Secondary Asbestos Exposure

Second Hand Exposure to Asbestos

The classic example of secondhand asbestos exposure is the often-cited tale of wives laundering the asbestos-infused clothing of husbands who brought fibers home from their workplaces. This story has, in fact, reflected the painful reality of secondhand exposure experienced in far too many families.

Researchers have noticed that large numbers of women, in particular, have become ill with mesothelioma as a result of secondhand exposure through fibers brought home on their husbands’ work clothes. However, there are many other ways in which people who are not directly working with asbestos products are exposed in a roundabout way. Many are baffled to receive a diagnosis of mesothelioma, not knowing how they could have developed it.

Remodeling — Family Exposure — Asbestos Products

One example of a nonwork-related source of asbestos is a home remodeling project. You may have been exposed to asbestos during renovations done on your older house. Family members, in turn, may have been exposed through fibers brought into the family’s living spaces.

Boilers, radiators, pipes, sheetrock and spray insulation have all contained asbestos, especially in older homes, schools, and government and commercial buildings. All of these sources help explain why people who are in proximity to remodeling projects may be at risk of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos has been found in dental molds, jewelry molds and Christmas tree flocking. Many people of all ages and occupations have been and many still are at risk of asbestos exposure and secondary asbestos exposure — not just manual laborers.

Wallace & Graham, P.A. — Mesothelioma Lawyers Are Here to Help

Most victims never suspected the dangers and never suffered any ailments before a mesothelioma diagnosis. Now, decades later, they are suffering from a disabling disease and undergoing invasive medical treatments to extend life or ease the pain.

Our North Carolina attorneys are prepared to evaluate your mesothelioma case at no charge. Call or email our law offices to schedule a free initial consultation.