San Jose Asbestos Attorney

Top San Jose Mesothelioma

Asbestos is a natural substance useful for numerous purposes in many industries, but it causes deadly diseases such as mesothelioma, with pleural mesothelioma being the most common among people exposed to asbestos. This dangerous mineral was widely used in San Jose, California, and throughout the state and nation as early as the 1800s. Before it was discovered that asbestos is very dangerous when inhaled and creates major health problems after a lengthy latency period, many hundreds of thousands of workers were exposed. Prior to restrictions being placed on the use and handling of asbestos, it was commonly used in San Jose. Many workers in the city involved in construction, manufacturing, and other industries were exposed to the dangerous substance and put at risk for mesothelioma. Experts say that peak periods when San Jose workers will be diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases such as pleural mesothelioma will occur between 2010 and 2020.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral found in the ground, and it has six types that naturally occur. They are all fibrous and have qualities that make them very useful in many products. The attributes of asbestos which have made the mineral popular in such industries as manufacturing and construction include that it is:

• Heat-resistant
• Fire-resistant
• Chemical-resistant

Asbestos was named in ancient Greek, and the word means “inextinguishable.” Durability, effectiveness for various purposes, and resistance to fire that all types of asbestos have in common have been recognized for many hundreds of years. Before the dangers of asbestos were recognized, it was even adopted for use in all branches of the U.S. military.

Asbestos: A Workplace Hazard

Sadly, the fact that asbestos causes high mortality rates among those exposed to it began to be exposed long before companies were required to either stop using it or use it according to strict safety guidelines. For instance, in 1902, a Dr. Montague Murray made known his discovery that asbestos workers had uncommonly high mortality rates. By 1918, insurance companies stopped selling insurance to workers who were exposed to asbestos on the job.

The timeline for health discoveries about asbestos is lengthy, and many countries have taken note. Approximately 60 nations have banned the use of asbestos entirely. That’s not the case in the U.S. The following are examples of products that can still containasbestos, per set guidelines, even though it can cause pleural mesothelioma among employees in San Jose workplaces and elsewhere:

• Disk brake pads
• Cement pipe
• Cement shingle
• Clothing
• Cement flat sheet
• Roof coatings
• Gaskets
• Millboard
• Vinyl floor tile

Workers with Mesothelioma in San Jose CA

Asbestos exposure is not the same level of risk that it was 30 to 50 years ago. However, it only takes inhaling asbestos one time to potentially develop pleural mesothelioma. Many people have suffered from mesothelioma because of past employment with a San Jose company. The following are just a few from a very long list of companies that have been identified as places where asbestos exposure has occurred in San Jose:

• Accent Manufacturing Plant
• Barron and Gray Packing Company
• California Growers and Canners
• Electric Storage Battery
• Industrial Mineral & Chemical
• Main Library
• Owens Corning
• Pacific Bell
• Red Star Laundry
• San Jose State Generator
• Stauffer Chemical
• Tractor Exhaust
• Wells Fargo Bank

Asbestos-Related Health Problems

When asbestos fibers are inhaled or swallowed, they can cause a number of different diseases, after a latency period of about 10 to 50 years. The most common among them is mesothelioma, which is an aggressive, deadly cancer. The list of asbestos-related diseases includes:

• Asbestosis
• Mesothelioma
• Lung cancer
• Testes cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Laryngeal cancer
• Pleural effusion
• Pleural thickening
• Pleural plaques

Pleural Mesothelioma

Approximately 75% of all mesothelioma cases are diagnosed as pleural mesothelioma. Every year, about 2,500 people are newly diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. It can be difficult for physicians to diagnose this deadly disease because the symptoms are common to a range of respiratory conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia. Some of the common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are:

• Shortness of breath
• Dry cough
• Chest pains
• Weight loss

Research is ongoing, in efforts to improve the prognosis of patients with this deadly disease. The average lifespan of a person from the time he or she is diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma is between 6 and 12 months. Types of treatment include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The following are the basic stages of pleural mesothelioma:

• The cancer is in the pleura or lining of the lung and hasn’t spread elsewhere.
• The cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, part of the diaphragm, and the lung.
• The cancer spreads into the chest wall, more lymph nodes, the esophagus, and throughout one side of the chest.
• The cancer affects other organs and spreads to bone cells, the blood, and both sides of the chest.

Asbestos Exposure Today

Asbestos exposure still occurs in San Jose and throughout the U.S., which means a person may begin suffering from related diseases 10 to 50 years from now. During the height of asbestos being used in the nation, asbestos products made by just one manufacturer were added to more than 35 million homes. When those structures and others containing asbestos are torn down, there is a risk of workers and nearby residents being exposed to the deadly fibers. News stories routinely report new cases of asbestos exposure, and the following are examples:

• A former Cleveland, Ohio, business owner was sentenced to 21 months in prison for failing to protect workers and the public from asbestos during demolition of a large property. After being instructed on proper asbestos abatement procedures, the company allegedly continued with procedures that put many people at risk for deadly asbestos-related diseases.
• Tons of rock, earth, and other debris were being moved during repair of Oroville Dam in California when an outcropping of asbestos was exposed. State officials began strategies to reduce asbestos dust at the site, since it put people in the area who are engaged in outdoor activities as well as workers on the dam project at risk for asbestos exposure.

Asbestos / Mesothelioma Compensation Funds & Eligibility

Billions of dollars of asbestos and mesothelioma compensation funds are available to victims of asbestos exposure and their families. Mesothelioma trusts are available to people in San Jose, as well. Contact a San Jose mesothelioma attorney if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease.