The hazards of asbestos were known as early as the 1920’s, and the first lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers were in 1929. Many of the businesses that manufactured products containing the toxic asbestos chose to use asbestos because it was cheap. There was an alternative fiber they could have used. Now, an aggressive cancer called mesothelioma strikes over 3000 individuals per year. Some of those people contact a mesothelioma lawyer.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelial cells and the only known, established cause is exposure to asbestos. In pleural mesothelioma, the toxic asbestos fibers are breathed in and become lodged in the pleural membrane that encases the lung. Peritoneal mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the membrane that lines the abdomen, is a more rare form. There is presently no known cure for mesothelioma.