Mesothelioma: Personal Injury From Asbestos Continues

Posted September 19, 2016

Mesothelioma: Personal Injury from Asbestos Continues Harming 9/11 First Responders

Fifteen years ago, around 410,000 people were exposed to a host of toxins, including over 400 tons of asbestos, during the rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts that followed the World Trade Center disaster on September 11th.

Today, personal injuries like mesothelioma cancers, asthma and other health issues related to exposure to asbestos and other dangerous materials continue to plague the victims and heroes of that fateful day at alarming rates.

According to The Mesothelioma Center:

Exposure to asbestos can cause life-threatening illnesses such as mesothelioma and asbestosis. These diseases normally take between 20 and 50 years to display symptoms. But in 2006 – five years after inhaling the toxic debris from Ground Zero – an emergency responder from 9/11 died of mesothelioma. Another worker, 41-year-old Deborah Reeve, developed a serious cough just two years after the attacks and died of mesothelioma in 2004.

New York, NY, September 18, 2001 — A health professional treats a New York City firefighter during a break from his recovery work at the World Trade Center disaster site. Photo by Michael Rieger/ FEMA News Photo

Even though it’s banned in 54 other countries, Americans all over the United States are still exposed to asbestos every day:

OSHA fined US Steel in Pittsburgh $170,000 in July 2016 for exposing workers to asbestos during operations

A report released December 2015 reveals that about two-thirds of U.S. schools still harbor asbestos

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has failed at an attempt to ban asbestos under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) since 1989

Veterans are at a higher risk to asbestos-related diseases due to the extensive use of asbestos by the U.S. military between 1900 and the 1970’s

If you or a loved one has experienced mesothelioma health issues related to asbestos exposure, the experienced lawyers at Pribanic & Pribanic can guide you to medical resources available to victims and discuss your options for filing a claim for compensation.

Call for a free consultation at 1-800-392-4529.

asbestos, cancer, mesothelioma, world trade center

Melissa Troutman

Melissa Troutman is a journalist, writer and vocal artist. She began full-time writing in 2010 as a newspaper reporter in her hometown of Coudersport, Pennsylvania before co-founding the investigative news nonprofit Public Herald, where she now serves as Executive Director. Melissa co-wrote, -directed and -edited the documentary Triple Divide (2013), which she also narrates with award-winning actor Mark Ruffalo. Follow her on twitter @melissat22.