Asbestos Products

Asbestos Millboard

Asbestos Millboard was used in the construction of walls and ceilings, particularly around furnaces and wood-burning stoves, where insulation and fire protection was required. Most varieties of asbestos millboard typically contained between 80% and 85% asbestos.

In 1977, the use of asbestos in most construction materials was banned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The ban was enacted due to the known dangers of this substance. Asbestos fibers, when inhaled into the lungs or otherwise ingested, can potentially cause diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, both of which have very high mortality rates. These diseases are most commonly caused by long-term asbestos exposure over several years, but mesothelioma has been known to be caused by even very short term exposure.

Protecting yourself from Asbestos

The presence of materials such as asbestos millboard in your home is not necessarily a cause for alarm. These materials are safe as long as they are in good condition and are not disturbed. Asbestos is dangerous only if fibers are released into the air and are able to be inhaled into the lungs.

If your home was built in or before the 1980s, it is possible it may have been built using asbestos millboard or other asbestos-containing construction materials. While materials that are intact and in good condition pose little danger, it is important to know whether asbestos-containing materials exist in your home so that you monitor the condition of the materials to keep you and your family safe. It is particularly important to find out if you are planning to remodel or renovate, as this is likely to cause disturbances that may release asbestos fibers into the air.

Asbestos and your Legal Rights

Mesothelioma is a particularly deadly form of cancer, for several reasons. First and most importantly, there is currently no cure for the disease. It also has a long latency period, meaning that two or more decades typically elapse between exposure to asbestos and the development of the disease. In addition, the symptoms of mesothelioma cancer are non-specific in the early stages, and can resemble symptoms of much less serious viral infections. For these reasons mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose, and of the two thousand Americans who are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year, more than 50% will die within two years of diagnosis.

Anyone who was involved in manufacturing or using asbestos millboard and other asbestos-containing products may be at risk for developing mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis or lung cancer. There are potential risks for the families of such workers too, as well as people who live in homes constructed using asbestos-containing building materials.

The development of mesothelioma is a tragedy that could have largely been avoided. The dangers of asbestos were known long before its used was reduced or discontinued. For this reason, anyone who develops mesothelioma should know that they can contact a mesothelioma lawyer and pursue a lawsuit or settlement to claim financial compensation from the company that was responsible for their exposure to asbestos.

An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can provide legal assistance in a number of ways. They can assist you in determining when and how asbestos exposure occurred, and which company was responsible. With this information they can build a case to help you obtain compensation for loss of quality of life, loss of income, and the payment of medical expenses.

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