South Bend, IN Asbestos Cancer Lawyers Serving St. Joseph County
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that is, indeed, as old as the hills. The straight thin fibers are found in pockets or veins within rock and surrounding soils. Science shows that asbestos fibers, when disturbed, are released into the air posing a danger when inhaled.
Asbestos in the ancient world
The word asbestos comes from ancient Greek meaning indestructible or unquenchable. Asbestos is a useful insulator in the construction of fire-retardant walls, boiler wraps, equipment, and yes, manufacturing sites—particularly so in the western world during the industrial age. But as long ago as 3000 years before the common era (BC), archaeologists in Finland would uncover the early facilitation of asbestos in the making and reinforcing of pottery and other cooking utensils. Even today, many of the iconic blue & white Greek island homes are painted annually asbestos mixture.
Egypt and Rome
In the years 2000 to 3000 BCE, Egyptians used cloth containing asbestos to wrap embalmed Pharaohs. Later, in his description of the Roman world, Pliny the Younger (61-112AD), a lawyer and scholar, wrote that during his lifetime, slaves mining and working with asbestos became ill with a sickness of the lungs. And it is rumored that Romans sterilized their used asbestos napkins with fire.
The Industrial Age
Jumping ahead to the America’s Industrial Age, circa 1858, mining for fibrous anthophyllite began on Staten Island, New York. Later, in Quebec, the first commercial mining operation commenced in 1874. It was during this time when the demand for production of asbestos was fueled by the rapid development of industry.
The medical community acknowledges a link between asbestos and early death
For centuries it had been noted that lung diseases and early death were linked with asbestos mining and the use of products containing asbestos, but it wasn’t until 1899 that a medical publication documented the first case of lung scarring caused by asbestos.
The federal government report
In 1918, The US Bureau of Labor statistics reported that there existed a high risk of early death for asbestos laborers. And by the 1920s, more than 25 articles had been published connecting asbestos to lung disease.
Evidence of toxicity mounts
The year was 1934 when researchers reported that workers, some with only six months of exposure to asbestos, had developed cancer. Since asbestos was used because of its fire-retardant qualities, it was often the boiler wrappers and insulators who received these cancer diagnoses.
Meanwhile, as a powerful corporate resistance grew, seeking to diminish the seriousness of the asbestos debate, it emerged in the US courts in the year 1978, that there existed a conscious suppression of damning information, in an attempt to avoid the snowballing of employee lawsuits.
The run on bankruptcies and the creation of asbestos trust funds
During the 80s, many companies saw the writing on the wall and began to file Chapter 11 bankruptcies to reduce their monetary exposure to millions of sick employees for illnesses caused by asbestos toxins in work environments. While under the protection of bankruptcy, these corporations were legislatively forced to create trust funds that could be accessed at that time, and in the future by victims of the toxic exposure. Today, there are approximately 60 trust funds available to employee victims and their families.
South Bend, IN asbestos cancer lawyers offer free, no-obligation consultations
While the EPA has successfully banned many products containing asbestos, others are still in production yet today. That is why the South Bend, IN Asbestos Cancer Lawyers, recommend you seek legal help, as soon as possible if you have received a diagnosis of mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer. Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers have over a century of combined experience in asbestos claims, product liability, and wrongful death lawsuits.
Call our office today and ask for attorney, Charlie Ward at (317) 639-9501 for a free consultation.
Where is naturally occurring asbestos found in the US?
Asbestos can be found at many sites around the world. In the U.S., the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has mapped small pockets of the toxic mineral in most western states, including Alaska. The Appalachian Mountains neighboring the eastern seaboard, and the Sierra Nevada and Klamath mountain ranges in California show increased pockets of asbestos. As a side note, Hawaii has no known naturally occurring asbestos on any of its islands. The CDC has made available the Naturally Occurring Asbestos Locations in the Contiguous USA and Alaska map on their Stacks website. Click here to learn more about the area in which you live.
The latency period before cancer diagnosis
The latency period for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related cancers can vary widely depending upon several factors, including the level and duration of exposure to asbestos, the type of fibers involved, as well as individual considerations including pre-existing health conditions.
In general, the latency period for mesothelioma, which is one of the most common and serious types of asbestos related cancer, is typically between 20 and 50 years. However, mesothelioma has been known to develop even sooner, within 10 to 15 years of an individual’s initial exposure, while in other cases, the latency period may extend to 70 years or more.
Other asbestos related cancers, such as lung cancer, may have a shorter latency period, with symptoms and a diagnosis appearing within 10 to 30 years of exposure.
Does Indiana have a statute of limitations for filing a claim or lawsuit
Yes, in Indiana an individual positively diagnosed with an asbestos-related cancer has up to two years to file a claim or lawsuit. However, the South Bend, IN Asbestos Cancer Lawyers at Ward & Ward Personal Injury law firm stress that preparing a lawsuit or claim takes time. And it is best for you, as the client, to contact an experienced mesothelioma cancer lawyer as soon as possible after receiving a diagnosis.
Don’t let the clock run before you contact the South Bend, IN Asbestos Cancer Lawyers
Before a court or trust fund claim can be filed, hospital, radiology, doctors’ reports, employment files, miscellaneous records, calendars, and other sources of evidence must be gathered and examined by attorneys before a claim can be filed.
Your claim deserves to be carefully prepared from the ground up, all “i’s” dotted, and all “t’s” crossed, by an experienced attorney. This is how our attorneys maximize our clients’ claims. So don’t wait to contact the South Bend, IN asbestos cancer lawyers.
Call today and to ask for attorney Charlie Ward at (317) 639-9501 for a free consultation.
