Asbestos/Mesothelioma Resource

One small fiber, so much damage

For decades, asbestos was championed as an indispensable mineral. Its pervasive use in thousands of industrial and construction materials around the world put millions of people in its path of devastation, even after its dangers were known. Now, those who inhaled or ingested the microscopic asbestos particles must be championed.

Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. in Birmingham, Alabama and Austin, Texas, is a national resource for asbestos victims. We provide knowledge, answers, and a path to justice.

Types of asbestos diseases

Asbestosis is scarring of the lung tissue caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. Scarring reduces lung elasticity, which can restrict breathing and cause inadequate oxygen intake. Asbestosis, which does not generally show symptoms for 15 to 30 years, is a progressive disease that slowly decreases lung volume.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium, or the cells lining the body’s organs. Three types of mesothelioma are most common:

• Pleural mesothelioma is cancer of the pleural lining of the lungs and is the most common type of mesothelioma. Believed to be exclusively linked to asbestos exposure, it is almost always fatal.
• Peritoneal mesothelioma is also known as abdominal mesothelioma and is cancer of the thin cell walls surrounding the abdominal cavity. It accounts for about 20 percent of mesothelioma cases.
• Pericardial mesothelioma is cancer of the cells lining the heart. The rarest of the three types of mesothelioma, it represents about 10 percent of cases.

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor within the lungs or bronchial tubes that may be caused by asbestos exposure as much as 20 to 30 years earlier. A tumor grows into air passages, obstructing them and making breathing difficult. There is a significant increase in the likelihood of developing lung cancer for asbestos exposure victims who also smoke.

Digestive tract cancers and throat cancers are related to asbestos include pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, stomach cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, rectal cancer, and colon cancer.

Exposure

Asbestos is a natural fiber that for decades was used in construction, maintenance, and heavy industries. The following types of workers, and many more, likely had at least some exposure to asbestos:

Workers who carried asbestos fibers home on their clothing unknowingly exposed their spouses and children to dangers as well. Thousands of cases of secondary exposure have been diagnosed and prosecuted.

Because of its heat resistance and flexibility, asbestos was used in countless products, including:

Industrial

Construction

Symptoms and diagnosis of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis

In most cases, symptoms do not surface until years, even decades following asbestos exposure. When symptoms do emerge, they may be subtle and appear to be symptoms of other disorders, causing a delay in proper diagnosis. The following are some common symptoms of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis:

If you have any of these symptoms and previously were exposed to asbestos, please see your physician immediately.

Treatment options

Traditional mesothelioma treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. While the prognosis for survival of mesothelioma is very low, these treatments can help improve quality of life in the short-term. Additionally, non-traditional treatments such as acupuncture, massage, and specific diet and exercise regimens can complement traditional treatments. Experimental drugs are being tested by a number of pharmaceutical companies. Please thoroughly discuss all available options with your physician. Consider the side effects, possibilities for improvement, and whether the option you choose precludes trying another course of treatment.

Seeking compensation

At ELG, we understand the emotional and physical struggle you face. Thousands of asbestos victims across the country have trusted our asbestos litigation lawyers to obtain compensation to cover expensive medical treatments, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos and is sick, you owe it to yourself to see if ELG can help.

Our toxic tort website provides additional details about ELG’s asbestos litigation practice and our continuing battle to hold accountable those around the country who are responsible for environmental pollutants and dangerous chemicals.

Let us help you fight for justice

Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. is comprised of aggressive attorneys for mesothelioma and asbestos exposure victims nationwide. We have particular experience in: California, New York, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.. We can help victims of asbestos-exposure who need the help of a:

• California mesothelioma attorney
• New York mesothelioma attorney
• Alabama mesothelioma attorney
• Georgia mesothelioma attorney
• Mississippi mesothelioma attorney
• Tennessee mesothelioma attorney
• Washington, D.C.mesothelioma attorney

Contact us for a free consultation and to see the difference 20 years of asbestos/mesothelioma litigation experience can make in your case.

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