In a recent case involving a former chemical operator at Hoffman-LaRoche in Nutley, New Jersey, the rare cancer mesothelioma has been brought to light along with the hazards of asbestos exposure.
The lawsuit alleges that a former worker passed away as a direct result of being exposed to asbestos while at work. The estate of the deceased worker is filing against several manufacturers and suppliers of asbestos and asbestos-containing products.
In addition, the lawsuit is alleging that the companies that mined, processed and sold asbestos and asbestos products were knowledgeable of the side effects triggered by asbestos exposure, but failed to enlighten those exposed about the hazards.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Current treatment options do not provide a cure and the average mesothelioma life expectancy after a person is diagnosed is between four and 18 months. The latency period for the onset of symptoms ranges between 20 and 50 years after someone’s initial exposure to asbestos.
Former chemical workers may have been exposed to asbestos in a number of ways, including the protective clothing they wore, countertops and miscellaneous coating materials. Some of the more commonly used equipment within chemical plants that may have been made with asbestos products included boilers, ovens, furnaces, pumps and pipes.
asbestos-containing materials were used throughout chemical plants to provide a safer working environment for employees. asbestos was fireproof and acted as a great insulator. It was highly resistant to reactive chemicals as well. However, the long-standing side effects of asbestos exposure have been responsible for many chemical-plant-related deaths.
The number of people diagnosed with mesothelioma in the United States each year varies between 2,000 and 3,000 people. With these numbers expected to rise in the near future, we can expect more former chemical plant workers to become diagnosed with the disease.
Additional information on mesothelioma and asbestos exposure may be found through the mesothelioma Center.