Mesothelioma could have come from any of hundreds of sources

Asbestos was once hailed as something of a miracle product. It appeared in all sorts of applications, and was renowned for its ability to resist fire. However, reliance on the substance ultimately was too good to be true. Over time, people in North Carolina and around the country — around the world, in fact — began to develop mesothelioma and other fatal diseases attributable to asbestos exposure.

Many people may not realize the number of products and applications that used asbestos. In many cases, people who worked in factories or assembly plants were exposed at an industrial level. But many of the products they helped to produce contained the substance as well.

Some of the products that consumers likely had in their homes or workplaces include roof shingles, drywall, sandpaper, electrical wire and floor coverings. Other items such as oven mitts and clothing designed to be fireproof were present in many American homes.

Industrial products that were made with asbestos include furnace linings, book bindings, wall insulation, brake pads, gaskets and pipe insulation. While people who worked in manufacturing these sorts of products would have had more frequent exposure to asbestos, it might only take a single exposure to lead someone to develop illness decades later.

The worst part about all this is the fact that many companies knew their products were dangerous, yet they kept on making and selling them anyway. Knowing that some of the tragic results could have been avoided makes it extremely important that the companies responsible are held accountable when people are suffering because of it.

For more information about options for victims of mesothelioma, please visit our Salisbury asbestos products liability page.