Georgetown, SC Mesothelioma Lawyer

Georgetown, SC Mesothelioma Attorney

Prolonged exposure to asbestos can be seriously bad for your health. It can even result in a diagnosis of mesothelioma, an aggressive and rare form of cancer with a dangerously low survival rate. Mesothelioma develops in the body after inhaling asbestos fibers, which then attach to the thin tissues that line the internal organs.

The end result of a mesothelioma diagnosis is often pain and eventual death, but a Georgetown, SC mesothelioma lawyer can help sufferers file asbestos exposure claims against those who negligently caused their condition.

Mesothelioma Statistics

Information gathered by the Centers for Disease Control, also known as the CDC, reports that there have been over 45,000 reported deaths in the United States between 1999 and 2015 that have been connected to mesothelioma. With the ongoing removal of deteriorating and broken asbestos throughout the country from buildings, factories, and homes, the mortality rates have remained fairly steady, with a rough average of 2,500 deaths per year from mesothelioma.

What Causes Mesothelioma?

There remains only one documented way to contract mesothelioma, and that is by inhaling asbestos fibers. Once they work their way into the body, the time it takes for mesothelioma to incubate is quite long. It can take decades for any symptoms of mesothelioma to begin showing; by then, the internal damage has already occurred. The inhalation of asbestos fibers that likely caused your condition may have been so miniscule that you aren’t aware it even happened.

It can be difficult to treat or even diagnose mesothelioma in the early stages of development, as many possible sufferers of the disease may be completely unaware that they even have a chronic illness until symptoms start to show. In addition, some symptoms of mesothelioma are shared with other conditions that may not be as serious.

When you accidentally inhale asbestos fibers, what you are breathing in is the dust that comes from asbestos being removed, drilled into, broken, disturbed, or deteriorated over time. Asbestos that is locked in place and not at risk of deterioration may never be knocked loose and thus may not appear to be a problem for physical health.

In the worst-case scenario, where a mesothelioma diagnosis is positive, the asbestos fibers that are inhaled integrate into the organ linings, inflaming them until their constituent cells mutate into cancer cells. The asbestos fibers typically latch onto the lungs, heart, stomach, or testes. Depending on the organs that the fibers attach to, you could develop mesothelioma in one particular location. Some forms of mesothelioma are rarer than others, which can make them harder to treat.

Sources of Asbestos Fibers

Since a mesothelioma diagnosis often occurs later in life, the root cause of it is often prolonged exposure to asbestos in your youth. Asbestos was a major component in building materials throughout the 20th century, more specifically between the 1930s and the 1980s, according to information from the Asbestos and Silica Claims Procedure Act of 2006.

Asbestos is considered a strong insulator, and it is considerably resistant to heat. Due to this impressive fact, asbestos was used in the construction of thousands of buildings, including offices, factories, and even many homes. To this day, many of these buildings still contain asbestos as part of their construction. Attempting to remove some of it could result in the introduction of asbestos fibers into the air.

Companies throughout South Carolina have had to face significant claims from workers who developed cases of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses that they may have gotten from prolonged exposure to asbestos in their places of business. In Georgetown, SC, some of those companies include Southern Kraft Paper Company and South Carolina Power & Light, among others.

Possible Prevention Methods

There remains no surefire way to guarantee that you will not develop mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos fibers. The only way to absolutely keep yourself from being exposed to asbestos fibers and never contract mesothelioma is to completely avoid asbestos, but that is not always an easy thing to do.

There are still countless buildings across the country that contain asbestos, as attempting to remove it could make things worse. You can take some prevention methods to try to avoid asbestos at work and home:

Asbestos in the Workplace

If your office is in an older building, you may be concerned about the possible presence of asbestos in the workplace. Being afraid of asbestos in your workplace is quite reasonable, and you may want to consider bringing it up to your employers, as employers nationwide are required to abide by OSHA regulations concerning potential workplace dangers.

Asbestos in the Home

If you are living in an older home that was built between 1930 and 1990, you might be seriously worried about the presence of asbestos in the building. To alleviate your worries, you may want to consider reaching out to a trained professional who can walk through your home and uncover any asbestos. At that point, a removal professional may be able to safely remove the asbestos while performing the necessary mitigation measures.

While the asbestos is being removed from your home, you, your family, and any of your pets will have to stay elsewhere to avoid exposure to asbestos fibers. Consider staying with friends, family, or possibly a hotel. You should not attempt to perform the asbestos mitigation yourself. If you damage the asbestos, you could accidentally release the fibers into the air. Inhaling those fibers could cause you to suffer future health problems.

It is important to note that you will not develop mesothelioma overnight after inhaling asbestos fibers. It will most likely take decades for symptoms of mesothelioma to appear. The fibers that you inhale may stay attached to your organs throughout this time, causing inflammation over time and possible cancer in your later years. You may not develop mesothelioma at all. Certain factors, like how much asbestos fiber you’ve inhaled or any history of cancer in your family, may influence your diagnosis.

Contact a Mesothelioma Lawyer Today

Dealing with a mesothelioma diagnosis can be overwhelming and painful. It is important to take the proper steps to protect yourself in case you develop this disease. Wallace & Graham, P.A., can help you develop your case, gather the necessary evidence, and represent your interests throughout the process. Contact us to schedule a consultation with our firm.