Asbestosis can be life-threatening. Even, according to Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, it is assumed that deaths related to Asbestosis Disease can reach the number of 200,000 by the year 2030. It is a kind of lung disease that occurs when your lungs get scarred by asbestos fibers. This scarring blocks your breathing and restricts oxygen flow in your bloodstream. In this article, we are going to get an overall idea about the disease so that we can stay more aware in the future.
What Is Asbestos?
Asbestosis is also known as Pulmonary Fibrosis or Interstitial Pneumonitis. It is a type of lung disease that generally blocks the oxygen flow in your bloodstream and interferes with your breathing system. This disease mainly occurs in the mid-1970s and. Asbestosis takes years to develop in your body. The term Asbestosis is pronounced as As-bes-TOE-sis and it is a typical lung disease caused by breathing in asbestosis fibers. Symptoms of this disease can range from mild to severe. Usually, one cannot recognize these symptoms in the 1st stage of Asbestosis. If you have Asbestosis, then there is a high risk of developing other serious conditions like pleural disease and mesothelioma. Now let’s look at the symptoms of Asbestosis-
Symptoms of Asbestosis:
In most cases, there are no symptoms to recognize in the beginning stage of Asbestosis. It generally takes at least 20 years to appear (in the range of 10 years to 40 years) after exposure to the disease. Some most common symptoms of Asbestosis are – tightness in the chest, chest pain, shortness of breath, persistent dry cough, losing appetite, finger clubbing, and nail deformities. Apart from these symptoms, there are some causes and risk factors associated with the following disease. Let’s talk about this part-
Causes and Risk Factors Associated with Asbestosis:
You may become entrenched in your lungs after inhaling Asbestosis fibers and that causes you to format scar tissue. This process of scarring is known as Asbestosis. This scarring makes your breathing difficult because it blocks your lung tissue from contracting and breathing normally. asbestos was generally found in fireproofing and construction jobs. You have a high chance of developing the disease if you worked in asbestos-associated industry before the regulation of federal laws. Even after issuing federal laws, many industries in the UK are still using Asbestosis. However, the government closely monitors those industries through the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). Apart from that, if you are a smoker, then also you have a much higher chance of developing Asbestosis. Now, let’s talk about diagnosing and testing Asbestosis-
Diagnosing and Testing of Asbestosis:
At first, doctors perform several different tests on you to know if you have Asbestosis. These tests also help the doctor to rule other vital conditions that have similar symptoms. Your doctor will generally use a stethoscope to monitor your abnormal sounds of breath. This is a part of the physical exam. On top of that, your doctor can order to perform X-rays for better inspection of your chest or lungs.
After performing all these initial tests, your doctor may perform Pulmonary (lung) function tests on you to measure the airflow and air amount you can inhale from and to your lungs. Your doctor also can perform some tests to measure the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream. In addition, doctors use CT scans to examine your lungs with extra details. Also, your doctor can perform a biopsy on you to search for Asbestosis fibers in your lung tissue. However, you do not have to panic because there are many advanced treatment options for Asbestosis in the initial stage. Let’s look forward to those options-
Treatments for Asbestosis:
The first thing you need to be clear about is that Asbestosis cannot be cured totally. However, some treatments can support reducing the symptoms. Prescription inhalers can help you to lose your lung congestion. Oxygen supplements from tubes or a mask that fits perfectly with your nose can help you to boost your blood oxygen levels. Asbestosis treatments also help in preventing the disease from getting worse. You can quit smoking or further exposure to Asbestos. In severe conditions, you may leave without any option rather than a lung transplant. Now, you know about Asbestosis treatments but you may develop some serious complications because of Asbestosis. Let’s discuss those complications-
Complications and long term outlooks of Asbestosis:
Overexposure to Asbestos can result in malignant mesothelioma. This is a severe form of lung cancer. In maximum time, smoking is the main cause of lung cancer. Exposure to Asbestosis can lead to pleural effusion, which is a disease where fluids build up around your lungs. Complications caused by Asbestos depend on how long you were exposed to Asbestos and how much you inhaled it. This exposure occurs at a slower rate. Though, it is observed that people who have Asbestosis but don’t build up any complications can live for decades. Now, let’s see what you have to do once you find out that you have symptoms of Asbestosis-
What should you do once you find out that you have Asbestosis?
If you are an Asbestosis patient then you have to visit your doctor more often and do a chest X-ray and screening every 3 to 5 years. You should follow all safety procedures and use every safety equipment at work to prevent yourself from inhaling Asbestos. In addition, you should contact your nearest OSHA if you have any complain with your employer about using Asbestos. They will help you to provide more safety in your workplace and provide more information related to health issues.
Now let’s gain some knowledge on the Asbestos Exposure lawsuit.
Asbestos Exposure Lawsuit:
There are two types of Asbestos Exposure lawsuits. 1st one is Personal Injury Lawsuit and 2nd one is the Wrongful Death Lawsuit. Both types of Asbestos Exposure Lawsuit is mentioned below-
Personal Injury Lawsuit:
A Mesothelioma Personal Injury Lawsuit helps people with Asbestosis to seek compensation from their employer or the company that exposed them to asbestos. Asbestos liability is normally based on the failure of companies to warn their consumers and employees about the complications and dangers connected with inhaling this toxic material named Asbestos.
Wrongful Death Lawsuit:
Family of dead mesothelioma patients can file a Wrongful Death Lawsuit for seeking compensation to cover hospital bills, expenses for funeral, and lost income.
If a patient suffering from mesothelioma files a Personal Injury Lawsuit but passes away before resolving the case, then the recipient can continue the case.
Now, I’m going to discuss some extremely knowledgeable Asbestos Lawyers in the UK that can be your great reference.
Top 5 Asbestos Lawyers in the UK
No matter which lawyer you choose, he is required to be accessible, compassionate, and sensitive towards your matter. Your lawyer should manage every part of your case allowing you to focus on the most important matters especially your treatment and your health. In the below-given list, I discussed some best Lawyers in the UK that you might keep for your reference.
Mr. John Das
Mr. John Das is an expert in dealing with personal injury lawsuits. He is a successful lawyer in Derby who handled many Mesothelioma cases skillfully. He is also the director at Dedicated Accident Solicitors.
Mrs. Virginia Chalmers
Mrs. Virginia Chalmers is from Bristol and has immense experience in handling Asbestosis and Asbestos-related cancer cases. Presently, she acts as a partner in the Charge of Asbestos Claims.
Miss Samantha Shaw
She is one of the top mesothelioma lawyers in the UK. Presently she is an assistant solicitor. She has successfully handled cases related to Asbestosis.
Miss Bridget Collier
Miss Bridget Collier belongs to Manchester and has more than 20 years of experience in this field.
Mr. Edmund Young
He is the head of industrial diseases in London. He is a well-recognized lawyer handling cases related to mesothelioma successfully.
Now, let’s gain knowledge about some best Asbestos Law Firms in the world-
Best Asbestos Law Firm – Top 10 Asbestos Law Firm
You should choose your Asbestos Law Firm based on experience, winning track records, and most importantly comfort. In the below-given list, I discussed some best Law Firms that you might keep for your reference.
Weitz & Luxenberg P.C.
Offices: New Jersey, New York, Cherry Hill, LA, Detroit
Serves Clients: Nationwide
Experience: 30 Years
Website: https://www.weitzlux.com/
Contact Number: (844) 288-4338
Weitz & Luxenberg is the leading law firm with more than 30 years of experience in dealing with Asbestos Litigation. They helped more than 55,000 families affected by an Asbestos-related disease like Mesothelioma. The firm handles approx 500 cases per year related to asbestosis disease with a team of paralegals, efficient lawyers, and support professionals. The firm has won over $8. Billion Mesothelioma judgments and settlements.
