Mesothelioma Law

Mesothelioma is a rare disease and even though exposure to asbestos is the prime risk factor, a history of asbestos exposure does not guarantee mesothelioma. In fact, in the United States, out of 100,000 men with histories of asbestos exposure, approximately ten of them will develop mesothelioma. Unfortunately, mesothelioma is also a very deadly disease and in most cases, malignant mesothelioma proves to be fatal within the two years following the first occurrence of symptoms.

Here are some other mesothelioma statistics to consider:

• In 1998, 50,000 mesothelioma claims were filed and over 500,000 mesothelioma and asbestos injury claims have been filed so far.
• The majority of mesothelioma victims do not live longer than eighteen months after diagnosis as the cancer is usually in an advanced stage before medical treatment is sought.
• The death rate of mesothelioma reported in asbestos insulation workers is more than 300 times higher than mesothelioma death rate in the population at large.
• It is estimated that asbestos will have caused 60,000 new cases of mesothelioma and over 250,000 other types of cancer by 2030.
• Over eight million people in the U.S. alone have been exposed to asbestos in some form either at work or at home.
• At least five thousand products that contain asbestos are still on the market today worldwide even though many countries have banned the use of asbestos.
• At least two thousand and as many as four thousand people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the United States.

Statistics show that living near industries, mines, and shipyards can increase one’s odds of developing mesothelioma, as it can increase the likelihood of asbestos exposure. Therefore, areas with the largest residential population in and around industrial zones have been known to have the highest numbers of mesothelioma cases.

While race does not appear to play a role in one’s chances of developing mesothelioma, the statistics do suggest that one’s gender might. According to the statistics, men are more likely to develop mesothelioma than women. It is not a matter of anatomy, it is merely a matter of cultural history. Traditionally, men have been more likely to work in jobs that deal with asbestos exposure such as factories, mines, etc. While today’s society integrates men and women in nearly all professions, mesothelioma can often develop decades after asbestos exposure begins. The cases of mesothelioma that are reported now, can be the product of asbestos exposure that may date back to the 1940’s, when many women did not work outside the home and therefore had considerably lesser odds of asbestos inhalation.