Middletown Asbestos Exposure

Ohio Asbestos Lawyer

Investigating Middletown Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer Claims

Asbestos refers to six minerals that occur naturally in the environment as bundles of fibers that can be made into durable threads for commercial and industrial use. These fibers are resistant to heat, fire, and do not conduct electricity. A great deal of Middletown factories and plants used asbestos in buildings and industrial materials.

Building and construction industries have used it for strengthening cement and plastics, in insulation, roofing, and fireproofing. The shipbuilding industry has used it to insulate boilers and steam pipes. The car industry uses asbestos in vehicle brake shoes and clutch pads. Asbestos has been used in ceiling tiles, floor tiles, paints, and adhesives.

In the 1970s, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) banned the use of asbestos in wallboard and gas fireplaces, and in 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned all new uses of asbestos.

Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Cincinnati mesothelioma attorney and Middletown Asbestos Cancer Lawyer representing plaintiffs nationwide in a wide variety of toxic tort and asbestos injury claims in Ohio and Kentucky.

Middletown Asbestos Cancer

If products containing asbestos are disturbed, small toxic fibers are released into the air, possibly breathed in, and trapped in the lungs. Asbestos fibers can accumulate and cause scarring and inflammation. Asbestos is a known human carcinogen, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Exposure in Ohio may also increase the risk of lung cancer and asbestosis, an inflammatory condition affecting the lungs that can cause permanent lung damage.

Middletown AK Steel Asbestos Exposure

Low levels of asbestos are present in the air, water, and soil, and the people who become ill from asbestos are usually those exposed to it on a regular basis on the job. Health hazards from asbestos fibers have been recognized in shipbuilding, asbestos mining and milling, manufacturing of textiles and other asbestos products, insulation, construction and building, demolition, drywall removers, firefighters, mechanics and automobile workers. Evidence suggests there is no safe level of asbestos exposure in Ohio.

Many Middletown workers have been exposed during their workdays at AK Steel or other factories where asbestos materials were used or were built into the factory foundation. A Middletown Asbestos Cancer Lawyer can assess the root cause of a mesothelioma injury and file lawsuits on behalf of injured plaintiffs.

Workers who develop asbestos-related diseases show no signs of illness for up to 40 years before symptoms of an asbestos-related condition appear. There is some evidence that family members of workers exposed to asbestos face an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, as fibers may be brought into the home on the clothing, skin, and hair of workers.

Mesothelioma Risk Factors

• Size of dose
• Duration of exposure
• Size, shape, and chemical makeup of asbestos fibers
• Source of exposure
• Individual risk factors, e.g. pre-existing lung disease
• Genetic factors

Contact a medical professional if you develop any asbestos illness symptoms:

• Shortness of breath
• A persistent cough
• Coughed up blood from the lungs
• Persistent pain in chest
• Difficulty swallowing
• Swelling in the neck or face
• Loss of appetite
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Anemia

Middletown Asbestos Cancer Lawyer

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a component of the U.S. Department of Labor and is responsible for health and safety regulations in maritime, construction, manufacturing, and service workplaces. The OSHA establishes regulations dealing with asbestos exposure.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) publishes regulations related to mine safety. Workers should use all protective equipment provided by their employers and follow recommended workplace safety procedures.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is another Federal agency that is concerned with asbestos exposure in the workplace. NIOSH conducts asbestos-related research, evaluates work sites for possible health hazards, and makes exposure control recommendations.

The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Program provides benefits to longshoremen, harbor workers, other maritime workers, and other classes of private industry workers who are injured during the course of employment or suffer from diseases caused by asbestos.

Eligible veterans may receive asbestos-related health care at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is the principal Federal agency responsible for evaluating the human health effects of exposure to hazardous substances likes asbestos.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the general public’s exposure to asbestos in buildings, drinking water, and the environment. The EPA provides technical assistance and information about asbestos illness and programs implemented under the Toxic Substances Control Act, which include the Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act and the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is responsible for protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of consumer products, including asbestos.