Asbestos Products

Patching Plaster

Asbestos is a highly toxic substance that is a known cause of lung cancer, and the sole cause of other diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer. In the twentieth century asbestos was used in a wide range of construction products as well as in the construction and ship-building industries. Asbestos was a very common component of patching plaster, which was often used on walls and ceilings for patching cracks, holes and gaps in walls and joints.

In 1977, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in patching plaster and most other construction materials. However, existing stocks of asbestos-containing materials were used well into the 1980s, as the ban only applied to the manufacture of new supplies of such products.

Patching plaster that contains asbestos is harmless as long as the material is left undisturbed. Asbestos-containing patching plaster is dangerous only when the material is drilled, cracked, scraped or sanded. Even a slight disturbance can cause asbestos fibers to become airborne, and possibly breathed into the lungs. If your home was built in or before the 1980s, and you are concerned that asbestos-containing patching plaster may be present in your home, it is possible to have the materials tested for the presence of asbestos.

While people who live or work in homes or buildings that contain asbestos are at some risk if such materials are disturbed, the greatest level of risk lies in working in an industrial setting where asbestos is used in manufacturing or construction processes. Many thousands of workers were exposed to asbestos throughout the twentieth century, not knowing that they were being exposed to a highly toxic substance. Tragically, the dangers of asbestos were known as early as the 1930s, but even so many companies did not supply their workers with the safety equipment that would have prevented asbestos exposure and ultimately saved their lives.

Unfortunately for many people exposed to asbestos, they do not find out about the dangers of the substance until it is too late. Long-term exposure to asbestos contained in patching plaster and other materials can cause the development of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

Mesothelioma cancer is caused by long-term or repeated exposure to asbestos. However, mesothelioma takes several decades to develop, and people living in homes with asbestos-containing patching plaster or other construction materials may be exposed to asbestos unknowingly. The symptoms of mesothelioma are very nonspecific, and a person with early stage mesothelioma may have symptoms that resemble flu or pneumonia. This means that mesothelioma is very difficult to diagnose, and this contributes to the cancer's high mortality rate.

If you or a loved one is in this situation, you do have some rights, it's important to understand that you have legal rights. Contact an experienced mesothelioma lawyer who can explain your rights, and help you gather information to determine how and when asbestos exposure occurred. This information can help your mesothelioma lawyer build a case against the company responsible.

Winning a lawsuit or settlement can provide financial compensation that will help pay for medical expenses and cover lost income, and also compensate you for the loss of quality of life, and emotional and physical suffering that mesothelioma causes. More importantly, the negligent actions of the company responsible are brought to light so they can be held accountable.

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