Baton Rouge and New Orleans Asbestos Exposure Attorneys

Exposure to asbestos and other toxic substances can leave you with serious, permanent injuries, and may cause death. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, cancer, or other types of disorders, we may be able to help you. At the office of Roussel & Clement, we utilize our many years of experience in order to construct a strategy that can help us gain the best possible resolution to your case. Our firm is tfrial savvy and is dedicated to aggressively pursuing the resolution of your case that you and your family deserve.

For more information about asbestos and how it can affect your life, please review the content below or contact our office to schedule your free consultation with a confident member of our legal team.

Asbestos - An Overview

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that has been used as insulation and a fire retardant in a wide variety of products. Asbestos can produce dust that, when inhaled, becomes deposited in the lungs. Asbestos in the lungs can cause or contribute to the development of serious illnesses including asbestosis (a fibrous scarring of the lungs), lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and mesothelioma (a malignant form of cancer in the lining of the chest or abdominal cavities), and other severe illnesses. The ingestion or swallowing of asbestos fibers can also cause cancer.

Because of health concerns, all new uses of asbestos in the United States were banned in July 1989. That year, the EPA published the Asbestos: Manufacture, Importation, Processing, and Distribution in Commerce Prohibitions, the effect of which was to eventually ban about 94 percent of the asbestos used in the U.S. (based on 1985 estimates).

Illnesses Associated with Asbestos Exposure

There are several illnesses associated with asbestos exposure. The most common include asbestosis, lung cancer, cancer of gastrointestinal tract, and mesothelioma.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a serious, chronic, respiratory disease. Asbestosis starts when inhaled asbestos fibers damage lung tissues causing them to scar. Symptoms of asbestosis may include shortness of breath and a dry crackling sound in the lungs while inhaling. The disease may eventually cause cardiac failure in its advanced stages, and could lead to lung cancer. There is no known effective treatment for asbestosis, and the disease is usually disabling or could be fatal.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer causes the largest number of asbestos-related deaths. The most common symptoms of lung cancer are coughing and a change in breathing. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent chest pains, hoarseness, and anemia.

Mesothelioma

One of the most serious health problems associated with asbestos exposure is a rare form of cancer called malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that most often occurs in the thin membrane lining of the lungs, chest, and abdomen. Virtually all cases of mesothelioma are linked to asbestos exposure and are fatal. An increased risk of mesothelioma is especially present in people who have worked with or around asbestos, such as in plants, factories, and shipyards that used asbestos products. In addition, people who live with asbestos workers or with persons exposes to asbestos fibers at work, are at risk of developing mesothelioma. Although rare, a very high number of persons in Louisiana have developed asbestos related, malignant mesothelioma, including the wives and children of persons who worked with or around asbestos.

Malignant mesothelioma may present itself in many forms. Common forms include: (1) peritoneal mesothelioma (cancer of the abdominal lining); (2) pleural mesothelioma (cancer of the lung lining); and (3) pericardial mesothelioma (cancer of the heart lining). The form of malignant mesothelioma someone has is an important factor in evaluating both treatment options and symptoms of the disease.

Symptoms of mesothelioma are usually nonspecific and may not appear until 10 or more years after someone is exposed to asbestos. When symptoms do finally appear, they may include shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. In addition, symptoms may include weight loss, abdominal pain, and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. In some cases, symptoms may even include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, fever, night sweats and anemia.

Because the early symptoms caused by mesothelioma are similar to some less serious health problems, it is important to see a doctor for a correct diagnosis. Virtually all cases of mesothelioma are fatal. If you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should contact us immediately.

Sources of Asbestos Injury

Asbestos exposure may have come from any number of products. Below is a list of common asbestos containing products to which you may have been exposed, although you did not know that the product was emitting asbestos fibers.

