Illinois' history as an industrial powerhouse has resulted in a rank of seventh in the US for mesothelioma cancer deaths due to chronic asbestos exposure. The large numbers of people affected has resulted in a large number of lawyers specializing in asbestos cases.
According to Asbestos.com, a leading mesothelioma information site, Illinois is ranked seventh in the US for mesothelioma cancer deaths. This ranking is due to the long history of Illinois as a leading industrial powerhouse. An unfortunate consequence of all this industry is a high rate of chronic exposure to asbestos for many workers.
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that usually occurs in the lungs or abdomen. It is caused by the inhalation of asbestos particles. The cancer is aggressive and typically kills its victims in a year or less. Symptoms are varied and can include chest pain, persistent cough, weight loss, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeat and chest pain. Other symptoms are also possible.
Tremolite asbestos from mining site near Libby, MT
Asbestos is a common mineral and has been used in thousands of ordinary products throughout the 20th century. Even though the health hazards were known since the seventies, many companies continued to manufacture asbestos-based products. More importantly, many companies failed to implement appropriate safety measures to reduce worker exposure. Chronic exposure to asbestos dust greatly increases the risk of developing mesothelioma cancer.
There are six naturally occurring mineral forms of asbestos, as recognized by US regulatory agencies: tremolite, actinolite, anthophylite, chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite. In reality, there are over 100 named forms of asbestos minerals according to the US Bureau of Mines.
All six forms of asbestos have been used commercially. Chrysotile is the most common and is estimated to account for 95% of all commercial uses. Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, is the most dangerous and deadly form. Fortunately, its commercial use was extremely limited. Workers most affected by crocidolite were the miners in South Africa, Bolivia and Australia.
With so many asbestos-using companies located in Illinois, many more people were affected than other parts of the US. Consequently, there are now a large number of lawyers in Illinois specializing in asbestos litigation. While this is a sad commentary on the indifference of corporations to worker health, it means victims have excellent resources to obtain justice.
