Vintage Household Items May Contain Asbestos
Many of us prefer the feel and look of vintage clothes, cars and other “classic” items over their newer, often less durable counterparts. In fact, we’ve all heard someone say “they just don’t make them like they used to” with a disappointed tone, remembering when this or that product was sturdier or better in some way. It’s true — very few products of any kind are still manufactured with the same processes and materials used in previous decades.
However, in many instances, older products contain dangerous substances that cause illnesses that manufacturers and regulators were unaware of when they were in production. This is particularly true of products that contain asbestos. Until medical researchers identified the link between asbestos and mesothelioma, many of the products produced from the 1930s through 1977 included asbestos.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a light, strong, durable mineral fiber that was used in thousands of products over centuries because it’s resistant to the following:
- Heat
- Fire
- Chemicals
- Electricity
If fibers are airborne, people can inhale or swallow them. Asbestos fibers may never leave the body or be destroyed by its immune response.
Why is Asbestos Dangerous?
Asbestos’ microscopic fibers, when released into the air and inhaled or swallowed, can pose serious health risks. The primary reasons why include:
- Easily Inhaled or Swallowed: Asbestos fibers are tiny and lightweight, so they’re easily airborne. When people breathe in these fibers, they can become trapped in the lungs and other parts of the respiratory system. When the fibers get into the mouth and are ingested, they threaten the digestive system, abdominal organs, and the abdominal lining
- Health Effects: Prolonged or repeated exposure to asbestos fibers can lead to various severe health conditions, including asbestos (a chronic lung disease causing breathing difficulties, coughing, and reduced lung function), lung cancer (those who smoked have a particularly high risk), mesothelioma (a rare and aggressive cancer that primarily affects the lining of the lungs (pleura) or the abdominal cavity (peritoneum)), ovarian, uterine and other cancers
- Long Latency Period: Asbestos’ health effects often take years or decades to develop
- Fiber Durability: Asbestos fibers in the body can remain for a long time, possibly for a person’s lifetime, causing continued health risks after initial exposure ceases
- There’s No Safe Exposure Threshold: There is no known safe level of asbestos exposure. Even small amounts over time can potentially lead to health issues
- Secondary Exposure: People who come into contact with asbestos-exposed individuals or environments (such as asbestos workers’ family members) can also be at risk, as fibers can be carried on clothing, skin, and hair
Compared to the period of asbestos’ peak use (Industrial Revolution through the 1970s), overall, few new products contain asbestos for sale.
Homes and products from this period often contain dangerous amounts of asbestos, and individuals who spend significant amounts of time in them or around them may have much greater asbestos exposure than they realize. If you believe that you experienced prolonged asbestos exposure, you may need to build a strong personal injury claim to seek fair compensation for personal and financial losses these products caused.
What kinds of household items may contain asbestos?
Unfortunately, there was a time when manufacturers included asbestos in a wide range of products. Often, asbestos was used in products that generate a significant amount of heat, but not always. Vintage heating items that commonly contain asbestos include:
- Hair dryers
- Ironing boards and rods
- “Electric” blankets that plug into an outlet
- Heating appliances like coffeemakers, toasters and mini ovens
Other products that do not directly involve heating or shielding from heat may include:
- Toys for children
- Vermiculite, often used in potting soil
- Chalkboards
- Brakes used in consumer vehicles
Protecting your future
Mesothelioma, which results from asbestos exposure, is a deadly form of cancer that requires ongoing medical treatment. If you believe that your exposure to asbestos led to your own mesothelioma, now is the time to begin protecting your rights and your future.
Building a claim seeking compensation for asbestos exposure requires a great deal of time and attention. Be sure to use all the high-quality legal guidance and tools that you need to ensure that your rights remain secure while you fight for fair compensation for your losses and suffering.
Why You Should Hire Satterley & Kelley, PLLC for Your Cancer Case
If you’re diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related cancer, you may be entitled to compensation for what you’ve endured. This includes physical and mental pain and suffering, financial costs, medical bills, and how the disease impacts your relationships.
You need a law firm with experience representing victims taking legal action against the asbestos industry. Satterley & Kelley, PLLC attorneys have helped asbestos victims for more than 20 years.
We have relationships with the best experts in the world to help us prove that asbestos caused your injury and the physical, emotional, psychological, and financial harm you suffered.
Call Us Today for a Free Consultation
After a mesothelioma diagnosis, there’s no time to waste because there’s a lot of work behind an asbestos claim or lawsuit. Satterley & Kelley PLLC attorneys are your boots on the ground if you or someone you love in Kentucky suffers from mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness.
Call us at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation with a Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyer.