Statistics & Facts

According to a Federal study from 1979 through 2001, at Least 2,651 People Have Been Killed by Asbestos in Texas Since 1979.

At least 681,087 tons of vermiculite asbestos went from Libby, MT to 24 locations in Texas between 1948 and 1993.

The Texas Vermiculite Company in Dallas, TX is one of many former asbestos manufacturers that have received about 80 of the asbestos mined at the W. R. Grace vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana from 1964 through 1990, according to a list compiled by federal health officials.

Asbestos is a naturally-occuring mineral that is considered a carcinogen.

Exposure to asbestos usually happens in the work place with a history of asbestos exposure at work being reported in about 70% to 80% of all cases. However, some Mesothelioma cases have been reported in individuals without any prior exposure to asbestos.

Occupational exposure to asbestos over the past 50 years in the United States is calculated to have occurred in approximately 8 million people.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of lung cancer that results from exposure to airborne asbestos fibers.

There are two types of Mesothelioma, pleural and peritoneal.

There is a latency periond for Mesothelioma of about 30 to 40 years before the onset of initial symptoms appear.

Symptoms of Mesotheliom arise 2 to 3 months before the cancer is found and can resemble shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, persistent cough, pneumonia, chest and abdominal pain.

Mesothelioma is a terminal disease with no known cure and victims die within 18 months of diagnosis due to the cancer being too advanced by the time it is detected.

Treatments for Mesothelioma include surgery to remove the tumors, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of the three.

Management of mesothelioma depends largely on the the staging of the tumor as well as the age and physical condition of the patient. Early diagnosis and surgical intervention may lengthen life expectancy.

According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 3,000 new cases per year of malignant mesothelioma are being reported in the United States, and the incidence appears to be increasing.

Asbestos cases will continue to increase and it is estimated to peak around the year 2025, according to experts.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued regulations to phase out the use of almost all asbestos products in 1989, and these rules were overturned in a court challenge in 1991.

Asbestos is still not banned in the US and there are about 5,000 products that contain asbestos circulating in the US.

Most asbestos products are used as an ingredient in the making of a final product, such as vinyl-asbestos flooring and friction products, which are purchased mostly by the construction and automobile industries.

EPA has not banned any substance for any use since 1991 under the provision of the law used for the asbestos ban.

It is estimated that about 8 million people in the U.S. have been exposed to asbestos in the work place, and, or their home.

The Congressional Budget Office claims that ther are 322,00 pending claims.

Fair compensation for mesothelioma frequently means a settlement of over $1,000,000.

About 2,500 victims of Mesothelioma die each year.

The disease is three times more common in men than in women. In men, the occurrence of mesothelioma is ten times higher in men between the ages of 60-70 as compared to men between the ages of 30-40.

Due to Mesothelioma's monetary value in a search, lawyers and attorneys bid on Overture or Google AdWords with over $160 per click.