Who is at Risk?
As many as 20 million people in the U.S. are at risk of developing mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, according to a recent study. Asbestos continues to threaten workers in certain occupations.
If you or a loved one in the Finger Lakes region of New York has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact the asbestos injury lawyers of Belluck & Fox, LLP, today. Our attorneys handle mesothelioma cases in every county in New York, including those in the Finger Lakes region. We provide personalized and professional legal services and can advise you of the legal options available for you and your family.
For more information, use our online contact form or call Belluck & Fox, LLP’s mesothelioma lawyers toll-free at 1-877-NYLAW09.
Occupational Asbestos Exposure
Workers in the Finger Lakes region of New York who are typically at greatest risk for contracting mesothelioma encountered asbestos in the course of their jobs. They could have handled asbestos and materials containing asbestos, or they may have breathed asbestos dust and fibers released into the air at the workplace. Workers in a wide variety of trades and jobs were exposed to asbestos dust from building products or raw asbestos.
Unfortunately, the risk of exposure to asbestos extends to individuals who worked near or around co-workers who came into direct contact with asbestos. Asbestos is friable, meaning that it crumbles easily. Millions of tiny fibers can be released in a fine, even invisible, dust. When asbestos breaks apart, it can easily disperse and spread, putting workers throughout the jobsite at risk of asbestos exposure.
Because asbestos fibers settle onto floors and other surfaces, the risk of exposure can persist indefinitely. The fibers can become airborne again if the surfaces are disturbed in any way, creating yet another exposure risk for anyone in the area. In a single sweeping, for example, millions of asbestos fibers can be released and breathed in by anyone in the area.
Over the course of a career, a worker in the Finger Lakes region could have breathed in several billion asbestos fibers, some of which may have lodged in the lungs causing asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma.
Your Job and Asbestos Exposure
Occupations in the Finger Lakes region that are typically associated with mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases include:
- Pipe coverers
- Laborers
- Brake mechanics
- Auto mechanics
- Millwrights
- Painters
- Plasterers
- Pipefitters
- Cement finishers
- Foundry workers
- Carpenters
- Plumbers
- Roofers
- Electricians
- Bricklayers
- Boilermakers
- Machinists
- Lathers
- Insulators
- Welders
- Sheet metal workers
- Crane operators
- Aircraft mechanics
- Engineers
- Steamfitters
- Masonry workers
- Railroad workers
- Maintenance workers
- Paper mill workers
- Tapers
Secondary Asbestos Exposure in the Home
Family members and others who live with someone who works with asbestos or did so in the past are also at great risk for developing mesothelioma. Industrial and trade workers’ family members may be exposed to asbestos even though they have no direct exposure to the hazardous substance at a jobsite. Secondary exposure occurs when asbestos fibers cling to a worker’s clothing, shoes, skin and hair. The fibers can become airborne yet again and be dispersed into the home, exposing everyone in the household.
Other Asbestos Exposures
Finger Lake region construction workers who renovate older structures are also at risk of asbestos exposure. Even individuals who undertake “do-it-yourself” renovations to older homes and buildings are at risk. Because asbestos was incorporated into many building products used in the Finger Lakes region before its widespread use of asbestos was banned, anyone working on older buildings might encounter asbestos in shingles, flooring, and insulation on heating and air-conditioning systems. Disturbing those products can release millions of asbestos fibers into the air, endangering any worker during the maintenance, remodeling, or demolition of an old building.
Contact Our Finger Lakes Region Mesothelioma Illness Lawyers Today
If you or a loved one in the Finger Lakes region of New York has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the asbestos injury attorneys of Belluck & Fox, LLP, can help. We handle mesothelioma cases throughout New York, including the Finger Lakes region. Use our online contact form or call Belluck & Fox, LLP’s mesothelioma lawyers toll-free at 1-877-NYLAW09.
