Secondary Asbestos Exposure: Protecting Your Loved Ones
We know today that asbestos is best avoided.
However, the dangers of asbestos were once anything but self-evident.
Before the Environmental Protection Agency enacted its final ban on asbestos-containing materials, asbestos enjoyed a longstanding reputation as a “miracle mineral.” The foundations of modern America were, in a great many ways, built atop asbestos. Strong, inexpensive, and resilient, asbestos seemed to have boundless potential.
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If you believe that you were exposed to asbestos, even as a child, speak to a healthcare provider about tests and screening to help diagnose lung-scarring and screen for asbestos-related diseases.
For most of the 20th Century, the asbestos industry concealed scientific evidence showing that its asbestos products were making employees and consumers sick.
Asbestos diseases can take many decades to appear, and millions only found out about their asbestos illness years later.
When researchers began uncovering evidence that asbestos could cause significant respiratory distress, the asbestos industry responded with reassurances, promising the public that their products were safe. After a hard-fought battle, science eventually won out. The federal government began restricting the purchase, sale, and importation of asbestos, bringing the miracle mineral’s centuries-long reign to an abrupt end.
Unfortunately, by the time that the federal government began taking action against the asbestos industry, millions of men, women, and children had already been exposed to carcinogenic fiber and dust.
“The overall evidence suggests there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.”Source: National Cancer Institute (NIH)1 |
The Devastating Toll of Asbestos Exposure
Nobody can accurately estimate the physical, financial, and social tolls of asbestos exposure, but some experts believe that up to 27 million Americans were exposed to aerosolized asbestos between the end of the Second World War and the final years of the 20th century.
Asbestos has no taste or smell.
You may not know you’re breathing it.
Former industrial workers have the highest risk of asbestos-related diseases.
But one in five patients with asbestos disease never worked around asbestos.
They lived with someone who did.
Today, the highest rates of asbestos-related disease and illness are found among former asbestos workers, many hardworking, blue-collar Americans who shed sweat, tears, and blood to provide for their families.
However, the risks of asbestos exposure are manifold—and before these risks became a matter of common knowledge, asbestos workers would often return home covered in asbestos fiber.
With its characteristic jagged edges and a rough texture, asbestos fiber could easily transfer onto car seats, furniture, and other surfaces. In the washing machine and dryer, asbestos could even spread to other family members’ clothing, placing everyone in the same household at-risk for asbestos-related disease.
Several health studies have shown that the spouses of asbestos workers are at an elevated level of risk for asbestos illnesses like lung cancer.2 3 4 5
Understanding the Different Types of Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos-related illnesses are most often diagnosed among people who worked with or around asbestos, including:
Automotive mechanics
Chemical plant workers
Construction workers
Factory workers
Insulators
Machinery operators
Machinists
Military veterans
Miners
Power plant workers
Roofers
Shipbuilders and other shipyard workers
Steel mill workers
Textile plant workers
“All forms of asbestos are carcinogenic to humans.” 6
However, asbestos does not discriminate, and exposure follows many different routes. The most common types of asbestos exposure include, but are not limited to, the following:
Occupational Exposure: Occupational asbestos exposure is asbestos exposure that occurs in the workplace. The majority of asbestos-related diseases can be attributed to occupational asbestos exposure.
Secondary Exposure: Secondary asbestos exposure, sometimes referred to as paraoccupational asbestos exposure or secondhand asbestos exposure, occurs among people who never worked with asbestos but shared workplaces or homes with others who did.
Environmental Exposure: Environmental asbestos exposure can occur when natural asbestos deposits are disturbed, or when private parties—from homeowners to large, profitable businesses—disperse asbestos particles into the atmosphere or drinking water reserves.
Asbestos has no taste, smell, or immediate reaction – so you may not know if you’re breathing it.Many people only discover many decades later, when they develop asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer. |
When asbestos is taken home from the workplace, it may be in small, seemingly insignificant concentrations. But over time, routine exposure can lead to serious and life-threatening illnesses.
Scientists believe that no level of asbestos exposure is safe, and anyone who has been exposed to asbestos, whether at home or at work, could be at increased risk for lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other aggressive, asbestos-related conditions.
