Hilton Head Island, SC Mesothelioma Lawyer

Hilton Head Island, SC Mesothelioma Attorney

If you have experienced prolonged exposure to asbestos in the past, there is a chance that you could develop an aggressive form of rare cancer known as mesothelioma. It occurs after inhaling asbestos fibers, which attach to the thin tissues lining the internal organs, resulting in inflammation that can cause healthy cells to mutate into cancer cells. There is no known cure for mesothelioma.

If you develop mesothelioma, a Hilton Head Island, SC mesothelioma lawyer can help you pursue compensation for your suffering through the asbestos exposure claims process.

Mesothelioma Statistics

According to the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, there have been a total of over 45,000 deaths nationwide due to mesothelioma between 1999 and 2015. Mortality rates have remained steady in recent years, likely due to the removal of decaying asbestos from older homes, buildings, and factories. Currently, there remains an average of 2,500 deaths per year from mesothelioma. Individual prognosis is a factor in determining how long one can live with the disease.

How Mesothelioma Occurs

There is only one known way to contract mesothelioma, and that’s by inhaling asbestos fibers that end up attached to the thin tissue that lines the internal organs. Since the incubation period for mesothelioma remains considerably long, often decades, you likely won’t start to show any symptoms until it is already wreaking havoc on your insides. At the time when you inhaled the asbestos fibers, you may not have even been aware that you were inhaling anything hazardous.

Due to many sufferers of mesothelioma being unaware that anything is wrong with them, it can be difficult to treat or even diagnose. Certain symptoms may resemble other conditions that may not be as serious. When you inhale asbestos fibers, you are inhaling the dust that comes from asbestos that is disturbed, decaying, broken, or otherwise deteriorated. Asbestos that is still in place and not disturbed may not cause loose fibers to break free.

In a worst-case scenario, the asbestos fibers attach to the tissue lining of your internal organs, namely your heart, stomach, testes, and/or lungs. Depending on where the fibers attach and how they affect your organs, you may develop a different form of mesothelioma, some of which are rare and may be harder to treat.

Places Where Asbestos Exposure Can Occur

If you develop mesothelioma later in life, it is likely due to prolonged exposure to asbestos in your younger days. After all, asbestos was used in construction throughout the 20th century, particularly between the 1930s and the 1980s, according to the Asbestos and Silica Claims Procedure Act of 2006. Due to its impressive nature as a strong insulator that is resistant to heat, thousands of buildings and homes throughout the United States were built using materials that were at least partially made with asbestos.

In fact, many older buildings still contain asbestos, as attempting to remove it could make the situation worse by introducing microscopic fibers into the air. Companies throughout South Carolina, including Hilton Head Island, SC, have handled claims filed by workers who developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related chronic illnesses due to prolonged exposure to asbestos while on the job. Factory workers, like welders and shipbuilders, were also prone to exposure.

Mesothelioma Prevention Methods

Regrettably, there is no way to guarantee that you won’t develop mesothelioma after prolonged exposure to asbestos fibers. The only certain way to avoid asbestos exposure is to stay away from asbestos completely, which can be easier said than done. There are still thousands of buildings across the country that have asbestos in them. Here are some prevention methods that you could possibly take to avoid asbestos exposure at home and at work:

Asbestos in Your Home

If you live in an older home, particularly one that was built between 1930 and 1990, you may be concerned about the presence of asbestos in it. If you are worried, you may want to reach out to a trained professional who can look through your home and inform you whether there is asbestos present. If there is, they may be able to remove it and perform the necessary mitigation measures.

During the asbestos removal, you, your family, and any pets will need to be out of the house. Stay with a friend or family member, or stay at a hotel. Do not attempt to remedy the problem yourself, as you could end up making things worse by damaging the asbestos and causing asbestos fibers to enter the air of your home. If you inhale that dust, you could cause health problems in your future.

Asbestos at Your Work

If you work in an older building, you might be concerned about the possible presence of asbestos in your workplace. This is a reasonable fear that you should bring up to your office’s management, as they are required to follow OSHA protocols for any potential danger in the workplace. Be sure to follow any safety precautions that are listed in your employee handbook or provided to you by OSHA officials.

It is important to remember that you won’t develop mesothelioma immediately after inhaling asbestos fibers. It could take decades for symptoms of the disease to start showing. The fibers may stay attached to your organs for quite some time, causing gradual inflammation and eventual cancer. You may never develop mesothelioma at all. It depends entirely on how much asbestos fiber you may have inhaled and whether you have a history of cancer in your family.

Reach Out to an Experienced Mesothelioma Lawyer Today

Few things are as difficult as accepting that your life is about to change, regardless of how you feel about it. A diagnosis as dreadful as mesothelioma can feel traumatizing, confusing, frustrating, and quite painful. Coming to terms with your new normal may not be possible without first holding the party responsible for your condition accountable in court.

Wallace & Graham, P.A., knows how to help you seek accountability from the party responsible for installing asbestos, and we can help you seek compensatory damages in a reasonable settlement. We can help your case by developing it into a strong claim, gathering the evidence that proves asbestos liability, and protecting your interests to ensure that you aren’t taken advantage of. Contact us to speak with one of our valued team members and schedule a consultation.