When a company manufactures a dangerous product that harms people, that company is legally responsible for the injuries its products have caused. For decades, asbestos manufacturers hailed their product as a durable and fire-resistant solution for insulation needs. As a result, asbestos was included in a wide variety of products.

However, many people buying and working with asbestos products had no idea that the products they were using could cause them serious harm. Over the years, many people have developed mesothelioma after using and working with products that contained asbestos. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that most commonly affects the outer lining of the lungs.

Although the practice of including asbestos in products has largely been abolished in recent years, many people who worked with asbestos are only now learning of the terrible health effects this toxic substance can have. People who have only recently discovered the effects asbestos has had on them still have rights, and they can still seek compensation through the courts.

Just recently, a 60-year-old Italian food chef received a large award to compensate him after he learned he had mesothelioma. For many years, he worked with pizza ovens that had asbestos seals, and the ceiling tiles in a storeroom he often worked in contained asbestos.

He was never warned about the dangers of working with asbestos. Although he retired in 2001, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma seven years later.

If you or a member of your family has suffered the health effects of working with asbestos, an experienced product liability attorney can help.

Source: The Salisbury Journal, "Six-figure sum for chef exposed to asbestos," 7/5/2011