Asbestosis: Cancer Related to Asbestos Exposure

Wallace & Graham, P.A. provides aggressive legal representation and compassionate support to victims of asbestos-related diseases. We can steer clients to leading doctors to mitigate the health impact, and we have secured compensation for medical costs, lost income and personal suffering.

The Ravages of Asbestos

Asbestos is a natural mineral formed as long crystalline fibers. When these fibers are inhaled, they lodge in the lungs. The lung tissues can be irreversibly damaged, and over time the asbestos fibers work their way into adjacent organs and tissues and lead to cancerous tumors. The most common asbestos-related illnesses are:

• Asbestosis — Scarring of the lungs that causes serious breathing problems
• Pleural plaque — Scarring of the lining around the lungs
• Mesothelioma — Cancer of the linings around the lungs and abdominal organs
• Lung cancer — Asbestos alone or smoking alone can cause lung cancer, but people who smoke or formerly smoked have a greatly multiplied risk if they were also exposed to asbestos.
• G-I tract cancers — Stomach cancer, intestinal cancer and colon or rectal cancer are more rare.

Our respected legal team, led by two partners with nearly 40 years of combined experience in asbestos litigation, has a long record of favorable settlements and jury verdicts. We have sued major manufacturers, industrial corporations and employers in North Carolina and across the United States.

Asbestosis and Pleural Plaques

Inhaled asbestos fibers scratch and lodge in the bronchi (branches) and alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs. The body reacts to the inflammation by attacking the foreign particles. The result is fibrous scars (fibrosis), a cumulative thickening of these air ducts that reduces lung capacity. Asbestosis is fibrosis of the lungs.

• Pleural plaques are a similar hardening of the pleura, the protective lining that encases the lungs. There is no cure, but there are treatment options to make breathing easier and prevent complications.
• The typical person with asbestosis or plaques will experience chronic breathing difficulty or extreme shortness of breath with any exertion. Asbestosis can lead to lung collapse or respiratory failure, and sometimes leads to lung cancer. Pleural plaques are a telltale sign of asbestos exposure, and often a marker for mesothelioma.
• Most people who suffer from asbestosis had long-term or heavy exposure to asbestos in a work setting — asbestos mining or processing, or construction, industrial or factory work. The experienced attorneys of Wallace & Graham, P.A. are skilled at tracing the job history of clients and seeking compensation through asbestos litigation against the responsible manufacturers or employers.

Contact our Charlotte, North Carolina, law firm for a free case evaluation. Our lawyers represent clients statewide and can assist clients across the nation. Call 800-849-5291 for a free consultation.