If you’ve lived and worked in Pittsburgh most of your life, you already know how historically significant your hometown is regarding its place in the nation’s industrial revolution. While the steel mills have long since closed, there are still many factories, old buildings and other structures throughout the city that may pose potential health hazards to residents and workers alike. A major cause for concern has to do with asbestos.
Whether you worked in the factories long ago or you are working on an asbestos-related project currently, there are several things to know that might help you if a problem arises. Many people in Pennsylvania and other states across the country are currently suffering from adverse health symptoms that signify asbestos-related illness. If armed with as much information as possible, you’ll know how to access support if you need it.
Signs of illness, treatments available and justice
If asbestos exposure on the job or after buying a home, etc. is something you are dealing with, you may develop illness but not necessarily know you are ill for quite some time. This is due to the fact that diseases, such as asbestosis, do not always immediately present symptoms. Keeping the following in mind can help you recognize a problem and point you in the right direction for seeking help:
- There are several diseases associated with asbestos exposure; however, asbestosis is among the most frequently reported. This illness develops over time from lung tissue scarring or after ingesting or inhaling microscopic particles of asbestos.
- Proper training and safety equipment may help workers doing renovation or other removal projects to avoid serious danger.
- It may be 20-40 years after your exposure that you receive an asbestosis diagnosis.
- Major symptoms include the following: shortness of breath, chest pain, severe, chronic cough and extreme fatigue.
Since suffering from asbestosis compromises your bodily system, you would also be at risk for other infections and viruses if you have this disease. There is currently no known cure or treatment for this illness.
Sadly, many Pennsylvania workers would not have gotten ill in the first place were it not for their employers’ negligence. Dealing with a chronic illness is challenging enough; knowing you may have been able to avoid disease altogether can add frustration and anger to the equation. The law allows you to pursue litigation to seek monetary recovery of your losses in court.
Who can help?
Your doctor would certainly be a great asset to have on-hand to testify to the severity of your illness and also to substantiate your claim that asbestos exposure is the cause of your disease. In addition to third-party testimony, acting alongside an experienced personal injury attorney who has helped others in similar situations would be one of the best options available when trying to secure a favorable outcome in court.