It has been well known for a long time that asbestos is very harmful for the human body and any kind of exposure to it would result in dangerous consequences. Previously this was a product that was used extensively in buildings and other infrastructural developments due to its robustness and durability. Its rampant use thus led to many people contracting various forms of discomfort with the most dangerous being the cancer of the lungs and other organs within the body.

The bad effects of asbestos were not known till the decade of the sixties when the initial signs of discomfort began to reveal themselves. People who had worked in construction sites and were exposed to asbestos in various forms such as dust, fibres and filings now started feeling the ill effects and began approaching the insurance companies for compensation. However, they were in for a shock when the insurance companies flatly refused any compensation citing that they were high risk.

Further detailed studies at that point in time then revealed the harmful effects of air borne asbestos. The fibres of asbestos were able to attach themselves to the lungs area of the individuals and that caused the weakening of immunity of the individuals in the process of fighting these fibres. The process led to damage in the lungs and continued to spread, ultimately resulting in the collapse of the working of the lungs and also the causing of death of the individual.

Faced with such strong evidence, lawyers representing their clients affected with this disease began to get claims honoured by insurance companies. They only had to prove that the asbestos companies were always in the knowhow of the severe as well as harmful consequences of the material they were making the workers use for building projects and once that was done, it was easy to get compensation. It was indeed revealed that the companies always knew about the dangers but had kept it under cover for their own selfish reasons.

Malignant mesothelioma can happen to any organ in the body. It depends on the age of the person, the exposure he has been having to asbestos, his general constitution and so on. Since most of the individuals are able to detect the disease pretty late, it becomes impossible to treat the disease. This form of mesothelioma has latency duration of between ten to thirty years and since the symptoms are not that strong or mirror other diseases, the individuals tend to become complacent and ignore them.

By the time any firm medical action is taken, the malignancy spreads to lungs, abdomen and even the heart. The strong covering or mesothelioma of all these organs is damaged by the cancer cells leaving the organs vulnerable.