Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer which affects the membranes that line the chest or abdominal cavities. The disease can have a long latency period. Symptoms may begin to appear twenty, thirty or even more than fifty years after initial exposure. Generally, mesothelioma is rapidly fatal once it is diagnosed.

In a person who suffers from mesothelioma, a tumor will grow and spread along the surface of internal organs, which usually includes the lungs. Initial symptoms include shortness of breath and chest pain. These symptoms are caused by fluid accumulation in the pleura, a thin, transparent membrane which covers the lungs and lines the inside of the chest walls. Other signs of mesothelioma can include hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, and coughing up blood. Patients with "pleural" mesothelioma often experience pain in their lower back or at the side of their chest. Patients with "peritoneal" mesothelioma may experience weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling because of a build-up of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms of "peritoneal" mesothelioma include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. The National Cancer Institute has a number of helpful resources dealing with mesothelioma which you can access by clicking here.

A doctor may use a variety of methods to diagnose the disease, including X-rays, or positron emission tomography (PET) scans, and tissue and fluid sampling.

Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral ingredient in many building, insulation, and consumer products. Asbestos was used in thousands of products, such as roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products, cement products, automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts, heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets, and coatings. Asbestos is made of silicon, oxygen, hydrogen, and various metals. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set up a website with helpful information and resources regarding asbestos that you can access by clicking here.

People who were exposed to significant amounts of asbestos are at risk for developing mesothelioma.

The most common types of asbestos are chrysotile (white asbestos), amosite (gray or brown asbestos), and crocidolite (blue asbestos). More uncommon asbestos forms include tremolite and actinolite. All forms of asbestos pose serious health hazards. There is no "safe" level of exposure for asbestos. See 20 U.S.C. Chapter 49, Section 3601. You can read the congressional findings and law regarding asbestos and schools by clicking here.

Asbestos is dangerous when it becomes airborne. Unsafe work procedures or deteriorated, damaged or removed asbestos-containing material (ACM) can release asbestos fibers or dust into the air.

High risk of asbestos exposure is often associated with various occupations like construction, ship-building, railroad, and automotive work. Potential asbestos exposure also may occur in schools, homes, and public buildings.

In Spokane, Washington, workers were exposed to asbestos at Vermiculite Northwest, Inc., located at 1318 N. Maple Street. The plant processed vermiculite ore from the 1940's until 1974, when it was closed. Vermiculite Northwest processed vermiculite ore obtained from a mine in Libby, Montana that was owned and operated by the W.R. Grace Company. The ore was tainted with asbestos. A furnace was used to heat the ore until it expanded or "popped" like popcorn. The resulting product was a lightweight material ideal for insulation and other products. The processing of vermiculite was an extremely dusty task and workers were exposed to high levels of asbestos in the dust their labor produced.

Lukins & Annis, P.S., is law firm based in Spokane, Washington, and has successfully advocated for citizens of the Pacific Northwest in similar lawsuits. Regarding Fen-Phen Diet Drug, Lukins & Annis was appointed class counsel in the statewide class action which sought equitable relief on behalf of 125,000 Washington residents exposed to dangerous diet drugs. That action has now achieved settlement under the auspices of a nationwide Multi-District Litigation 1203 settlement. Lukins & Annis continues to pursue claims on behalf of individuals who have suffered serious heart or lung injuries from taking the diet drugs Pondimin and/or Redux. Likewise, Lukins & Annis served as individual personal injury counsel for individuals who received a recalled Sulzer hip implant. Lukins & Annis also represents individuals who suffered injury from ingesting Baycol. Lukins & Annis, P.S., has filed numerous lawsuits in federal court on behalf of people who were injured by Vioxx.

If you or a loved one is suffering from mesothelioma or died from the disease, please call (509)455-9555 and ask to speak with Robert J. Crotty, Chief Litigator, Asbestos Liability Team