Asbestos exposure can cause many types of illnesses. Most often these diseases affect the lungs, but other parts of the body can be affected, too. Asbestos fibers are very tiny, and not something that you notice in the air or in your foods and beverages. Most asbestos-related illnesses do not produce symptoms until decades after asbestos exposure. If you have mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness an experienced California asbestos attorney can help you and your family get the compensation you need and deserve.
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is rare form of cancer that only caused by asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is cancer of the mesothelium. The mesothelium is the protective membrane that surrounds the organs in your body. It is often confused with lung cancer because the most common type of mesothelioma affects the lining which surrounds the lung, but it is a different type of cancer and it can affect other areas of the body.
Other Types of Cancer
In addition to mesothelioma, asbestos exposure can cause other types of cancer including:
- Lung cancer
- Larynx cancer
- Throat cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Colon cancer
Asbestosis and Asbestos Pleural Disease
Asbestos can kill without causing cancer. Asbestosis and asbestos pleural disease are non-cancerous respiratory diseases caused by asbestos exposure. People who are diagnosed with asbestosis often develop mesothelioma later.
Asbestosis is a form of pulmonary fibrosis. It is scarring of the lung tissue. Asbestos fibers are very irritating to the tissue in your lungs. Your immune system cannot remove the fibers, so it lays down scar tissue. As more and more scar tissue is deposited lung capacity is reduced. This strains the heart as it works harder to make up for the lack of oxygen.
In asbestos pleural disease the process is the same, but it happens when the fibers have worked their way out of the lungs and into the pleura which is the lining around the lungs.
If you or a loved one has mesothelioma or any asbestos-related illness, please call our California asbestos attorneys or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation with our mesothelioma lawyers is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, in most cases we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a mesothelioma lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.