Recent studies have shown that each year approximately 10,000 Americans die from asbestos-related diseases. An estimated 3,000 die from mesothelioma, 5,000 from lung cancer, and 2,000 from other cancers or diseases related to the toxic chemical.
Linda Reinstein, the President of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, is a leading advocate for victims of asbestos exposure and an activist for preventing future asbestos-related deaths.
Reinstein spoke before a US Senate Committee that was summoned to hear testimony on asbestos use in the US. Despite the increasing number of deaths connected to asbestos disease, the asbestos lawsuits and public awareness of the dangers of asbestos exposure, the toxic chemical continues to be used across the US.
Reinstein discussed the continued use of asbestos, with ports in Louisiana, Texas, California and New Jersey still receiving asbestos shipments. Reinstein examined the need to ban the manufacture, sale and export of asbestos-containing products, while protecting each state’s ability to pass tougher laws to regulate the toxic chemical.
“One life lost to a preventable asbestos-caused disease is tragic,” stated Reinstein. “Hundreds of thousands of lives lost is unconscionable.”
Occupations at Higher Risk for Asbestos Exposure
The real tragedy of mesothelioma cancer is that many employers were well aware of the dangers of asbestos when they exposed their workers to the chemical. Many workers do not develop symptoms of mesothelioma for many decades after their initial exposure to asbestos.
Before the federal and state governments began regulating asbestos, the corporations that manufactured and produced the hazardous material made massive profits. Meanwhile, their own employees were inhaling extremely toxic asbestos fibers, which led to thousands of workers developing mesothelioma and other cancers.
Exposed to Asbestos? Our Experienced Mesothelioma Attorneys Want to Help You
Our Louisiana mesothelioma attorneys understand the emotional and financial burdens weighing on mesothelioma cancer patients and know that time is of the essence.
Firm partner Shirin Harrell is a licensed nurse as well as an attorney with a keen insight into the struggles cancer patients face, and co-founding partner Eric Nowak is a seasoned medical litigator who holds responsible parties accountable to their victims. Both are dedicated to finding relief for workers to ease their financial burdens and to help them maintain a satisfactory quality of life.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer or asbestos exposure cancer, contact us today at (504) 522-7885 for a free consultation to discuss your case and to review the options available for you.
[Did You Know: Between 2000 and 2010, 43,464 Americans died from mesothelioma and asbestosis.]
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C.– Louisiana Mesothelioma Attorneys