Tiles on your walls and the adhesives that keep them there may contain asbestos. If you handled them in a way that liberated asbestos fibers into the air, you may have endangered yourself and others in the area. These fibers are toxic and potentially cancer-causing.
Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyers can be your boots on the ground if you or someone you love suffers from mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness in Kentucky. Call our Louisville office at 855-385-9532 to schedule a free initial consultation.
What are Wall Tiles?
These tiles are affixed to walls, often in bathrooms or kitchens. They can be made of asphalt, vinyl, ceramics, or thermoplastic.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a mineral fiber used in thousands of products over the centuries. Fibers are strong and durable. They are resistant to fire, heat, electricity, and chemicals. If they get into the body, they can cause debilitating and fatal medical conditions.
Why is Asbestos in Wall Tiles?
Asbestos could be in a tile to make it stronger, more durable, water and damage-resistant, and limit the spread of fires. Asbestos may also be in the sealant or mastic that secures the tile to the wall.
Asbestos use was largely regulated off the market in the late 1970s, but products made before then may have continued to be sold into the 1980s. The older the building, it’s more likely to contain asbestos.
Why is Asbestos Hazardous?
Inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers in the air can result in disabling and deadly medical conditions, according to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Breathing in these fibers may lead to a buildup of scar tissue in the lungs, known as asbestosis. It can cause a progressive loss of lung function that often leads to total disability and death.
Asbestos also causes various cancers in organs, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. This is a fatal and aggressive cancer affecting the lining of the chest and abdominal cavities, the lungs, heart, and abdominal organs.
When is Asbestos in Wall Tiles Dangerous?
When the tiles are intact, they don’t pose a health risk. If they are broken, sawed, sanded, or drilled into, asbestos fibers can be released into the air. If the mastic adhesive underneath them has asbestos, when it’s dry, fibers could be released if tiles are pulled off it, drilled into, sanded, or the wall it’s on is sawed.
Can I Receive Compensation if I’m Injured by Asbestos in Wall Tile?
Since asbestos sales are extremely limited in the US, the industry that supported the widespread use of asbestos is a shadow of its former self. Some companies that sold asbestos products in the past are still in business. Others went through the bankruptcy process, ceased operation, or reformed and stayed in business.
You can be compensated for the damages in your case, which is the harm you have and will suffer measured in dollars. They generally fall into two categories:
- Special damages: Past and expected future income losses, the costs of past and future medical and rehabilitation treatment, and expenses related to your disease
- General damages: These are more intangible losses such as pain, suffering, emotional distress, and the loss of life’s pleasures
Active companies that haven’t gone through bankruptcy cannot be sued for the harm they caused. Businesses that went through bankruptcy created trust funds to pay asbestos injury claims.
No matter which category applies in your case, you must establish some critical facts to succeed. You must prove your medical condition was caused by asbestos and the extent to which it harmed you physically, emotionally, and financially. You’ll also need to show the company’s asbestos products harmed you.
Some of the evidence you’ll need includes:
- Medical records establishing your diagnosis
- Expert medical testimony explaining how your disease is treated, what future treatment you’ll probably receive, your prognosis, and its physical impact
- Records showing your past income and work benefits, what you receive presently, and testimony on what you’re expected to earn in the future
- Income and financial records
- Your testimony on the pain and suffering you’ve endured, your emotions and feelings, how your disease impacts your relationships, your working conditions, and the asbestos products you used or were near
- Documents and or others’ testimony about the asbestos products you were exposed to and your working conditions
Most claims are resolved through negotiations, and very few go to trial.
Call Us Today for A Free Consultation
Satterley & Kelley PLLC will be your trusted local law firm if you or a family member in Kentucky has mesothelioma or another asbestos-related condition. Call our Louisville office at 855-385-9532 or our online contact form to schedule a free initial consultation.
Click here for more information about other products that contain asbestos