If you have fallen victim to mesothelioma as a result of job site asbestos exposure in the state of South Dakota, you must immediately seek the assistance of a South Dakota mesothelioma attorney. An experienced South Dakota mesothelioma lawyer can help you seek retribution for your pain and suffering that mesothelioma cancer has caused you.

Many companies and industries across the state and country are contaminated by asbestos. Some employers fail to convey the dangers and hazards posed by asbestos contamination to their workers. This is known as willful negligence. It is for this reason that hundreds of workers across the state have developed asbestos related conditions like mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer by being unaware of the presence of the toxic mineral at their work site. This form of asbestos exposure is not only harmful to the health of workers and employees, but also their family and loved ones.

Asbestos and mesothelioma:

Mesothelioma develops in the body when the fibers of asbestos, which are very minute, enter the respiratory system by inhalation 1. These fibers damage the fine lining covering several vital internal organs of the body, eventually resulting in a rare deadly cancer known as mesothelioma. Another condition that develops due to asbestos exposure is asbestosis. Asbestosis, in contrast to mesothelioma is not fatal to humans. Although this disease is aggressive, irreversible and also incurable, it does not have the ability to progress into more complicated forms of illnesses unlike mesothelioma. If asbestosis is diagnosed at an early stage and if the patient is prevented from any more exposure to the toxic mineral, it is possible to stop the disease at that very stage and the pathogenesis can be halted.

Depending upon the degree of damage the disease has already caused to the respiratory system and overall health of the patient, before the diagnosis is made, proper treatment and medication can allow the patient to lead a fairly normal life free of any more symptoms and complications. Mesothelioma on the other hand is fatal and has no cure. If you suffer from mesothelioma a South Dakota mesothelioma lawyer can assist you in filing a legal law suit against the company or persons responsible for causing the asbestos exposure that led to the development of the cancer.

Asbestos exposure in South Dakota:

South Dakota is one of the states in America which are home to naturally occurring deposits of asbestos 2. In case of this state, the area which alone has three independent deposits of asbestos is the Custer State Park.

Jobsites South Dakota that lead to asbestos exposure:

A great portion of South Dakota’s economy depends upon the agricultural produce because the state is primarily rural. This means that a great percentage of the overall contamination of asbestos occurring in the state comes from the mineral used in the construction of various buildings across the state, as well as machine shops and repair facilities. The state is also home to some power generation plants that also make significant use of asbestos in their operations.

There are total of five cities in the state of South Dakota that have been confirmed for contributing to the overall asbestos exposure and contamination, this number may rise higher if the amount of asbestos being used in the industrial sector of the state is not regulated and restored by the governmental authorities. The city that contributes to the greatest percentage of the state’s overall asbestos contamination is Brooking which has one site confirmed for causing exposure of the toxic mineral to workers and residents. The following sites have been known for causing asbestos contamination in South Dakota:

State Hospital Medical Building in Yankton, South Dakota State College in Brookings, Atomic Energy Commission Plant in Sioux Falls, and University of South Dakota in Brookings.

Diseases reported due to asbestos exposure in South Dakota:

One of the most common facts about mesothelioma is that it is rarely ever diagnosed in early stages; the reason behind this fact is that the disease has an unusually prolonged latency period 3. This happens because the asbestos fibers that trigger the development of the disease have the ability to remain suspended in the respiratory system for a long period of time, obstructing normal breathing and eventually damaging the fine lining covering vital internal organs such as lungs, abdomen and heart.

Ironically, the death rate resulting from diseases caused by asbestos exposure is not very significant in South Dakota, despite the state having natural deposits of the carcinogen. From the total time period between the years 1979 to 1999, only sixty three cases were reported of illnesses resulting from exposure to the toxic mineral. Out of these sixty three, seven cases of mesothelioma cancer were reported as well. It is a fact that asbestosis is a more common complication of asbestos exposure in all over America, but there are many cases that have been reported of fatalities occurring from mesothelioma. You are eligible to file a law suit if you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma in the state of South Dakota by contacting an experienced South Dakota mesothelioma attorney.