Families struggle after tragic loss of mesothelioma victims

People all across the world, working in all industries and living in all types of conditions can be at risk of having been exposed to asbestos. The pain and suffering that the victims go through after being diagnosed with an illness like mesothelioma is similar, as is the devastation that their families go through when a loved one dies as a result of an asbestos-related condition.

Each wrongful death as a result of exposure to asbestos is tragic. And while no two people are the same, the conditions under which they suffer can be very similar. People who have seen what mesothelioma or asbestosis can do to a loved one understand that there is no lawsuit or amount of money that can undo the damage that has been done. However, holding a negligent party accountable for asbestos exposure can give people a sense of justice.

After decades of working in construction, a Canadian man began to notice that he was having difficulty getting through an average day. He never smoked or drank, and he loved to go on long runs until one day he discovered he could not complete a routine run. After visiting the doctor, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. The cancer had attacked his lungs making it difficult for him to breathe. The man passed away five short months later.

The incubation period of mesothelioma means that victims of asbestos exposure often do not show symptoms for decades after they have inhaled the toxic fiber into their bodies. By the time a person does show symptoms and is diagnosed, it can be too late. The cancer spreads quickly and victims can pass away shortly after learning that they are sick. This is unfortunately common for victims of mesothelioma.

This is where family members and loved ones can step in to fight for a person who has died. With legal support, families can track back to the time and site of exposure and hold a negligent employer or product manufacturer accountable for a loss that was suffered decades later. The risks of asbestos have been known for a very long time, and it is likely that a loved one could have been protected from breathing in asbestos instead of having it take a life.

Source: The Vancouver Sun, “Deadly asbestos-related disease ‘heart-wrenching’ for families,” Gordon Hoekstra, Feb. 27, 2013