Mankind has been mining and using asbestos for thousands of years; however, mesothelioma as a disease was virtually unknown to humans until asbestos came into wide usage beginning during the Industrial Age in the 1800’s. According to the History Cooperative, verbal history suggests some people associated asbestos with harmful illnesses as early as the first century AD. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder made reference to a mysterious “disease of slaves” and described how slave miners would fashion masks from the bladders of goats to protect their lungs from the asbestos dust. However, doctors and scientists made no official connection between asbestos and disease until the 20th century.
The first official diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease was recognized in 1924. Even so, asbestos was mined and used extensively in manufacturing (especially in construction and military applications) until well into the 20th century, before falling out of favor. It was still used in building construction as late as 1980, and it has never been banned in the U.S. As a result, millions of military personnel and other workers have been exposed to large amounts of asbestos as an occupational hazard, while people living in older buildings may have been, or continue to be, exposed to unacceptable levels of asbestos.
Madeksho Law Firm has been helping mesothelioma victims and their families for more than 45 years. Call us at 888-910-MESO (6376), and we’ll help you determine if you are eligible to file to obtain compensation for you and your family. It is not always necessary to file a lawsuit to receive compensation for an asbestos-related injury, and there is never a fee unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