Cooney & Conway
Offices: Chicago
Serves Clients: Nationwide
Experience: Over 40 Years
Website: https://www.cooneyconway.com/
Contact Number: (800) 322-5573
Cooney & Conway is operating in the heart of Chicago since 1958. The firm has more than 40 years of experience in handling Asbestos Litigation. The firm has won multimillion-dollar cases against several manufactures with the help of experienced lawyers. They even won cases against some famous manufacturer giants like Owens Corning Fiberglas, United States Gypsum, and Armstrong. They have recovered more than millions for their clients.
Simmons Hanly Conroy
Offices: Alton, Chicago, Illinois, New York, St. Louis, California, San Francisco
Serves Clients: Nationwide
Experience: Over 20 Years
Website: https://www.simmonsfirm.com/
Contact Number: (855) 364-6270
Simmons Hanly Conroy started serving Mesothelioma patients and their families in 1999. The firm has helped more than 6,000 families. In addition, the firm has recovered about $7 billion in settlements. The firm is operating nationwide with an experienced number staff of three hundred employees. Even, the firm won a verdict of $34 million for an 80-year-old mechanic in just 1 month trial against the industrial giant Ford Motor Company.
Nemeroff Law
Offices: New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Utah, Park City, Houston, Dallas.
Serves Clients: Nationwide
Experience: Over 25 years
Website: https://www.nemerofflaw.com/
Contact Number: 1-866-550-6222
In the early 1990s, Rick Nemeroff began Nemeroff Law firm fighting for people affected by indifferent corporations. At present, the firm has a team of efficient lawyers with more than 150 years of collective experience. The firm has recovered over $100 million for the patients suffering from Mesothelioma and their family. They served Mesothelioma patients from over 50 states. The firm has set a record by winning big trial judgments, including a verdict against Owens Corning Fiberglas and Exxon, and won over $12.6 and $9.25 million respectively.
Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman
Offices: Hawaii, Honolulu
Serves Clients: Nationwide
Experience: Over 35 years
Website: https://galiherlaw.com/
Contact Number: 1-888-597-1441
Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman is the leading law firm dealing with cases related to Mesothelioma for the Hawaiian Islands. Knowledgeable attorneys of the firm have traveled to more than 40 countries to work with their clients affected by harmful asbestos exposure. The firm has won over 250 jury verdicts and recovered more than $1 billion for its victims.
I hope, you are now much aware of the best asbestos law firms so I am giving you a short idea about Asbestos settlements here-
Asbestos Settlements and Compensation:
Firstly, the normal amount of asbestosis settlements are done between $1 million to $1.4 million. Many aspects can make an impact on this settlement like the timeline of the case, the number of defendants, the statute of limitations/ state jurisdictions, and others. Additionally, the average compensation for a Mesothelioma lawsuit is $2.4 million. However, an average Mesothelioma patient receives $301,275 (as per last year’s data). On the other hand, a typical asbestosis patient received just $100,000 last year. This happened because of the rising number of cases partially offset by the lower average size of the claim, costs of legal defense, and costs of settlements.
Legal compensation for Mesothelioma covers several costs related to asbestos-related cancer. If you are suffering from asbestos then here is the list of common expenses that can be compensated-
Lost Wages
Treatment Cost
Travel Expenses
Caregiver Costs
Support for therapy and grief
Funeral expenses
Lastly, Asbestosis is a critical disease and you should take care of it from the beginning. Stop smoking because it has the same effect as Asbestos. It will slowly kill you. Live your life to the fullest and try to take help from the upper given contacts if you have any complaints with your employer not following industrial health guidelines.
This is all for now. I hope you gain a lot of information and knowledge from this article about Asbestosis. I’ll try to come up with more new and detailed information on the same topic. Until then, please take care of your health as much as possible. In conclusion, I just want to say that all the upper given information is researched through the internet and there is no personal opinion included. So, if you have any complaints regarding this article or any kind of suggestion then feel free to share it with me. I’ll genuinely try to follow those suggestions in the future.
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