortunately, cannot break down the inhaled fibers.  After many years of dormancy, these fibers can start to eat away at the lining of the lungs, a devastating process which can cause many diseases.  Chief among these are lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.

That, right there, is the sad connection between the two.

According to an article on the Mesothelioma News site, there’s a chance that people who have worked long careers in the painting industry might be more susceptible to mesothelioma exposure.  The reason for this is due to exposure to certain material central to the painting trade, which include texturing paint, drywall compounds, and block filler, some of which might have contained asbestos.  Painters are also often on construction sites, which can be a frequent site of asbestos exposure.

Painters coming in contact with these materials might only have had limited exposure to these materials; nevertheless, even a brief exposure to asbestos fibers that are inhaled might be enough to trigger adverse effects such as mesothelioma and asbestosis down the road.

These links might be somewhat tenuous and are not readily proven; after all, as the article source points out, asbestos can remain latent in the body for so long after initial exposure that it’s difficult to source where the exposure originally came from.  Nevertheless, there might be a correlation.

The painting trade is not the first industry to be linked to mesothelioma.  The construction and shipbuilding industries are more commonly associated with asbestos exposure.  Indeed, one of the more recent articles we referred to in this space was the Fincantieri mesothelioma case, which dealt with a verdict of “negligent homicide” decided against executives of a shipbuilding company in Italy.

There might be other industries affected by mesothelioma, ones whose correlations have yet to be unearthed.  Whatever the case, if you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it might be a good idea to contact a mesothelioma law firm with a long-standing record of experience and success with mesothelioma settlements.  Not only can they provide you with information about such cases, but they might also be able to more ably secure an award for the damages caused by the ravages of this devastating disease.

Vermiculite and asbestos are two minerals used for similar purposes.  Both have been historically used as excellent insulators, since they have highly effective heat resistance properties.  They are also both wonderful fire retardants, which makes them useful in the construction and shipbuilding industries.

That could be where the similarities end, however, because vermiculite is generally considered to be harmless to humans who are mining or working with it, while asbestos exposure can lead to many life-threatening diseases.  These diseases include mesothelioma, which has no known cure and can kill someone with terrifying quickness once symptoms manifest themselves.

Vermiculite is mined all around the world, with particularly large concerns operating in China, Brazil, South Africa, the United States, and Zimbabwe.  Within the United States, the largest mines are in the Appalachian mountain range, especially around Virginia.  It resembles mica, another mineral sometimes used for insulation in electronic devices, and has a brownish, vaguely metallic and glassy hue.

Since vermiculite has some similar properties as asbestos, it is often associated with mesothelioma.  However, there does not appear to be any evidence linking the mineral with the brutal cancer, or with any other diseases typically associated with asbestos exposure.  The major causal association between vermiculite and mesothelioma, at least in this country, appears to have stemmed from the asbestos-tainted vermiculite mines of Libby, Montana.  The case of asbestos in Libby, Montana is a well-documented and devastating one which has affected the lives of many in the area.

Due to the fact that vermiculite is generally considered harmless, it’s still used for construction today.  However, vermiculite from the Libby mines is considered suspect, since much of the mineral mined there also contains traces of asbestos.  That isn’t considered harmless.  If you have been exposed to vermiculite from Libby, Montana, there’s a chance that you might have also been exposed to asbestos.  If that’s the case, it might be a good idea to contact a mesothelioma lawyer with a proven track record of success.

Asbestos exposure has been a widespread, well-documented, and sadly devastating concern in the isolated mining community of Libby, Montana.  The issue began in 1919, when a vermiculite mine, called the Zonolite Company, opened in the area.  The mine soon grew to become a primary employer in the area, with many of the area’s population employed in the mining of vermiculite, and, in 1963, the mine was purchased by W. R. Grace and Company.  Unfortunately, the vermiculite that was proving to be a boon to the people of Libby also appeared to contain asbestos fibers, which, unbeknownst to the local populace, was causing an abnormally high number of deaths from asbestos-related ailments, including mesothelioma.

Once the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ran a series of articles (called, collectively, “A Town Left to Die”) linking the unusual number of asbestos-related deaths in the area to the mine formerly run by W. R. Grace and Company, federal investigators stepped in to determine the veracity of some of the claims made.  Their investigation turned up a disheartening result: there was an alarmingly high level of asbestos fibers found in air samples taken from around the area.  The authorities subsequently linked this finding to the asbestos-related illnesses that plagued the town.

Once the connection was made, the wide-ranging nature of Libby’s asbestos problems was made clear.  Nearly 300 deaths in the town and its surrounding are suspected to be related to asbestos.  This figure, already shockingly high, is even more tragic when taken in context of the town’s population of under 3,000.  Subsequent criminal charges were brought against employees of W. R. Grace & Company, all of whom were found not guilty on all counts.

Nothing can undo the disaster that transpired in Libby, Montana, a good mesothelioma lawyer—or, more likely, a  team of them—could theoretically help intercede on their behalf.  Let’s hope that environmental disasters such as this one neither transpire nor go unpunished in the future.

Here’s an intriguing bit of news on the mesothelioma law front: three former executives of the massive, Trieste, Italy-based shipbuilding company Fincantieri have been convicted of “negligent homicide” in light of the fact that 37 employees died due to asbestos exposure.