“Some asbestos fibers may bypass…your body’s natural defenses…and lodge deep within your lungs. Those fibers can remain in place for a very long time and may never be removed.”Source: American Lung Association |
The Invisible Threat of Asbestos Illnesses
Second-hand asbestos exposure is less common today than it was throughout the 20th century.
However, secondary asbestos exposure still presents a serious threat to public health and individual wellbeing. Studies of asbestos-related illnesses, like asbestosis and mesothelioma have found that 1 out of every 5 diagnoses can be traced back to take-home asbestos exposure.
“It has been repeatedly and consistently demonstrated in the medical and scientific literature that family members exposed to asbestos dust from laundering a worker’s clothing have a significantly increased risk of developing mesothelioma.”-U.S. Supreme Court, 2018. Air and Liquid Systems Corp. v. DeVries, 139 S. Ct. 986, 586 U.S., 203 L. Ed. 2d 373 (2019). |
Secondary asbestos exposure is asbestos exposure.
Even childhood exposure can result in asbestos diseases decades later.
Common conditions associated with secondhand asbestos exposure include, but are not limited to, the following:
Asbestosis, a respiratory condition caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. It can result in the inflammation and scarring of the lungs. Asbestosis has no known cure.
Pleural disease, a set of nonmalignant lung conditions that affect the membranous lining of the lungs and chest. Untreated pleural disease can make it difficult to breathe, exercise, and perform everyday tasks.
Mesothelioma, or cancer of the mesothelium, the tissue surrounding most of the body’s major internal organs. People who have been exposed to take-home asbestos are most likely to be diagnosed with mesothelioma of the lung.
Different cancers, including lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and stomach cancer. Even when asbestos is not the sole cause of a cancer diagnosis, asbestos exposure can increase an individual’s lifetime risk of developing malignant cancer conditions.
“Generally, those who develop asbestos-related diseases show no signs of illness for a long time after exposure.”Source: National Cancer Institute (NIH)7 |
The long latency of asbestos diseases means that their symptoms can take decades to appear.
Most asbestos-related illnesses, including mesothelioma and pleural disease, have long latency periods. A latency period, or latent period, refers to the time between exposure to a health hazard and the emergence of symptoms. Cancer researchers have found that mesothelioma and other asbestos-related cancers have average latency periods that can exceed 50 years from the first asbestos exposure.
Do You Qualify For Compensation?
Quickly and easily find out how you were exposed by searching W.A.R.D., the largest asbestos database on the planet.
FREE SEARCH >Fighting Back Against an Asbestos-Related Disease
Since most asbestos-related illnesses can take years—often decades—to begin presenting noticeable symptoms, many people at high risk for disease do not know they have been injured until they receive a life-changing diagnosis.
For most American families, the costs of fighting an aggressive cancer can seem insurmountable. With healthcare costs continuing to rise, any intensive procedure, from chemotherapy to surgery, could thrust victims to the brink of financial insolvency.
| Even lifelong smokers can collect compensation for asbestos damage. | |
 | Many of our clients believed they weren’t eligible to file an asbestos lawsuit because they were cigarette and cigar smokers. This isn’t true under the laws of many states. Our database contains the medical evidence needed to show that smokers who are exposed to asbestos are far more likely to develop cancer than smokers who weren’t exposed to asbestos. Cigarettes and asbestos are far more dangerous than cigarettes or asbestos. |
| Even lifelong smokers can collect compensation for asbestos damage. |
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| Many of our clients believed they weren’t eligible to file an asbestos lawsuit because hey were cigarette and cigar smokers. This isn’t true under the laws of many states. Our database contains the medical evidence needed to show that smokers who are exposed to asbestos are far more likely to develop cancer than smokers who weren’t exposed to asbestos. Cigarettes and asbestos are far more dangerous than cigarettes or asbestos. |
Legal options to receive compensation for your asbestos claim
While fighting back against an asbestos-related condition could seem impossible, you do not have to pay the price for the asbestos industry’s negligence. Even if you have never worked with or around asbestos, you could be entitled to compensation through:
A Personal Injury Lawsuit
Personal injury lawsuits are a type of civil claim, typically filed against a person or party whose negligence resulted in significant damages. Every personal injury lawsuit is subject to strict, state-specific requirements.
