Sunday, May 3, 2009

How to determine asbestos liability

By Lynn Lopez

Workplace hazards exist. Yet companies must prevent endangering or putting their employees at risk. One of the common workplace hazards is asbestos exposure that can ultimately lead for a company to assume asbestos liability. What is asbestos and why is it dangerous?

Asbestos is a known human carcinogen. Products with asbestos may exist anywhere - at home, in the office and anywhere else. Sometimes, all it takes is a slight disturbance to these products and the asbestos gets airborne. Unknowingly, you may end up inhaling asbestos. When people are exposed to asbestos, the asbestos fibers get locked in your lungs, ultimately affecting your breathing. Over time, people exposed to asbestos are at risk of developing medical issues such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other disorders.

If you have been exposed to asbestos whether at work, at home or in your neighborhood, how to determine asbestos liability might seem like a challenging thing for you to figure out. Do not attempt to do this yourself. This is one situation when a do-it-yourself attitude will not help you at all. Get yourself a good lawyer with a solid background and expertise in asbestos-related cases. Do your research carefully. Choose the lawyer that you are most comfortable with, the one who will work hard on your behalf and will go the extra mile for your cause. This is the extent of what you can do on your own. Once you have chosen the right lawyers to help you with your case, you will have to rely on and trust their know-how and good judgment. These types of cases are complicated and tricky. Let them do their work.

Once you start working together with your lawyers, they will need to identify all the possible parties for your asbestos liability case. It is easy to assume that your employer is the one solely responsible. However, lawyers know that there are other parties who can be held responsible for your asbestos exposure. Who can be sued for damages? Who can afford to pay for these damages? Who is the most sensible party to sue for asbestos liability from a fiscal perspective? Most of the time, asbestos liability lawsuits are filed against three possible parties: your employer, the safety equipment manufacturer and the asbestos supplier. If the asbestos exposure happened in a residential setting, liability charges can also be filed against the property owner and the contractor.

Sometimes it might seem easier to give up on your claim for damages and compensation after what happened to you. Asbestos liability does exist. You have recourse and yes, somehow, the law is on your side. Do not give up. Somebody will be legally responsible for your asbestos exposure.

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