According to an article posted on the Canadian news source site The Province, the three executives were jailed and given sentences ranging from three to 7 1/2 years.  A sum that was either undisclosed or not specifically reported by The Province, but was nevertheless noted to be in the millions of dollars, was also part of the damages secured.

The decision against the Fincantieri executives stems from the apparent fact that the shipbuilding company continued to use asbestos in the construction of its ships until 1999.  For a little perspective, Italy outlawed the use of asbestos as a construction material back in 1996.  The three years of oversight was enough for the court to find the former executives guilty.

Asbestos, a fibrous material used for its valuable insulation properties, was an integral element in the shipbuilding industry for many years.  Some of the many uses of asbestos in the field were the insulation of pipes, gaskets, boilers, and engines.  Unfortunately, asbestos also causes devastating lung diseases, among them mesothelioma, an insidious cancer that has no known cure.

It sounds like the plaintiffs in this case got what appears to be a pretty aggressive and savvy law firm working for them.  That’s good to hear.  Though a successful mesothelioma settlement can’t undo the ravages that this disease causes on a victim’s lungs, it can help mitigate the medical expenses left behind for the bereaved to deal with.  That can be useful, considering the massive and rapidly accruing expenses often associated with experimental treatments and quickly advancing diseases.

And, like the conviction of the former executives of Fincantieri might indicate, these settlements are also capable of achieving another purpose: justice.

A recent article in the Southeast Texas Record talks about a woman from Henderson County in Texas who has filed a lawsuit over her deceased husband’s asbestos exposure. She claims that her husband’s lung cancer was wrongfully caused. From 1963 to 1998, the man worked for Union Oil Company, where he was exposed to asbestos — his wife alleges that his disease was caused from this, and that he “did not know of the hazards of asbestos exposure,” according to the article.

Diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2008, the man died of it on April 27, 2008. His wife noted that he had experienced pain, suffering and mental anguish. Additionally, they had incurred medical costs. She is seeking “general, special, punitive and exemplary damages, plus costs, interests and other relief to which she may be entitled,” according to the article.

There are eight defendant corporations involved in the suit: Westinghouse Electric Co., Ametek, Able Supply, Guardline, Jett Weld Inc., Union Oil Company of California and Champlain Cable Corp. The woman states that these corporations did not adequately warn her husband of the health hazards of asbestos exposure, and they failed to provide him working apparel that was safe and adequate, take “reasonable precaution to enforce a safety plan,” eliminate asbestos exposure in the workplace by developing a substitute material, and market safe-to-use asbestos products.

Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma

Asbestos exposure in the workplace is very dangerous and can lead to mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer that has no cure. Victims of mesothelioma often do not realize that asbestos exposure they suffered in the workplace is the cause of their illness, as it sometimes takes decades to show up. But after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, victims often do not have much time left.

If you or a loved one have mesothelioma as a result of someone else’s negligence, contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney to find out what to do next. You may be entitled to compensation for your pain, suffering and medical costs. To speak to a resource person, just call 1-888-370-0121.

A naturally occurring mineral, asbestos can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma. The dangers of asbestos exposure were unknown to countless workers in several industries, like the ship building and construction industries, and as a result those workers are at risk of getting mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that attacks the lining of various body organs.

When asbestos is disturbed, its fibers can become airborne and may be inhaled deep into the lungs. In the lungs, asbestos fibers cause scarring, called Asbestosis. These fibers can cause mesothelioma as well as cancer of the lungs, larynx and colon.

Mesothelioma can take decades to show up after asbestos exposure, which is why many victims fail to realize the connection between the two. There is no cure for mesothelioma, though there are treatments available. If a person develops mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, they should contact a qualified attorney, as they may be entitled to compensation for their pain, suffering and medical bills.

Typically used as insulation, asbestos was an important material in construction of offices, homes and schools from the early 1900s to 1978. It was also used in thousands of products like floor tiles and household appliances. Even though the dangers of asbestos exposure are widely known today, there is still a risk.

To find out more, please call 1-888-370-0121 to speak with a mesothelioma resource professional.

An asbestos lawsuit filed by a Vidor, Texas couple is against over 100 corporate defendants, according to a news story in the Southeast Texas Record. The reason for the high number of defendants is because the plaintiff was a truck driver who regularly visited the premises of the defendants. Though the asbestos lawsuit doesn’t say which member of the couple is the plaintiff, the Record reports that medical records attached to the lawsuit show that Charles Dees was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2007 and had occupational asbestos exposure from 1950-1980.

Some of the defendants in this asbestos lawsuit include Chevron, BP, AMF Incorporated and A.W. Chesterton. The couple, Charles Dees and Mary Guidroz, are suing for exemplary damages and allege that the companies “negligently used asbestos insulation on their premises,” and that the facilities were an unsafe place to work. They also allege that the companies did not test asbestos products.

It will be interesting to see how this asbestos lawsuit turns out. Asbestos exposure can be extremely harmful, and many workers have been exposed to it while on the job. People who worked in the construction, shipbuilding and automotive industries may have been exposed to asbestos. Asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that does not have a cure.

Mesothelioma attacks the lining of various body organs, and it can actually take decades for noticeable symptoms to appear. This is why all too often people do not realize that the cause of their illness is asbestos exposure.

Don’t hesitate to contact a lawyer for help if you or a loved one have mesothelioma, or if you were exposed to asbestos. If you have questions about mesothelioma or asbestos exposure, please call 1-888-370-0121 to speak with a resource professional.