Helping Asbestos Victims Since 1974

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Kazan, McClain, Lyons, Greenwood & Harley, PLC

Jack London Market, 55 Harrison St.
Suite 400

Oakland, CA 94607

Ph / 1-866-804-2311

Asbestos

Useful but dangerous minerals

The name asbestos comes from the Greek âσβεστο. It roughly translates as unquenchable or inextinguishable. It has been used to categorize six naturally occurring silicate minerals. These all have in common what is known as their asbestiform habit—long, thin, fibrous crystals recognized for their:

  • Ability to absorb sound
  • Tensile strength
  • Long life
  • Resistance to heat, electrical and chemical damage

The first attributed use of asbestos dates back 4,500 years to Finnish potters using asbestos to reinforce their earthenware. The ancient Greeks, and then the Romans, saw asbestos as almost as valuable as gold because of its resistance to fire, and began using asbestos in building materials.

As the industrial revolution emerged, asbestos’ properties became increasingly popular with manufacturers and builders in the late 19th century. And, asbestos ultimately became prevalent in a multitude of products ranging from ovens to home insulation to transportation vehicle brake linings and clothing.

While the utility of asbestos was well understood, the problems associated with long exposure to airborne asbestos fibers did not become a major health concern until the mid-20th century, even though:

  • Asbestos is highly friable. It readily crumbles into almost invisible fibers that are easily airborne and inhaled.
  • Pliny the Elder, an ancient Roman naturalist, historian and doctor, wrote about the "sickness of the lung" in slaves who had performed work in asbestos mines. In fact, he encouraged people buying slaves to avoid those who had worked in asbestos mines because they were more likely to die early.
  • By the early 1900s doctors were expressing concerns after performing autopsies on people whose occupations involved significant exposure to asbestos.

Unfortunately, the commercial value of asbestos products led asbestos miners and vendors of asbestos-reliant products to cover up and/or ignore the scientific evidence directly linking asbestos exposure to serious health problems including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. They failed to provide appropriate warnings to workers and customers.

This failure resulted in lawsuits. The first lawsuit in the modern era was filed in 1966. They continue today because asbestos remains a problem:

  • Asbestos-caused illnesses can take decades to develop, so many more people exposed in the past may eventually become ill.
  • Sites with dangerous levels of asbestos continue to be identified, and are a continuing health hazard.

What you need to know

Early detection and treatment of mesothelioma and other asbestos illnesses is the best way to increase your survival chances. Kazan Law believes knowing the facts about asbestos and how exposure to it can have serious and often fatal consequences is important.

We invite you to click the links below to learn more about:

Serving mesothelioma victims and their families for more than three decades

From offices in Oakland, California, Kazan, McClain, Lyons, Greenwood & Harley, PLC (Kazan Law) has been serving victims of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases for more than 36 years. For a no-cost evaluation of your potential case with one of our experienced California asbestos attorneys, contact us today by calling 1-866-804-2311 or online.