Asbestos Exposure 

Asbestos exposure is virtually impossible to avoid, as there is a natural, low level of asbestos in the environment at all times. But it’s the unusually high level of asbestos found in certain environments that is dangerous and has caused mesothelioma and other diseases in countless people across the U.S. and around the world. At Fitts Zehl, LLP, we represent the individuals and families whose lives have been catastrophically affected by asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Products
Asbestos’ heat-resistant and friction-resistant properties have been known for thousands of years. In fact, the term “asbestos” is from a Greek word meaning “inextinguishable.” Asbestos is an excellent insulator, is easy to work with, can be made into many forms, and has found its way into thousands of products that are present almost everywhere in our daily lives.

Asbestos can be made into flexible tape and sheets or rigid panels, woven into fabric and mixed into cement, sprayed onto surfaces, and glued onto other materials. The strength, utility and special properties of asbestos made it seem like a miracle material, causing it to be very widely used in homes, workplaces, schools, cars, and ships. Common asbestos products include:

• car brake linings, clutches, and hoodliners
• drywall, ceiling tiles, floor tiles
• plumbing and electrical insulation
• insulation in walls, attics
• aircraft, seagoing vessels
• acoustic finishes
• theater curtains

How Does Asbestos Exposure Happen?
When an asbestos product is not in poor condition from aging or weather and is simply left in place, it’s not considered dangerous. It’s when it is manipulated in some way—as when it is mined, processed for manufacture, installed in a building/ship/vehicle, removed, or in deteriorating condition—that asbestos becomes toxic to humans.

It is during these processes that loosened fibers of asbestos may become airborne and inadvertently inhaled by individuals in the vicinity. Once these fibers are inside the body, they do not decompose; they lodge themselves in the lungs and/or other organs and may begin the process that eventually culminates into mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis.

Unfortunately, most illnesses caused by asbestos exposure take decades to develop, and those eventually diagnosed with the disease tend to have poor prognoses.

Talk to a Fitts Zehl Attorney about Your Asbestos Exposure
Contact the experienced mesothelioma attorneys at Fitts Zehl to arrange a private, no-cost consultation where we can discuss your concerns and questions about asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. Our trial lawyers look forward to helping you and your family in any way we can.

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