Mesothelioma Law Firms

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Recent reports in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada have indicated that the annual number of mesothelioma deaths is increasing. Mesothelioma is a rare but deadly form of lung cancer related to asbestos exposure. Exposure is often result of working in an industry, such as the insulation or automotive, which uses asbestos in manufacture or production. Because mesothelioma usually manifests 20 to 40 years after the first exposure, many reported cases derive from asbestos exposure that occurred in the 1960s and 1970s.

According to calculations by the Center for Disease Control, mesothelioma deaths are expected to peak around 2010 in the United States whereas in the United Kingdom, the Health and Safety Executive predicted mesothelioma cases would continue to rise until 2016. The Canadian government reported mesothelioma cases shot up 67 percent in the last 15 years. The number of mesothelioma cases amoung women is reported to rise as well, despite that men are more likely to develop the cancer.

The increase in mesothelioma cases is due to asbestos exposure that occurred 20 to 40 years ago. Cancer patients face a bleak prognosis of less than 18 months. Additionally, asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma, which points to an occupational or environmental hazard present in the patients’ lives prior to diagnosis.

Although optimism remains that the number of the cases is expected to decline as the residual impact of asbestos use subsides, asbestos-related diseases are debilitating and often the result of inadvertent exposure via an occupational hazard. Plumbers, electricians and electrical fitters, carpenters, and heating and ventilating engineers are the professions who run the risk of developing a disease related to asbestos according to reports in UK. However many death certificates do not record occupations of the patients dying from mesothelioma.

Even though commercial use of asbestos has decreased tremendously, potentially fatal medical conditions can arise from even the smallest bit of asbestos exposure, including lung cancer, asbestosis, or mesothelioma. Many individuals seek compensation for costly medical bills due to asbestos exposure with a mesothelioma lawsuit.

Mesothelioma litigation has risen in recent years as the population that was exposed to asbestos earlier in the twentieth century continues to age and the negative effects of asbestos become more prevalent. Mesothelioma treatment can be intense and expensive, which is why many mesothelioma patients seek mesothelioma legal counsel from experienced mesothelioma law firms. Although asbestos exposure has dropped in recent years, those exposed prior to the twenty-first century continue to suffer from the side effects.

Scientists in Australia speculate that the number of mesothelioma cases reported there will rise rapidly over the next 15 years, reaching a disturbing peak of 900 deaths from mesothelioma cancer a year.

The Australian workforce once relied heavily on jobs from asbestos-related processing and construction companies and now is finding that they are becoming victims of their one-time employment.

Mesothelioma Death Rates

A professor for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine used World Health Organization (WHO) figures and found that the UK and Australia both currently lead in the number of mesothelioma-related deaths worldwide.

Professor Julian Peto, head of the Cancer Research UK Epidemiology and Genetics Group, speculated that the death rate from asbestos-related diseases will only increase, especially among men who are currently 40 years of age, and who will become nearly 100 times more likely to die by the time they reach 80 years of age.

Peto also speculated that since the 1980s, there have been approximately 10,000 cases of mesothelioma reported in Australia alone. He also concluded that within the next 40 years, more than 25,000 Australians could die from asbestosis.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma Diagnosis

At its peak, in the 1970s, nearly 10,000 tonnes (equivalent to more than 22 million pounds) of brown asbestos was being imported into Australia for use in the construction industry, largely affecting construction workers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians and shipyard workers.

According to Peto, who presented his findings at a public lecture at the University of Melbourne in April 2008, nearly 500 Australian men and 100 Australian women are diagnosed each year with asbestos-related conditions including mesothelioma cancer.

What is Asbestos and How Does it Cause Mesothelioma?

Vermiculite is a mineral for which asbestos comes from. There are several types of asbestos found throughout the world, and the use of asbestos was wide spread during the 20th century worldwide, as it was a heat-resistant product that was inexpensively produced, offering the construction industry a cheaply made and easily mass produced product.

Asbestos was mined and heavily imported in Australia. For years, individuals were exposed to asbestos in many different ways and often, many of them developed mesothelioma cancer.

Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer caused usually by the inhalation of asbestos fibers and dust. It is often misdiagnosed and even when symptoms are present, it can be difficult to diagnose.

Often termed “a silent killer” because it remains dormant for years, showing no signs or symptoms in victims. Mesothelioma can be a dormant condition, not revealing symptoms for decades in an individual.

Types of Asbestos

There are six types of asbestos commonly found including, chrysotile (white), amosite (brown), crocidolite (blue), tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite. Blue, brown and white were the most commonly used types of asbestos. Chrysotile is considered a more flexible form of asbestos and its use was implemented into a range of products including cement roofing sheets for buildings, brake linings, pipe insulation, floor tiles, and even for fire protection within fuses. In the United States, chrysotile is the most common type of asbestos found and a large contributor for mesothelioma there.

Both the brown and blue, amosite and crocidolite asbestos, had been banned in Australia in the 1980s. Crocidolite is also predominately found in Australia and Africa.

The health affects of white asbestos was discovered early on, but the use of both brown and blue asbestos continued, and mining of the product soared until its medical affects became clear and regulations began to be implemented after the 1980s.

Australian Mesothelioma Treatment Facilities Increase

Due to the high rate of asbestosis cases reported in Australia, with no relief in site, many medical facilities and mesothelioma research centers are setting up headquarters there.

For example, the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia and the Queensland Asbestos Related Disease Support Society are two groups working to offer mesothelioma victims support and information regarding their condition as well as funding for the research of mesothelioma treatments.

While mesothelioma treatment research continues there are no known cures for asbestos-related illnesses. Individuals are advised to speak with an experienced mesothelioma law firm to learn more about developing mesothelioma litigation.

Because of the preventable nature of mesothelioma and the high costs associated with managing the disease, developing a mesothelioma lawsuit may provide monetary compensation as a potential outcome for victims seeking relief.