Eagan Minnesota Mesothelioma and Asbestos Law Blog

Minnesota workers have often been placed at risk for asbestos injuries. Sadly, in many situations, the employers in question knew there were risks, but for various reasons, either did not inform their workers or failed to provide proper training and equipment to help keep them safe. Employers are legally obligated to do so. Often, a worker learns of his or her injury when a doctor diagnoses him or her with mesothelioma.

The lungs, heart and other organs of the body are lined with tissue that is known as mesothelium. When tumors develop in the tissues, it is called mesothelioma, which often develops into malignancy. Mesothelioma cancer is a terminal disease, meaning there is no known cure so the illness ultimately results in death.

Scientists and the United States government have known about the dangers of asbestos for decades. The mineral’s fire-resistant fibers can get stuck in clothing and trapped within the human body. It’s a known carcinogen and the leading cause of malignant mesothelioma. So why doesn’t the Environmental Protection Agency simply ban asbestos?

That’s one question at the heart of a new lawsuit. According to Reuters, Minnesota, nine other states and Washington D.C. sued the EPA to tighten its asbestos regulations. And this lawsuit comes not long after The New York Times reported that the EPA offered its latest asbestos regulations with a clear disregard for its experts' recommendations.

If you work, attend school or live in Minnesota, you may, at times, be at risk for injuries without necessarily realizing it ahead of time. Especially in a working environment, as a paid employee, you rely on your employer to not only be aware of the risks associated with your duties but also to provide proper training, information and safety equipment to keep you as safe as possible on the job. When an injury risk involves asbestos exposure, it can often be too late by the time you learn about the danger.

Perhaps you worked or lived in a building some years ago where construction or renovation was happening nearby. You may not have known that you were exposed to asbestos during that time. Now, years later, you may be experiencing adverse health symptoms that have prompted you to seek a medical diagnosis.

Learning that you have been walking around for years with a latent disease inside your body might as well be compared to receiving a sudden punch to the gut. If your doctor has diagnosed you with mesothelioma, he or she has also no doubt explained that, at this time, there is no cure for this disease. There are numerous ways this illness can affect the body. Your Minnesota medical team and care providers will help you determine which course of treatment might be best.

If, at some point, you also learned that your employer was negligent in his or her duty to keep you safe in the workplace, you might also want to speak with someone well-versed in asbestos litigation laws. In fact, there are many class action lawsuits pending regarding such issues. An employer must warn workers about known health risks present on the job.