Products & Exposure
Asbestos was once known as the ‘magical mineral’ for its high resistance to fire and acid, its usefulness as a strong binding agent and the ease with which it could be mixed or added to other products. By the mid 20th century it was used in nearly 3,000 products worldwide. Click here for a history of asbestos
However, asbestos has a downside: it is a known carcinogen (causes cancer) and is extremely dangerous when inhaled, particularly in dust form (friable asbestos) when millions of tiny particles can be easily inhaled and lodge in the lung.
Jobs that directly expose workers to asbestos fibers have the highest risk of the workers developing mesothelioma, a rare and often lethal type of cancer. Workers who are exposed to asbestos indirectly, such as working on job site where materials containing asbestos are installed or removed, as well as family members of asbestos workers are also at risk for developing mesothelioma.
The victims of mesothelioma and their families may be entitled to compensation because many companies that have used or manufactured asbestos-containing products were aware of the dangers of asbestos and failed to warn their workers. In failing to adequately warn or educate their workers, these companies knowingly put the lives and families of their employees at risk.
For over a decade, the attorneys of Connelly and Vogelzang have amassed a vast database of knowledge and documentation of product manufacturers and worksites where workers were at risk for asbestos exposure. The attorneys are experts at establishing a connection between a victim’s occupational exposure and their disease. Once it is determined where exposure occurred, the next step is pursue litigation with the liable party.
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact us for a case review.
Typical jobs that involve first-hand asbestos exposure
▪ Boilermaker
▪ Carpenter
▪ Construction Worker
▪ Dry Waller
▪ Electrician
▪ Heating and Air Conditioning Worker
▪ Industrial Worker
▪ Insulator
▪ Laborer
▪ Machinist
▪ Pipefitter
▪ Sheet metal worker
▪ Shipyard Worker
▪ Steel worker
* There are many other jobs in the construction industry and other trades that involve asbestos and unfortunately can result in a diagnosis of mesothelioma.
Second-hand asbestos exposure
Although an individual may not be dealing with asbestos products directly, he or she may be exposed indirectly. For example, an electrician who works next to a drywaller who sands joint compound on a regular basis can easily breathe in millions of asbestos fibers.
This same principle applies to family members of asbestos workers. Spouses and other people living in the household are often diagnosed with the diseases associated with asbestos. Asbestos may brought home on the clothing, hat, shoes and vehicles of a worker and then distributed throughout the house. A particularly heavy second-hand exposure can occur while doing a spouse’s laundry. This is generally referred to as second-hand asbestos exposure.
Products Containing Asbestos
▪ Acoustical Plaster Joint Compounds
▪ Asphalt
▪ Base Flashing
▪ Blown-in Insulation
▪ Boiler Insulation
▪ Breaching Insulation
▪ Ceiling Tiles and Lay-in Panels
▪ Cement pipes
▪ Cement Siding
▪ Cement Wallboard
▪ Chalkboards
▪ Construction Mastics (floor tile, carpet, ceiling tile)
▪ Cooling Towers
▪ Decorative Plaster
▪ Ductwork Flexible
▪ Electric Wiring Insulation
▪ Electrical Cloth
▪ Electrical Panel Partitions
▪ Elevator Brake Shoes
▪ Elevator Equipment Panels
▪ Fabric Connections
▪ Fire Blankets
▪ Fire Curtains
▪ Fire Doors
▪ Fireproofing Materials
▪ Flooring Backing Adhesives
▪ Floor Tile
▪ High Temperature Gaskets
▪ HVAC Duct Insulation
▪ Laboratory Gloves
▪ Laboratory Hoods
▪ Packing Materials (for wall/floor penetrate ions)
▪ Pipe Insulation (corrugated air-cell, block, etc.)
▪ Powder Plaster
▪ Roofing Felt
▪ Roofing Shingles
▪ Spackling Compounds
▪ Spray-Applied Insulation
▪ Table Tops
▪ Taping Compounds (thermal)
▪ Textured Paints/Coatings
▪ Thermal Paper Products
▪ Vinyl Wall Coverings
▪ Vinyl Floor Tile
▪ Vinyl Sheet Flooring Caulking/Putties
▪ Wallboard Heating and Electrical Ducts
If you believe you have mesothelioma from working with any of these materials, it is important that you contact an attorney to understand your legal rights.