Mesothelioma Attorneys in California For 9/11 Victims
On September 11th 2001, numerous American households awoke to news that the World Trade Center in New York City had been attacked by terrorists. As the day continued to unfold, a countless number of other misfortunes unfolded with it. With the collapsing of the trade towers shortly after impact, a danger familiar to few Americans began to litter New York skyline – asbestos.
Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that’s known for its miraculous characteristics. Since manufacturers of construction materials were quite unaware of its dangers in the mid 19th century, they began to utilize it in an array of products. Asbestos’ ability to withstand fire along with its uncanny ability to insulate piping motivated numerous manufacturers to utilize the material in their products.
As we moved into the mid 90’s, information surrounding the dangers of asbestos began to make its way to the mainstream public. A good number of doctors presented their findings on asbestos and were subsequently shoved aside. Businesses involved in handling asbestos feared that these doctors could jeopardize their standing – considering the doctors discovered that asbestos lead to a rare and dangerous cancer known as mesothelioma.
In 1989, the dangers of asbestos were reaffirmed when the EPA passed an asbestos ban. Although this ban didn’t remain in effect for long, it did reveal the government’s stance on asbestos.
Now, that we’re caught up on the history of asbestos, let’s look into how it relates with the tragic events that unfolded on 9/11. The WTC towers were built in the 1950’s when asbestos use was prevalent. Thus, a good portion of their internals was lined with asbestos. While the asbestos contained within the buildings initially posed no danger, the moment they collapsed, the asbestos fibers were forced to disband and were subsequently thrust into the air.
As NYC residents began circulating the area where the towers once stood, they concurrently began to inhale the asbestos fibers. For some reason, the EPA failed to warn NYC residents of the danger which the airborne debris posed – among them, mesothelioma. Thus, thousands of people were exposed to large amounts of asbestos following the WTC attacks.
While the death toll for the 9/11 attacks currently stands at 3,000, there will be a significant increase as time progresses. Those who participated in recovery efforts will heavily contribute to the overall death count. Since recovery workers were exposed to substantial amounts of asbestos and other dangerous toxins, they are likely to face medical issues in the future.
Since the 9/11 attacks have passed, more and more NYC residents have reported suffering from varying medical problems. Within a few years, it is likely we’ll see the first substantial round of mesotheioma suffers who contracted the disease as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
If you contracted mesothelioma as a result of the 9/11 attacks and currently live in California, we strongly recommend you contact a California mesothelioma attorney. You have a slew of qualified California mesothelioma attorneys to chose from, each with extensive backgrounds in mesothelioma litigation. We strongly encourage you to take a step in the right direction and contact an attorney today.