According to data compiled by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, 12 of the top 100 counties for asbestos fatalities are in Florida. Four counties – Broward, Pinellas, Palm Beach and Dade -- are in the top 25, making the state of Florida second only to California in the nation for the most asbestos-related deaths.
Exposure to asbestos, a harmful material widely used in construction until regulated in the early 1980s, has been shown to cause a number of health problems, including asbestosis, and the aggressive and fatal lung disease mesothelioma. When inhaled, asbestos fibers attach themselves to the throat and are breathed into the lungs, heart and abdomen. Malignant, pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma are all forms of mesothelioma that can result from asbestos inhalation.
Asbestosis is a fibrosis or scarring of the lung tissue. Mesothelioma is a rare, serious and aggressive cancer that normally occurs in the lungs, and the only established cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos fibers are breathed in or inhaled by the victim. These fibers become lodged in the pleura of the lung – the thin membrane that lines and encases the lung and resembles saran wrap. The fibers irritate the pleura cells. In a healthy person, the pleura cells facilitate the lung’s ability to move inside the chest when a victim is breathing. In a victim of mesothelioma, the cells are irritated and cannot properly perform their function.
In the state of Florida, if you worked in any of the following occupations, you may have been exposed to asbestos:
| Aircraft mechanics Auto mechanics Boilermakers Brake mechanics Bricklayers Carpenters Cement finishers Crane operators Electricians Foundry workers Inspectors |
Insulators Lathers Longshoremen Machinists Masonry workers Merchant marine seamen Millwrights Navy personnel Navy yard workers Painters Papermill workers |
Pipefitters Plantworkers Plasterers Plumbers Powerhouse workers Railroad workers Roofers Sheetmetal workers Steamfitters Welders |
The companies that manufactured, sold and installed asbestos products had extensive knowledge of the deadly hazards of asbestos as early as the 1920s. Yet, these corporations waited decades to provide warnings to workers and to the general public. In some cases, warnings were never provided. Ignoring the deadly risks associated with asbestos exposure, companies opted not to use known alternatives and instead continued to recklessly use asbestos for decades more. Consequently, workers and families throughout the United States have unnecessarily and tragically suffered from asbestos exposure.
Asbestos-related diseases are preventable, and many Americans have unnecessarily and tragically contracted asbestos-related diseases. There is currently no known cure for any of them, and as time passes, breathing, sleeping and eating become more difficult. It becomes increasingly more challenging for the victim to engage in normal activities and enjoy life.
Asbestos-related injuries and illnesses are hard on both the patients and their families. In addition to health care concerns, there are also significant financial concerns. At Gordon & Doner, we understand that obtaining financial assistance as soon as possible is very important for you and your family, and will work to recover compensation for you and your family to help minimize financial worries.
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