Many people ask why asbestos claims are continuing to be filed by sick and injured workers when they were exposed to asbestos decades ago. The reason is that unlike exposure to certain toxic chemicals which can kill or injure immediately upon exposure, the effects of asbestos can take 30 or more years to appear.
Often referred to as a “Latent Disease”, this delayed effect is one of the things that made the continued use of asbestos products so dangerous and deadly. By at least the 1930s many industrial organizations were aware that asbestos could cause asbestosis and was a likely cause of cancer. However, these same organizations also recognized that it could take years for these diseases to appear and many corporations continued to use asbestos-products betting that their workers would die of other causes before being diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease.
Asbestos was used extensively by the railroad industry in numerous applications in buildings and on locomotives and railcars. The use of asbestos-containing products continued to increase throughout most of the 20th Century and it was not until the 1970s, with the enactment of OSHA, that limitations on certain uses of asbestos were put in place. Despite this, asbestos-containing products still have not been completely banned in the United States. According to a report issued in 2017 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number deaths from Mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, increased between 1999 and 2015.
As a result, workers who believe they were exposed to asbestos should follow up and get tested to determine if they have been affected.
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SAMMONS & BERRY, P.C., represents railroad workers and their families in asbestos claims ACROSS THE COUNTRY. Our lawyers, paralegals, and other professionals are experienced in evaluating, investigating, negotiating and trying these difficult cases. If you believe you or a family member were exposed to asbestos while working for a railroad – call or email us for a FREE case evaluation. Our team of experienced attorneys will review the facts in your case and answer any questions you may have. To see if you qualify, call SAMMONS & BERRY, P.C. now at (800) 519-1440 or click the button below.