Texas and Houston Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawyer
Asbestos and Asbestos History
Asbestos is a name or term used to describe a set of six naturally-occurring silicate minerals that is mined from the earth, which set includes the following:
- Chrysotile
- Amosite
- Crocidolite
- Tremolite
- Anthophyllite
- Actinolite
Asbestos' physical structure and attributes makes it desirable for industrial and commercial purposes. Asbestos is desirable for its sound absorption, tensile strength, binding properties, resistance to fire, resistance to heat, resistance to electrical and chemical damage, and its affordability - given that it is naturally occurring. While advantageous for industrial and commercial purposes, asbestos' physical structure and chemical composition is deadly to humans and is a known human carcinogen.
Once praised as the "magic mineral," asbestos was abundantly used in the US market place from the early 1900s through the 1970s. Asbestos' prevalence was seen in almost every industry and countless products including but not limited to the following:
Industry:
- Ship Building & Shipyards
- Oil and Gas Refineries
- Metal Works
- Manufacturing Plants
- Power Plants
- Chemical Plants
- Paper Mills
- Railroad
- Construction
- Automotive
Products:
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Despite its many uses and prevalence, asbestos was largely phased-out of the market place towards the late 1970s, due to the danger it posses. However, asbestos is not totally banned in the US, though it is banned in other industrialized nations including the European Union.
Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Caused Diseases
What makes asbestos especially dangerous is many-fold. First, asbestos fibers are invisible to the naked eye, unless in significant quantities. It has been said that if one took a spoon-full of raw asbestos fibers and placed the fibers end to end, the fibers would reach the moon. Clearly, even a small exposure is a significant one. Second, asbestos has no other "onion" properties that would alert an exposed person that he or she is being exposed to asbestos. Third, given its virtual indestructibility and carcinogenicity, asbestos is difficult to remove. Finally, although not all exposures to asbestos result in an asbestos-caused disease, the time from first exposure to onset of disease is typically 30 to 40 years. As such, asbestos-caused diseases seem to appear out of nowhere.
Mesothelioma is known as a "signal tumor" or "signature disease," which means that if you have mesothelioma, you have been exposed to asbestos. But, asbestos has been linked to causing other forms of cancer and non-malignant disease, which include the following:
- Mesothelioma ("signal tumor" or "signature disease" - indisputable link)
- Lung Cancer with or without smoking history (very strong link)
- Adenocarcinoma (Non Small Cell) - most prevalent
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma - second most prevalent
- Large Cell Carcinoma
- Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Gastrointestinal Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Prostrate Cancer
- Asbestosis ("non-malignant" - indisputable link)
Mesothelioma and Asbestos Litigation
Mesothelioma and asbestos litigation exists because the hazards and dangers of asbestos were well known to the asbestos industry and were never communicated to the public. Asbestos is the largest toxic tort in the history of civil jurisprudence and litigation due to the industry's secrecy. What's more, asbestos litigation is incredibly difficult and has endured for decades due to the industry's denials, financial resources, and political influence. Mesothelioma and asbestos litigation requires a lawyer and law firm that has knowledge of asbestos-containing products, knowledge of pathways of exposure, the ability to assist the exposed person in recalling the exposure, proving the exposure under applicable legal standards, library of liability documents on each responsible defendant, knowledge of other forms of recovery (e.g. bankruptcy trusts), and the ability and experience to take the industry head-on in litigation.
Contact Gilde Law Firm ∙ Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawyer ∙ 877-309-4613
At Gilde Law Firm, we represent clients in Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio and throughout Texas and the United States who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-caused lung cancer, or an asbestos-caused disease.
We Believe | We Fight | We Win
- We Believe: If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos and been diagnosed with an asbestos-caused disease, you need someone to hear your story and believe in your case.
- We Fight: Our founding attorney, Brad Gilde, has the background and experience handling asbestos litigation. We will fight for your compensation.
- We Win: We will work to obtain full and fair compensation for the lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering you and your family have endured.
Texas and Houston Mesothelioma and Asbestos Attorney
Q: Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with mesothelioma?
Q: Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with lung cancer or an asbestos-caused disease?
Q: Have you or a loved one been exposed to asbestos?
A: If you answered YES to any of these questions, don't delay. Call us immediately.
Call 877-309-4613 or send us an e-mail to arrange a free initial consultation with an experienced trial lawyer. For the convenience of our Spanish-speaking clients, we have staff that is fluent in Spanish and available to speak with you. Hablamos Español.
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