What Causes Mesothelioma?
In a typical case, a mesothelioma victim in the Finger Lakes region of New York either inhaled or swallowed asbestos dust (i.e., airborne asbestos fibers) many years ago. This exposure can cause mesothelioma after the inhaled fibers become lodged in the pleura, which is the thin, cellophane-like membrane lining the lungs. Similarly, swallowed fibers can cause mesothelioma after they settle in the victim’s stomach.
In the United States, some 2,500 to 4,000 patients are diagnosed with mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases each year. New York is among the states with the highest numbers of asbestos-related deaths. If you or a loved one in the Finger Lakes region has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it’s important to have the most current, reliable information about the disease at your fingertips.
The law firm of Bullock & Fox, LLP, handles mesothelioma cases in every county in New York, including the Finger Lakes region. Our mesothelioma attorneys provide personalized and professional legal representation and can advise you of the legal options available for you and your family.
For more information, use our online contact form or call Bullock & Fox, LLP’s mesothelioma lawyers toll-free at 877-MESOTHELIOMA (637-6843).
Asbestos in Modern Use
The term “asbestos” includes a group of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals that are useful in many commercial applications. Most forms of asbestos are stable at high temperatures and are even fireproof. In fact, the term is derived from a Greek word meaning “unquenchable” or “inextinguishable.” Asbestos also resists acids and other strong chemicals. It acts as a thermal and electric insulator. It can also be woven.
By the late 1800s, the known properties of asbestos made it a popular material for use in many building and construction industries, and it began making its way into a wide variety of industrial and consumer products. Asbestos was present in thousands of products by the time its use peaked in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These included roofing materials; insulation in buildings and ships; cement pipes and other cement products; flooring materials; friction surfaces for items like vehicle brakes and clutches; protective clothing; gaskets; plastics; and paper products.
New York’s economic success in the first half of the 20th century, including in the Finger Lakes region, was based in large part on industrial manufacturing where fire and excessive heat were a concern. This meant that asbestos was commonly used in Finger Lakes region industrial sites. Asbestos was also used extensively in the chemical industry in factory buildings, lab equipment, bench tops, and even employees’ safety clothing.
Asbestos-containing materials, in short, were commonly used when erecting and operating Finger Lakes region industrial and chemical plants, creating the potential for countless exposures to persons who worked in and around the numerous facilities over many years.
Dangers of Asbestos Exposure
The dangers of asbestos exposure eventually led to limits on its commercial use in the mid-1970s. Even so, the risk from exposure continues today because it takes a long time to develop an asbestos-related disease. Mesothelioma’s latency (inactive) period can range between 10 to 60 years after a victim’s asbestos exposure. This means that asbestos continues to be a threat to workers and their families who were exposed to asbestos even decades ago. Experts predict that mesothelioma diagnoses will continue to increase in the United States for at least another 10 to 20 years.
A Finger Lakes region worker’s exposure to asbestos does not have to last a long time for that person to be at risk of developing mesothelioma. In some cases, mesothelioma has been reported in persons who were exposed to asbestos just once.
A worker in one of New York’s many industries can suffer hazardous asbestos exposure in several ways. Occupational exposure occurs when someone’s job places them in an environment where they encounter airborne asbestos fibers. In the past, this typically occurred when workers used asbestos materials in the construction and manufacturing sector and when they were exposed to asbestos while repairing or maintaining buildings, ships, and products containing asbestos.
Asbestos fibers are so toxic that the families of Finger Lakes industrial and trade workers are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma from exposure to particles that cling to the worker’s clothing, shoes, skin and hair. This type of secondhand exposure to asbestos is known as “paraoccupational secondary exposure.”
Asbestos exposure also remains a past and present risk for persons involved in building renovations. Many buildings were constructed before the commercial use of asbestos was banned. A significant risk of exposure results if asbestos-containing building materials are disturbed and asbestos fibers are released and contaminate the air and nearby surfaces.
Given New York’s long history of significant industrial manufacturing, chemical processing, and construction activity, it’s not surprising that the state appears at higher than average rates in databases that identify hotspots where asbestos-related diseases occur.
For more information on the dangers of asbestos, the injuries it causes, and what the asbestos companies knew about its dangers while they continued using asbestos, see our mesothelioma FAQs.
Contact Our Finger Lakes Mesothelioma Illness Attorneys Today
If you or a loved one in the Finger Lakes region has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the asbestos injury attorneys of Belluck & Fox, LLP, can help. Our mesothelioma attorneys handle asbestos exposure cases from the Finger Lakes region and throughout New York. Use our online contact form or call Belluck & Fox, LLP’s mesothelioma lawyers toll-free at 877-MESOTHELIOMA (637-6843).
