North Carolina
Asbestos Attorneys
Welcome to Hardison & Associates, LLP's North Carolina Asbestosis
Lawyers
website. Our attorneys developed this site to
provide asbestosis victims and their families with
information on the disease, treatment and the law.
The Hardison & Associates firm has been representing
personal injury victims throughout North Carolina for
over twenty years, and we focus on helping those who
have suffered physical, emotional and mental trauma
due to asbestos-related diseases, medical malpractice,
catastrophic accidents, wrongful death, and premises
liability.
The founders of the firm, Kenneth L. Hardison and Associates, are supported by a
team of legal professionals who share a commitment to
protecting client’s rights. Our lawyers have
successfully litigated and negotiated settlements that
provide our clients with compensation for medical
costs, loss of current and potential earnings, and
pain and suffering. We share our asbestosis
client’s indignation over the fact that the disease
was preventable, yet the risks were ignored.
Many of our clients have found some relief in the form
of financial compensation that helps them to live with
the disease. If you or a loved one have been
exposed to asbestos and are suffering from
asbestos-related illness, Hardison & Associates can
help you receive the compensation to which you are
entitled.
What
is asbestos and why is it dangerous?
Asbestos
is a naturally occurring mineral that forms microscopic
fibers when crushed.
Its strength, flexibility and
imperviousness to temperature made asbestos a favorite
product
in industry and manufacturing. However,
when asbestos fibers are disturbed,
they become airborne
as dust and can be inhaled or swallowed. Once the
fibers enter a victim’s body, they can cause serious
and deadly illnesses including cancer. The
fibers
are so buoyant, that they can become attached to
workers’ clothing and be brought home only to become
airborne again in the worker’s home for other members
of the
family to inhale. Incredibly, industry was
aware of the risks associated with asbestos for decades
prior to its ban in the 1970’s.
In their pursuit
of profitability, manufacturers’ continued to allow
their employees to be exposed to asbestos without
advising workers of its deadly risks. Up until its
ban, millions of tons of asbestos were used to build
homes, schools, shipyards and commercial facilities
nationwide. In the past forty years, an estimated
25 million people have been exposed to asbestos.
Because the negative health effects of asbestos may take
years to develop, the medical community expects to see
many more victims of asbestos-related diseases.
Asbestosis
is a noncancerous illness caused by asbestos exposure.
The disease
occurs when the fibers get lodged in the
victim’s lungs, the body tries to protect
itself
against the fibers which results in the development of
scar tissue. In turn, the scar tissue diminishes
the lung’s capacity for oxygen. Asbestosis is a
progressive disease,
and as the lungs’ capacity
decreases, victims suffer shortness of breath, coughing,
fatigue, chest pain, weight-loss and heart problems.
Asbestosis victims may be symptom free
and the disease
is detected by x-rays.
Those
at highest-risk for asbestosis are individuals who
inhaled particles over a prolonged period of time.
Serious asbestosis is usually caused by heavy exposure
to asbestos,
such as sustained exposure over a period of
years and/or intense exposure during a
shorter period.
Others at-risk include workers who mill the ore, the
vehicle mechanics, construction workers, electricians
and other workers in the building trades, shipyard
workers, asbestos spraying, building, demolition, and
laundering of asbestos worker's overalls.
Treatment
and Cure
There is
currently is no cure for asbestosis, however, the
symptoms of the disease
can be managed. Treatments
for the disease involve preventing further complications
of the disease and treating its symptoms.
Bronchodilators that open up the bronchial
tubes and
allow passage of air are used to ease shortness of
breath. The patient may
also receive supplemental
oxygen. Respiratory treatments that remove secretions
from
the lungs may also be used. Coughing is
treated with humidifiers, breathing therapies
and chest
percussion to loosen and thin bronchial.
If you or a loved one has
been exposed to asbestos, please contact our offices
today by telephoning 800-434-8082 or
via
e-mail. We can review your case and determine the
course of action that will assure that you are
compensated for the damages that you have suffered.
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