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Knapp & Roberts is dedicated to helping individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma, a devastating cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Our Phoenix asbestos injury lawyers work with victims as well as surviving family members across the country.
Contrary to what most people believe, the risk of exposure to asbestos still exists —and with it the risk of developing mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, colon cancer, pleural plagues, other asbestos-related diseases, and premature death. These new exposures add to the millions of people all over the world who have been exposed to asbestos over the past decades.
Each year some 3000 people in the United States are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer usually associated with exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma tumors occur in the thin membranes that line the lungs, abdomen or heart. A diagnosis of mesothelioma is very serious. Although many cases are fatal within two years, early diagnosis and proper treatment can often lead to a good prognosis and extended survival.
Symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath, a chronic cough, chest and back pain, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, and weight loss. Other symptoms may include weakness, abdominal pain, and nausea. Mesothelioma can occur as the result of very low levels of exposure to asbestos fibers. It often takes several decades for signs of the disease to surface.
Asbestos was considered by many to be a miracle fiber until its serious health hazards came to light in the popular press in the early 1970s. However, asbestos companies knew as early as the 1930s that asbestos was hazardous. Widespread in the environment, easy to obtain by mining, and widely used in manufacturing, asbestos is a tough, indestructible product that enriched many companies before being banned by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in 1972.
Asbestos is a silent killer. It is invisible, microscopic, tasteless, and odorless.
Thousands of unsuspecting workers and their families have been exposed to asbestos throughout the years. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has commented that it is aware of no instance in which exposure to a toxic substance has more clearly demonstrated catastrophic health effects than has asbestos exposure. From 1940 through 1970, approximately 27.5 million people were potentially exposed to asbestos at work. This number is not surprising when one considers that by one estimate, ½ billion square feet of asbestos-containing insulation can be found in 190,000 buildings in the US alone. It has also been estimated that the number of workers exposed through asbestos brake and clutch work is approximately 900,000.
The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, a mineral commonly incorporated in insulating and fire retardant materials. Asbestos was widely used in manufacturing and construction through the mid-1970s. Its use continued in asbestos cement products, automotive brakes, and gaskets into the 1990s.
Most exposure comes from breathing asbestos fibers generated from the wearing down or disturbance of manufactured products such as:
Asbestos was so widely used in manufacturing and construction that almost every conceivable thing a person does can cause them to be exposed to asbestos fibers. The most common forms of asbestos exposure occurs on the job.
If you have received a mesothelioma diagnosis, or lost a loved one from this disease, WE CAN HELP. Call Knapp & Roberts today for a free consultation with an experienced Phoenix personal injury attorney that specializes in asbestos injury cases.
Free initial consultation. If you have a legal matter you wish to discuss with one of our personal injury attorneys at no charge, please contact us by telephone or e-mail, or complete the Do I Have a Case form, and a skilled Phoenix asbestos injury lawyer will contact you.
The personal injury attorneys in Phoenix, Arizona at Knapp & Roberts have the compassion and trial lawyer skills to tell your story to a jury. We will get to know you and your family so that we can help the jury understand what has happened to you and your family and how it has changed your lives. Obtain the compensation necessary for the injuries and losses you have suffered.