• Asbestos pipe covering -came in half-moon sections and was placed around pipes. It was generally white to gray in color.
• Asbestos block - was similar to asbestos pipe covering but was a rectangular shape. It was utilized for insulation around boilers, tanks and other semi-flat or flat surfaces.
• Asbestos cement - was a dry, powdery material that had to be mixed with water before being applied. Its major function was to fill in gaps when using pipe covering and block on boilers, tanks and other equipment.
• Asbestos packing - varied in appearance from grayish-white to graphite black and came in a braided rope form. Packing was utilized to fill gaps in connections and other equipment where high heat could be generated. The packing was used to seal flanges or joints.
• Asbestos gaskets - ranged in color from white to gray to black. It was generally a flat material that was either pre-cut (in the form of circles) or sold in sheets from which gaskets were cut. Gasket material was used as a sealant in high temperature lines between flanges and other connections.
• Asbestos fire brick - ranged in color from white to gray to darker colors. It came in a brick form and was utilized in or around boilers and furnaces generally with asbestos furnace cement.
• Asbestos furnace cement - came in a dry or pre-mixed wet form and was generally utilized around furnaces or boilers to hold bricks together or seal spaces.
• Asbestos flexible duct connectors - was used by sheet metal workers generally in making connections for ducts.
• Asbestos tape - was white or grayish in color or sometimes black. Asbestos tape was used in various areas including by electricians in sealing or making electrical connections.
• Asbestos blankets - generally white to gray in color and looked just like blankets used at home. They were used as an insulating barrier and also to cover hot equipment while people were working nearby and on turbines or other equipment.
• Asbestos wire - came in various forms with some of the following designations: A, AA, AF, AIA. Asbestos covered wire could have a fibrous appearance to its cover or to some of its inner layers.
• Asbestos cable - came in various forms with some of the following designations: AVA, AVB, AVC, AVL, TA, A, AI, or AIA. Again, either the outer covering or some of the inner layers could have a fibrous appearance.
• Asbestos containing heater cord - was a type of asbestos wire generally used on toasters and in high voltage electrical overhead lighting. The wire generally had two conductors and had a fibrous outer covering.
• Asbestos brake linings - were used in all motor vehicles. The material was generally a grayish, bulky material that was attached to the brake shoe. Asbestos brakes were utilized in both disc and drum brakes.
• Asbestos clutch - facings were utilized in almost all vehicles. They were white to gray in color and appeared in the clutch itself.
• Asbestos corrugated sheets - had a wave-like appearance and was white to gray in color. It was utilized in various buildings as a facing or a siding.
• Asbestos gloves - were either the five finger or mitten type. They were gray to white in color and had a fabric appearance. Asbestos gloves were used by persons to protect their hands from high temperature situations, such as those found in foundries or powerhouses, or while welding.
• Asbestos leggings, aprons or clothes - products which were white to gray in color. These were used by individuals to protect their body parts from high temperature operations such as welding.
• Asbestos ceiling tiles - are ceiling tiles containing asbestos.
• Asbestos floor tiles - are floor tiles containing asbestos.
• Asbestos fire-proof spray insulation - was a powdery, cement material that was mixed with water and applied to beams and other areas in a building for fire-proofing. It was sprayed on with a spray gun applicator. Once installed, it gave a very fibrous and matted appearance to the areas it was utilized upon.
• Asbestos wall board - was used for various framing and sheeting operations. The material was gray or whitish in color and had a fibrous appearance, or it could have a smooth finish and be in a variety of colors.
• Asbestos joint compound - was either a pre-mixed material or a white powder that when mixed with water took on a plaster-like appearance. It was utilized as a sealing compound for the joints with asbestos wall board.
• Asbestos roofing shingles - was very similar in appearance to regular asphalt shingles and was utilized in areas that needed fire-proofing properties.
• Asbestos roofing paper or felt - was a tarry material that contained asbestos and was utilized as a base before asbestos shingles were applied.
• Asbestos transite pipe - was a cement pipe material used in various underground conduit situations. It was white to gray in color.

The attorneys at the law office of Roussel & Clement confidently represent clients exposed to toxic substances in Louisiana although these clients are currently living in Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee or other states. Roussel & Clement represents clients from the communities of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houma, Metairie, Kenner, Slidell, Ascension Parish, Assumption Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, Iberville Parish, Jefferson Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Terrebonne Parish, Vermilion Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, the River Parishes, and all of the surrounding areas.

Roussel & Clement
Attorneys at Law
1714 Cannes Drive
La Place, LA 70068-2407
Phone: (985) 651-6591
Fax: (985) 651-6592
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