New Jersey Asbestosis Lawyer​

Asbestosis is one of many diseases someone could suffer after exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a class of fibrous minerals manufacturers used in the 1900s to create a variety of fabric, building, and construction materials. The U.S. banned the use of asbestos in most fireproofing and insulating capacities in 1973, and passed the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule in 1989. Unfortunately, these measures were several decades too late to prevent harmful asbestosis exposure for hundreds of thousands of workers and citizens.

Asbestosis is a chronic type of lung disease that causes fibrosis, or the scarring and thickening of tissues, in the lungs. People with asbestosis are also at high risk of malignant mesothelioma, a type of cancer that can develop in the lining of the pleura. One can develop asbestosis after inhaling microscopic asbestos fibers. Symptoms of asbestosis can include shortness of breath, chest tightness, chest pain, persistent cough, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fingertips or toes that looked “clubbed,” or wider than normal.

The populations most at risk of getting asbestosis are those people who worked or lived with or near asbestos. In New Jersey, shipyards and industrial facilities in the 1900s put workers at high risk of asbestos exposure, as did jobs in the construction, electricity, HVAC, engineering, and auto mechanic industries. If you were a first responder or firefighter who helped save lives or clean up debris after the 9/11 World Trade Center attack in New York, you could also have suffered asbestos inhalation. Talk to a dedicated New Jersey asbestos attorney at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP to find out if your asbestosis gives you the right to financial compensation.