Asbestos has long been known to be harmful to a person's health. The characteristics of asbestos make it a particularly toxic substance because of how easily a person can be exposed and how much damage the fibers can do inside a person's body when inhaled.
Asbestos presents a continuing health hazard in North Carolina
Many people in North Carolina and other states believe that the severe health hazard posed by asbestos fibers has largely disappeared. While many of the original victims of fatal asbestos exposure have died from their disease or other causes, the environmental threat of asbestos fibers is still with us.
Where is asbestos often found in homes and buildings?
Whether you own, lease or are looking to buy a home, there are certain hazards that you must be on the lookout for. Often, people think about faulty plumbing, poor insulation crumbling foundations, older roofs and outdated appliances as some of the more significant issues in a home. But these issues can be even more troubling that people may realize.
Avoiding heat-related work illnesses and death
Employers in North Carolina should understand when there are potential risks and dangers in the work environment. This is especially true for jobs that are more inherently dangerous. The construction industry has various potential risks and dangers, but if employers address these issues, work accidents and injuries could be reduced. By providing adequate training and safety equipment, the lives of the workers could be protected. Failure to do so could result in a fatal work accident.
Widow's wrongful death lawsuit heads back to trial
Asbestos litigation can be intimidating to people, especially when they are also dealing with an illness or death of a loved one. However, it can also be a necessary means of pursuing damages that victims and their families deserve.
Tracking down the source of your asbestos exposure
Getting diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis can be shattering news for anyone. These illnesses can be aggressive and very difficult to treat, especially when it is not caught in the early stages. Seemingly in the blink of an eye, a person's life can change dramatically.
NC public housing agency fined for asbestos violations
One of the most devastating realizations that people can have when they learn about diseases caused by asbestos exposure is that there are effective ways to prevent toxic exposure, but many people do not employ these safeguards. Even though the hazards of asbestos have been known for decades, there are some parties who simply fail or refuse to take the appropriate steps to protect people.
Taking action after a mesothelioma death
Losing a loved one who had battled a devastating illness can be one of the most difficult experiences a person can go through. No one wants to see someone they love and care about suffer and we want to do everything we can to help that person. In the worst cases, an illness is incurable and a death resulting from that condition is all but unavoidable.
What are the standards for properly removing asbestos?
People in the construction industry often are required to work on renovation and demolition projects. Like any other project, these can present a danger to workers health if unsafe conditions exist. But renovation and demolition jobs can also come with the additional risk of asbestos exposure.
Asbestos exposure in a nutshell
One of the most publicized environmental hazards of the last 30 years has been the occurrence of respiratory diseases created by airborne asbestos fibers. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, and it was commonly used in all manner of industrial applications before its health effects were fully understood. In North Carolina, the material was used mostly in the textile, construction, and ship building industries, but its durability and resistance to heat also made it suitable for many other industries.
Navy veterans and the risk of asbestos exposure
Veterans of the U.S. Navy put their lives on the line for this country during their service. Sadly, many of them are now suffering from serious health complications that are putting their lives in danger once again. One such condition that many veterans are at a particularly high risk of developing is an asbestos-related illness.
What are the symptoms and signs of mesothelioma?
People who have been exposed to asbestos, whether it was 40 days or 40 years ago, may not have even realized that their health may have been put in danger as a result of that exposure. People can easily breathe in dust particles containing asbestos day after day without knowing that the asbestos fibers can be doing serious damage to their lungs and other organs.
Insurance company ordered to pay $500M for asbestos claims
In a ruling that could benefit North Carolina residents, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that the Travelers Insurance Company was bound by the terms of a written settlement agreement that required it to pay claims for asbestos-related diseases and asbestos-related deaths made against Johns-Manville Corp. The ruling also required Travelers to pay $75 million in terest to the claimants.
