People who have been exposed to asbestos in their line of work, and have developed an illness such as mesothelioma, should contact a mesothelioma lawyer Hawaii as soon as possible. The state of Hawaii has no naturally-occurring deposits of asbestos, and it is one of the few places in the world in which that is the case. It is geologically active, yet the nature of this is in its volcanoes, not earthquakes. However, asbestos still has a presence in Hawaii’s two large oil refineries and two military bases. Also, people who work in marine industries, such as the Navy, Marines, etc., are believed to be at a much greater risk of asbestos-related disease than the rest of the population. With the large and active U.S. Naval base, Pearl Harbor, being in Hawaii, the incidences are higher of illnesses such as mesothelioma or other asbestos-related illnesses. Since people in the military may be confined in places such as below the deck of a ship where asbestos fibers are almost certainly concentrated, this is likely to be how they are exposed to the asbestos. Workers in an oil refinery must wear protective gear such as gloves and suits to prevent injuries in the event of a fire, but ironically this gear usually had asbestos in the material to protect them. Upon the material ripping or becoming worn, asbestos would be released and inhaled, which most likely causes illnesses.
Mesothelioma is a debilitating and potentially fatal cancer that usually affects the pleural lining of the lungs, at least in the type called pleural mesothelioma. Other types may affect the heart, stomach, intestines, and potentially other organs. Since symptoms usually do not present themselves for quite some time after the person was exposed to the asbestos and actually developed the cancer, the prognosis is not so good. It may spread to other places in the body, yet the progression will stop once the person is removed from the place in which they were exposed.
The problem is, usually even the employers or owners of the worksite may have no idea about the existence of asbestos in the place. There is no known cure to this disease, therefore it results in many deaths. Because Hawaii is particularly concerned with the protection of its natural resources, many lawyers have used that to their advantage when trying to get legislation passed to prevent the use of asbestos in the workplace, noting the shipyards specifically as an example. However, it does not seem to have been a successful plea for this new legislation.
If you have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma or an asbestos-related illness, you should speak with a Hawaii mesothelioma lawyer immediately. The statute of limitations is two years from the date of discovery of the disease, and this is taken very seriously. All mesothelioma lawyers will tell you about your legal rights, and what kind of compensation you are likely to get, after evaluating your case for free.
