You Don’t Need to Work with Asbestos for It to Make You Sick

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer strongly associated with a specific cause. A large number of people diagnosed with mesothelioma have had significant exposure to the mineral substance asbestos.

Not that long ago, businesses used asbestos in everything from maritime vessels to home building materials and car parts. People in a number of industries, from construction to manufacturing, may have had workplace exposure to asbestos.

It is common for those diagnosed with mesothelioma to have a work history involving asbestos. If you have never worked with asbestos, you may think your case is one of those rare times that mesothelioma doesn’t relate to asbestos. However, your exposure could be second-hand or secondary exposure caused by a family member or a roommate.

Do You Know Someone Who Worked with Asbestos?

There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos. You don’t need to work in an enclosed space with asbestos to inhale a dangerous amount of it. If your spouse, parents or even roommate work with asbestos, the small amounts of particulate asbestos that they may have brought home on their clothing and skin could have exposed you. Secondary exposure can be just as dangerous as workplace asbestos exposure.

Even if they did not become sick, your inhalation of the asbestos fibers from their clothing or from around your house as they deposited it around the space might have triggered what eventually developed into mesothelioma. Those with secondary asbestos exposure can develop the same illnesses as people who work with asbestos and may have many of the same legal rights.

Identifying possible ways that others have exposed you to asbestos could help you understand your recent mesothelioma diagnosis.