Tape
For several decades, the construction industry found myriad uses for asbestos-containing products as did several other industries. Tradesmen such as plumbers, electricians, boilermakers, steamfitters, pipefitters, insulators, and others were exposed to the hazardous material on a daily basis through the use of these asbestos products. Of course, before the government issued asbestos warnings in the late 1970s, few were aware that their asbestos exposure was a problem.
Because asbestos was a good insulator and possessed excellent fire-resistant properties, it was most often used in places where heat and fire might be a problem. Asbestos-containing tape, for example, served several different purposes. It was often used as a lagging material, in the cracks and crevices of pipes and ductwork, to help avoid leaks. Another kind of tape that included asbestos was drywall tape, which was used as a way to join one piece of drywall to another. Still, other tape was used to wrap heating or air conditioning equipment. In all instances, the tape may have presented asbestos-related dangers caused by the release of fibers when sanded or cut.
Asbestos diseases could have been prevented had workers been informed of the dangers of inhaling asbestos’ sharp fibers. Unfortunately, those who toiled in industries that used asbestos tape rarely knew that asbestos could cause health problems. However, records show that asbestos product manufacturers often knew that the mineral could be a hazard but refused to divulge the information to employees. That means those who worked with asbestos every day inhaled fibers on a regular basis. Though not everyone who is exposed to asbestos develops an asbestos-related disease, many of these workers have paid the price with their health and their lives. Some even brought asbestos fibers home to their family and, in some instances, family members have died due to second-hand asbestos exposure.
More and more often during the last few decades, those responsible for hiding the dangers of asbestos are being held responsible for the cover-up. Finally, asbestos disease victims are collecting compensation for their injuries and families of those already deceased have been able to collect funds to get their lives back on track once again.
Experienced asbestos attorneys can provide great assistance to those with asbestosis, pleural plaques, or mesothelioma, a serious and aggressive asbestos-caused cancer for which there is no cure and few successful treatments, by helping to secure compensation that might assist in paying medical bills or replacing lost income.
If you have developed mesothelioma due to exposure to tape that contained asbestos, you may be one of those individuals that has a right to monetary compensation. For more legal information and to learn more about the disease, order our free mesothelioma information kit.
