Bath Iron Works
During World War II, a significant endeavor was made by the United States Navy to boost the efforts for the war. These amplified efforts incorporated building many new war ships to help with the crusade. For many of the shipyard workforce helping to build these ships, working with asbestos was a daily responsibility. At that point in time, many people didn't appreciate the outcomes of working with asbestos as those outcomes are now understood.
Today, we recognize the ramifications of working with asbestos. The fine strand-like dust of asbestos is easily inhaled when an employee is not wearing a face mask (However in those days, no one wore a face mask during the war effort in the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine, or any of the shipyards all through the country). These tiny strand-like particles of asbestos are nearly indestructible and are easily stuck in the pleura (the lining of the lungs) or the lining of the heart or abdomen. These strand-like fibers then cause irritation in the area, allowing in an infection and in some cases, turning cancerous.
This form of asbestos cancer is called mesothelioma and there is an undeviating correlation with asbestos exposure and this illness. Mesothelioma is almost always incurable - mesothelioma does not respond to the standard cancer treatments we use today, such as radiation and chemotherapy. Most people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma do not have long to live and quickly perish from the cancer.
All levels of asbestos exposure, even the most infinitesimal, can put you at heightened risk for mesothelioma cancer and asbestos related illnesses and this includes the families of Bath Iron Works shipyard workforce. Asbestos fibers cling to skin, clothing and hair quite easily and were likely brought home and dislodged, then inhaled by family members. Families of metalworkers are among those that have been diagnosed with asbestos related diseases, including mesothelioma cancer.
Mesothelioma is measured by experts as an infrequent type of cancer that accounts for a small one percent of cancer-related deaths. While mesothelioma may be a rare form of cancer, there are approximately 2,000 new cases reported each year.
If you, or a family member, have been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease, such as mesothelioma, you should contact a qualified asbestos or mesothelioma lawyer to discuss your case and possible lawsuit.
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