According to the Environmental Working Group, at least 231 people
died from exposure to asbestos in New Hampshire from 1979 to 2001.
Hillsborough County, home to Manchester, suffered the highest number of
deaths at 61. Rockingham County, home to numerous small towns, including
Derry, suffered the next highest number of deaths at 59.
If you or a loved one has mesothelioma (asbestos cancer) due to
asbestos exposure while working in New Hampshire, attorneys Clapper,
Patti, Schweizer & Mason can help. Clapper, Patti, Schweizer &
Mason are mesothelioma lawyers with over 30 years of success. We
understand the stressful and complicated mesothelioma legal process.
We have recovered millions of dollars in settlement compensation for
mesothelioma patients and their heirs. Our expert mesothelioma lawyers
have the tools and knowledge to determine the specifics of your asbestos
exposure. Our attorneys provide a free mesothelioma case evaluation,
and there is no up front cost to you for our services.
Asbestos Exposure in New Hampshire
Industries in New Hampshire where workers may have been exposed to
high levels of asbestos include power plants and construction sites.
New Hampshire is home to several power plants and power stations.
Because of the intense heat buildup during the power generation process,
asbestos was commonly used prior to 1980 as an insulator and fire
retardant. Asbestos protected the power plant equipment regularly
exposed to extremely high temperatures, such as boilers, generators and
turbines. Asbestos was also used to fireproof roof structures and
floors. When floors and ceilings were repaired, asbestos dust was
distributed throughout the powerhouse, putting everyone at risk of
asbestos inhalation. Workers sometimes wore clothing made from asbestos
fibers to protect them from high levels of heat.
Another high risk industry for asbestos exposure in New Hampshire is
construction. New Hampshire has many long established towns with
beautiful, historic buildings. City-wide fires were relatively
commonplace during the 19th Century. When the fireproof properties of
asbestos were discovered in the 1850's, asbestos began to be used as a
building material. Asbestos was used for wallboard, ceiling tiles,
insulation, roofing materials and floor tiles. Today, whenever
historical buildings are renovated or torn down, asbestos dust and
fibers can be released into the environment. Proper safety precautions
need to be taken to avoid asbestos exposure, such as dampening
asbestos-containing materials, wearing disposable protective clothing
and avoiding the use of power tools.
sbestos is a term that most people have heard, but few people really
know just how deadly it is. Many people know that it is harmful, but do
not understand the extent of the harm. For almost a century, asbestos
was considered an ideal building material, because it did not conduct
heat, was very flexible, durable, and resistant to fire. It was used in
hundreds of thousands of buildings and building materials, as well as in
everyday consumer goods. Years later, it was discovered that exposure
to asbestos led to a very rare and aggressive form of cancer known as
mesothelioma.
When we inhale or ingest asbestos fibers through the nose or mouth,
they are absorbed into different areas of the body rather than broken
down, like most foreign materials are. The asbestos fibers stick to
sensitive areas such as the linings of the lungs, abdomen, and even the
heart. These fibers can cause scar tissue to develop on our organs and
pockets of fluid to form in the linings of those organs – and can
eventually lead to a tumor. Mesothelioma does not manifest weeks or
years after exposure; instead, it may not be until decades later that
someone is told they have mesothelioma cancer. Most people who have
developed this deadly disease don't find out they have developed it
until they are 50, 60 or even 70 years old.
It has been estimated that 3,000 people are diagnosed with
asbestos-related mesothelioma each year; that number is only expected to
get much higher over the next few years. Millions of people were
exposed to the harmful material, and many are still exposed to it each
day without even knowing. It is a very hard kind of cancer to detect, as
it does not have any external symptoms that may lead someone to suspect
something is wrong. Often, mesothelioma presents as a chest cold or
pneumonia, and can go untreated or unnoticed for a long period of time.
If you suspect you may have mesothelioma, contact your doctor right
away. He or she will run tests, such as testing blood samples, an MRI or
CT scan, an X-ray, and a broncoscopy to see into your lungs.
Although mesothelioma is usually thought of as only one type of cancer, there are actually three types of mesothelioma:
Pleural mesothelioma, which is the most common form of mesothelioma.
Pleural mesothelioma affects the lung tissues known as mesothelium and
the tissues lining the chest cavity
Peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the organs in the abdominal
cavity. It is the second most common type of mesothelioma; approximately
10 to 20 percent of all mesothelioma cases are of this type.
Pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the tissues of the heart. It is the most rare type of mesothelioma cancer.
Asbestos has put tens of millions of people at risk of developing
mesothelioma, and caused the deaths of thousands more after they
developed the deadly cancer. Mesothelioma is a hard cancer to treat,
because chemotherapy and radiation may not respond or fight the cancer
well enough. Mesothelioma is a tough battle, and you might have grounds
to file a lawsuit against the responsible parties for your condition. If
you or a loved one has developed mesothelioma after exposure to
asbestos materials at the workplace or because of a defective product,
it is in your best interest to contact an experienced New Hampshire
mesothelioma lawyer or attorney to help you begin your fight.
Your mesothelioma lawyer should advise you on your case and the
claims you wish to make, and discuss your rights for compensation and
damages. Your New Hampshire mesothelioma lawyer/attorney should also
counsel you on what you can expect during the lawsuit and litigation
processes. Pursuing legal action will not only help to enforce your
legal rights, it will also punish those responsible for your cancer, and
can eventually provide financial security for your family. Help
yourself and your family by contacting a New Hampshire mesothelioma
lawyer/attorney today.
You should know that New Hampshire has a unique set of laws that could
impact your ability to file a claim. For example, New Hampshire has
statute of limitation laws that restrict the time frame in which
mesothelioma victims and family members can file a lawsuit. Rest assured
our mesothelioma lawyers are prepared to help you understand the
process for filing an asbestos lawsuit and guide you through the legal
system. Contact the Simmons Law Firm if you have a question about a potential case.
Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer caused by inhaling or ingesting
asbestos. Tiny fibers of asbestos can reach the mesothelium – the
cellular covering that encapsulates the lungs, intestines and other
internal organs – and become lodged.
There they can rest for decades, as their structure prevents the body
from expelling them or breaking them down. Eventually they can damage
cells, causing them to mutate and form cancerous tumors.
With good reason, asbestos is feared as a highly dangerous substance –
and New Hampshire mesothelioma lawyers are putting in overtime to bring
the companies that produced it to accountability.
New Hampshire mesothelioma statistics
The CDC identified New Hampshire as one of the nation’s leading states
in terms of per capita mesothelioma morbidity rates in a 1999 study. The
study placed New Hampshire’s death rate above 14/million. New Hampshire
also ranked 23rd nationally in age-adjusted mortality.
The population of New Hampshire skews toward a working-class
demographic of manufacturers, utility workers, and industrial
professionals. These industries were some of the most asbestos-toxic
work environments throughout the 20th Century.
A New Hampshire mesothelioma lawyer can help you fight your asbestos case
The companies that made American workplaces so deadly for decades are
now being called to accountability. People who have been diagnosed with
mesothelioma have a right to seek compensation against these
manufacturers, and they, along with their right legal counsel, are
turning the tide and making the asbestos industry take on some of the
cost of their decisions.
A New Hampshire mesothelioma lawyer may be able to assist you if you or
a member of your family has been diagnosed with mesothelioma. The right
asbestos firm can help chart the course of your litigation, identifying
all the right defendants along the way. If you need a free legal
evaluation, get in touch with an attorney today.
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