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Secondhand Asbestos Contamination

Michael Agruss

Written and Reviewed by Michael Agruss

  • Managing Partner and Personal Injury Lawyer at Mike Agruss Law.
  • Over 20 years of experience in Personal Injury.
  • Over 8000+ consumer rights cases settled.
  • Graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law: Juris Doctor, 2004.

Cases of mesothelioma, a painful and aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, are diagnosed all the time. Frequently, mesothelioma patients file lawsuits against the companies who exposed them to the mineral. A recent mesothelioma lawsuit, filed in May in New Orleans, addresses the wider reach of occupational asbestos exposure.

A woman whose husband worked with friable asbestos is suing her husband’s employer. He brought the contaminants home on his work clothes, which she handled—ingesting some of the friable fibers—and, many years later, she developed mesothelioma, a cancer that can lie dormant for forty years. Her lawsuit argues the defendants knew of the hazards associated with asbestos, but failed to warn their employees of the danger to them and to their families. Neither the workers nor their loved ones knew were being exposed to such a serious toxin, or that it could cause fatal illnesses long after the exposure.

Often, asbestos lawsuits are filed against many defendants—some people had the misfortune to work for many companies who exposed them to asbestos. The dangers of the mineral have been known for a long time, and it’s been outlawed in new construction since 1979—but it was so widely used, and so cheap, that exposure is still happening, as buildings and mechanical structures deteriorate. Profits are put ahead of employee safety—safety gear and training on how to handle the material are relatively inexpensive—and workers who demo buildings built before the ban are sometimes told there’s no asbestos present. This happened recently in Fresno, CA, when three unscrupulous men lied to high school students, luring them into removing asbestos from a former air force base, without any kind of protection. The men are headed to jail.

If you or someone you care for has suffered an injury as a result of negligence, you have options. Contact Mike Agruss Law, at 312-224-4695 for a free consultation. We are a Chicago injury law firm representing individuals and families who have suffered an injury or loss due to an accident. Mike Agruss Law, will handle your personal injury case quickly, will advise you every step of the way, and will not hesitate to go to trial for you.

Lastly, Mike Agruss Law, does not get paid attorney’s fees unless we win your case. Our no-fee promise is that simple. Therefore, you have nothing to risk when you hire us–just the opportunity to seek justice.

Submitted Comments

Ella
3 years ago
How helpful that you mention how many people could be exposed to asbestos. I just moved into an older home and want to make sure I'm safe from asbestos. I will find a good asbestos abatement service in my area.
Michael Agruss
3 years ago
Hi Ella. Congratulations on the new home and I hope that you can find someone to help you determine if you have asbestos in your home. If you need any help with secondhand asbestos contamination, give my office a call. Thanks, Mike

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