While some asbestos-related personal injury lawsuits are resolved through trial, most are settled out-of-court.
Over $30 Billion is still available (No lawsuit. No fees unless you receive money. No risk.) Stake your claim.  |
Multi-District Litigation
Multi-district litigation, or MDL, refers to the consolidation of related claims in a single court. An MDL could encompass hundreds or even thousands of individual lawsuits.
Since multi-district claims are usually assigned to a judge or a panel of judges, MDL can facilitate the fast, efficient resolution of many claims.
| Not sure where or when you were exposed to asbestos? Let W.A.R.D. help you! The Worldwide Asbestos Research Database (W.A.R.D) is the largest asbestos information database, period. If you need answers related to specific locations, products, or what type of compensation may be available to you due to asbestos exposure, W.A.R.D. is the place to start. |
An Asbestos Bankruptcy Trust
Between the 1980s and early 2000s, dozens of insolvent asbestos companies established special trusts for the victims of the asbestos industry’s negligence.
Trust claimants must typically meet certain criteria, and should be prepared to furnish evidence of their:
Employment history
Asbestos-related injuries and diagnoses
Existing and anticipated care needs
While asbestos bankruptcy trusts have already disbursed nearly $20 billion in benefits, many of these trusts are still operational, holding an estimated $30 billion in additional, unclaimed compensation.
AsbestosClaims.Law
At AsbestosClaims.Law, our mission to secure compensation for asbestos victims is more than professional; it’s personal.
Our founder, Justinian C. Lane, understands the devastating impacts of asbestos firsthand.
Both his grandparents and father, all asbestos workers, passed away from asbestos-induced cancers without realizing their eligibility for asbestos lawsuits or other forms of compensation.
We aim to prevent such tragic oversights by informing and guiding victims and their families through their legal options.
If you or your loved ones have suffered as a result of asbestos exposure, you could be eligible for considerable compensation. These funds could provide for medical treatments, asbestos removal services, and safeguard your health.
In addition, asbestos trusts offer compensation without the need for a lawsuit, providing a quicker, simpler path to justice.
Reach out to us at [email protected] or (206) 455-9190 for assistance with your claim. We offer compassionate listening, clear explanations, and we don’t charge a dime unless we win your case.
Beyond legal claims, we also advise on veterans’ disability, social security, and employment protection like workers’ compensation, FELA, and The Jones Act for maritime workers.
There’s no risk or cost to connect with our experienced team about your rights. Our commitment to your well-being means no fees unless you receive compensation.
| For further queries or concerns about asbestos, explore our website and YouTube page, featuring infographics, videos, and answers to common questions on asbestos-related topics. |
We’ve also introduced W.A.R.D., the Worldwide Asbestos Research Database. It’s the most comprehensive resource for asbestos-related information.
W.A.R.D. assists in pinpointing potential exposure scenarios, asbestos-containing products, and can indicate the types and potential amounts of compensation you may be entitled to receive.
Don’t delay — get in touch with us today!
1 National Cancer Institute (NIH), Asbestos Fact Sheet.
2 Ferrante, D., Bertolotti, M., Todesco, A., Mirabelli, D., Terracini, B. and Magnani, C., 2007. Cancer mortality and incidence of mesothelioma in a cohort of wives of asbestos workers in Casale Monferrato, Italy. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115(10), pp.1401-1405.
3 Miller, A., 2005. Mesothelioma in household members of asbestos‐exposed workers: 32 United States cases since 1990. American journal of industrial medicine, 47(5), pp.458-462.
4 Reid, A., Heyworth, J., De Klerk, N. and Musk, A.W., 2008. The mortality of women exposed environmentally and domestically to blue asbestos at Wittenoom, Western Australia. Occupational and environmental medicine, 65(11), pp.743-749.
5 İşten, B.H.S.T.O. and Maruziyetler, E.T., 2021. Exposures Moved from Work to Home as a Public Health Hazard.
6 IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Arsenic, metals, fibres, and dusts. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. 2012 ;100(Pt C):11-465. PMID: 23189751.
7 National Cancer Institute (NIH), Asbestos Fact Sheet.