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Your Former Employer Could Close Before You Develop Mesothelioma

Nichol & Associates, Attorneys at Law Sept. 18, 2021

Working with asbestos is dangerous, and it is a job risk that impacts people in careers ranging from manufacturing to construction. Even if employees try their best to be safe, they could end up inhaling particulate asbestos, which might eventually result in them developing cancer.

Mesothelioma is a fatal cancer of the organ linings that has no known cure at this time. It has a very strong correlation with asbestos exposure, meaning that those who develop mesothelioma often have held jobs where they handle asbestos or have a loved one who worked with it.

Typically, those sickened due to environmental exposure to dangerous chemicals or substances at work can claim workers’ compensation benefits. Unfortunately, when it comes to asbestos exposure, that may not be an option.

Mesothelioma May Take Decades to Develop

Some carcinogens cause a rapid reaction. Teenagers who go tanning frequently might develop skin cancer before they even graduate high school. That likely won’t be the case for workers exposed to asbestos on the job.

It often takes twenty-five years or longer for mesothelioma to reach a point where a doctor can diagnose it. You might have retired since your exposure to asbestos on the job, and the company you worked for may have long since gone out of business.

There are still options for making compensation claims against a former company or business that has filed for bankruptcy. There may even be a trust established specifically for workers like you, who endured dangerous asbestos exposure at that particular company.

Learning more about asbestos-related claims will make it easier for you to seek compensation after dangerous exposure on the job.