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Valves

Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous substance that was widely used in the twentieth century in a very extensive list of construction materials and building supplies, due to its excellent insulating and fire resistant properties. Asbestos was widely used for several decades even though it was known to be highly toxic when inhaled over the long term - asbestos can cause life-threatening diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare but lethal form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs.

Asbestos was commonly used in valves in plumbing, heat and gas systems, in a wide variety of machinery and for commercial and residential construction purposes. For example, asbestos valves were used in boilers, heating ducts, and in marine valves used in the ship-building industry.

In 1977, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in construction materials and most other products that had once contained asbestos. However, construction materials containing asbestos continued to be used until the mid-1980s, as the ban did not extend to existing supplies of such materials.

Asbestos is not always a health risk. If materials that contain asbestos are in good condition and are not disturbed, asbestos fibers are not able to be inhaled, as they remain trapped within the material. However, as the condition of the material deteriorates, or when asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, fibers may be released into the air, where they may be inhaled by the lungs.

If you are concerned about the possible presence of asbestos in your home or work place, the suspect materials should be professionally tested to determine whether asbestos is present. If tests show that asbestos-containing materials are present, professional advice should be sought to determine if the materials pose a health risk, and how they can be removed without increasing the risks of inhalation.

Asbestos - what are your Rights?

Exposure to asbestos is a known cause of lung cancer, and is the only cause of asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer. These diseases are typically caused by long-term exposure to asbestos over several years, but have long latency periods, and several decades may elapse between asbestos exposure and the development of disease symptoms. Mesothelioma cancer is particularly deadly, because the symptoms it causes are non-specific, meaning that early diagnosis of the disease is very difficult.

The majority of people who were exposed to asbestos in the latter half of the twentieth century were exposed unnecessarily - the dangers of asbestos were known as early as the 1930s, but most companies using asbestos in manufacturing did not provide their workers with adequate protection from the substance. In recent decades, countless numbers of lawsuits and settlements have been decided in favor of plaintiffs who received compensation from companies who were responsible for their exposure to asbestos and the development of asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be eligible to receive compensation, and contacting a mesothelioma lawyer should be done as soon as possible after diagnosis. According to the statute of limitations you must begin legal proceedings within two or three years after diagnosis, depending on the state in which you live.

Working with a mesothelioma lawyer to determine how you were exposed to asbestos and who is responsible is the first step to claiming compensation for loss of quality of life and income, and for the emotional and physical pain that victims and their loved ones suffer as a result of asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma.

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