Georgia Mesothelioma Injuries

Asbestos exposure has been a big problem in Georgia for years. Mesothelioma injuries take a long time to be diagnosed and the results can be horrific.

Asbestos is often described as one material, but it is not. It is actually a catch word for six naturally occurring minerals that have been used in products. The six are Chrysotile asbestos, Crocidolite asbestos, Amosite asbestos, Tremolite asbestos, Anthophyllite asbestos, and Actinolite asbestos. The Amosite and Tremolite versions are the most commonly used and also the most hazardous as they can become airborne easily and breathed into the lungs.

In Georgia as everywhere, asbestos exposure leads to Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare, but brutal form of cancer that effects the lining [mesothelium] around organs such as the lungs and heart in the chest cavity and abdomen. It is very hard to diagnose and can take up to 50 years to show injuries that can be diagnosed. Unfortunately, the growth at that point has usually infected the lungs, heart and other organs to the point that life expectancy can run one to two years.

Georgia has a long history of asbestos exposure. The problem primarily is found in construction jobs where insulation and other materials contained asbestos. Georgia Pacific, based in Atlanta, used asbestos as a material in construction products it produced from 1965 to 1977 and faced tens of thousands of lawsuits related to Mesothelioma claims arising from both the use of the product by construction workers and the actual manufacturing of the product.

Georgia also has a history of asbestos problems in buildings. The City of Butler, for instance, did a study of its water in 1995 and found that asbestos levels were shockingly high. The problem? The pipes used to ship water had asbestos in them!

Mesothelioma injuries can range from the removal of a lung to, unfortunately, the most common result which is death. If you are in Georgia and have been diagnosed, you’ve been exposed to asbestos at one point or another. You should see a asbestos-Mesothelioma attorney as soon as possible to learn you rights.