About Us / Asbestos Conditions

For nearly a decade, the Law Offices of Justinian C. Lane, Esq.-PLLC, have fought for the rights of Americans injured by asbestos exposure. Since our founding, we have secured millions of dollars in compensation for our clients.

The Law Offices of Justinian C. Lane, Esq.-PLLC, Only Practices Asbestos Claims Law

Justinian C. Lane studied law at a time when most people knew little about the troubled history of asbestos and its effect on human health. 

While we know today that asbestos is a potent human carcinogen, capable of causing medical conditions up to and including cancer, the dangers of asbestos were not always common knowledge. 

Asbestos, after all, was once a mainstay of modern industry. Easily mined and resilient to fire, electricity, and corrosion, asbestos had near-unlimited potential. During the Industrial Revolution, asbestos was seen as an attractive solution to longstanding concerns about fire safety and management. 

To meet growing demand for inexpensive but durable housing, companies established asbestos mines throughout the country. 

As asbestos became more common, scientists began to suspect that exposure could inflict significant respiratory distress. When a growing body of research began to suggest that asbestos was anything but a “miracle mineral,” the asbestos industry pushed back, covering up and concealing reports that could have saved lives.

Justinian C. Lane’s Commitment to Asbestos Litigation is Personal

When Justinian C. Lane began practicing law, he—like most people at the time—knew little about asbestos’s troubled history.

However, Justinian C. Lane’s clients made him reconsider his own circumstances. He represented veterans who developed asbestosis, mesothelioma, and other diseases—the same diseases that took his father’s life, and his grandparents’. 

During the Second World War, Justinian’s grandfather piloted naval landing craft. After the war, he worked as a mechanic—a career he kept until retirement. 

Justinian’s grandmother washed asbestos-covered dust from his clothes, and was exposed to industrial asbestos when she found a job at a soldering plant. 

His father also worked in a titanium foundry—a site that was almost certainly filled with asbestos. 

By the time that Justinian C. Lane began his career as an attorney, his father and his grandparents had all died from asbestos-related cancers. 

Asbestos-Related Illnesses Still Claim Lives Across the Country 

Justinian C. Lane never got the chance to see if his loved ones’ illnesses were caused by asbestos exposure. 

However, asbestos continues to exact a devastating toll. While nobody knows how many lives asbestos has claimed, researchers believe that asbestos causes an estimated 255,000 deaths annually. Millions of other people—in America, and abroad—live with painful, debilitating, and potentially life-threatening conditions. 

You could be at risk for asbestos-related illnesses if you have worked in any of the following industries: 

• Construction
• Shipbuilding
• Boiler-making
• Automotive manufacturing
• Automotive repair 
• Military

While asbestos-related diseases are most frequently diagnosed in older adults who have a history of occupational asbestos exposure, other people—including people who never worked with or around asbestos—could still be at risk for serious diseases.

Asbestos Conditions Can Have Subtle Symptoms—And Life-Changing Consequences

Asbestos is not inherently dangerous. 

When asbestos is left undisturbed—trapped beneath floors or behind walls—it poses little risk to human health. However, and in spite of its resilience, asbestos can disintegrate over time and is at its most dangerous when it is friable.

Friable asbestos, or asbestos that is easily crumbled into dust, can break apart on contact, turning an otherwise stable product into a potent hazard

If a factory worker or homeowner inhales asbestos particles, the fibers—microscopic and near-undetectable to the naked eye—could enter their lungs and gradually infiltrate their respiratory system. 

Since the immune system cannot filter or clean asbestos fibers, they can accumulate, creating serious and potentially life-threatening medical complications. 

However, most asbestos-related illnesses have long latency periods. While asbestos might wreak havoc inside the body, most people do not realize that they could be harboring an illness for years after their initial exposure. 

Under most circumstances, people with asbestos conditions experience mild physical symptoms, which could include:

• Shortness of breath 
• Dry cough
• Chest pain
• Chest tightness
• Crackling sound when breathing
• Pleural plaques on lung x-rays or CT scans 

When asbestos affects other parts of the body, it could cause symptoms including, but not limited to: 

• Abdominal swelling
• Abdominal pain
• Pelvic pain
• Loss of appetite 
• Unexplained weight loss 

These symptoms, however minor, can precede or evidence more serious underlying conditions.

Common Asbestos-Related Injuries and Conditions

Asbestos-related medical conditions are often categorized as either non-malignant (non-fatal) or malignant (potentially fatal):

• Non-malignant injuries. A non-malignant injury is a disease or condition that is noncancerous. Pleural plaques, for example, can cause difficulty breathing but are not always life-threatening. Even tumorous growths can be non-malignant, provided that they do not grow uncontrollably.

• Malignant injuries. A malignant injury is an injury characterized by uncontrollable and abnormal cellular growth. Left unchecked, these growths can form tumors that impede or otherwise interfere with ordinary physiological functions. Since malignant tumors are composed of cancerous cells, they can break apart and spread cancer cells to other parts of the body.

Non-Malignant Asbestos Injuries

Asbestos exposure has been associated with non-malignant injuries, disorders, and diseases including the following:

Asbestosis

Asbestos is a chronic lung condition caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Asbestos fibers can, over time, impact the lungs in a variety of ways, causing lung tissue scarring and unexplained shortness of breath.

Most people who are diagnosed with asbestosis have a history of occupational asbestos exposure. Similar to other asbestos-related conditions, asbestosis can take years—and sometimes even decades—to fully develop.

Pleural Plaques

A pleural plaque is an area of thickened tissue that can form in the pleural tissue surrounding the lungs and diaphragm.

People who have pleural plaques may not suffer any adverse or noticeable physical symptoms. However, pleural plaques are often found alongside other, comparably severe asbestos-related conditions, including lung cancer or mesothelioma.

Pleural Effusions

Pleural effusions are sometimes called “water in the lungs.” This relatively common condition refers to the build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the lungs’ pleural lining. Effusions can cause chest pain and difficulty breathing.

In some rare cases, asbestos patients with pleural effusions may have up to 4 liters of excess fluid in their lungs and chest.

Malignant Asbestos Injuries

Malignant asbestos-related illnesses could include, but are not limited to:

Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the mesothelium, the thin membrane encasing most of the body’s major organs.

Even compared to other cancers, mesothelioma is unusually aggressive. Mesothelioma has no known cure and cannot be easily treated.

While mesothelioma has several potential causes, most cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma are associated with asbestos exposure.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a leading cause of death in the United States. Most cases of lung cancer are caused by cigarette smoking.

However, scientific research suggests that asbestos exposure can increase individuals’ lifetime lung cancer risk. Some studies indicate that people who have a history of both tobacco use and asbestos exposure are significantly more likely to develop lung cancer than people who have a history of only cigarette smoking or a history of only asbestos exposure.

Laryngeal Cancer

Laryngeal cancer is a rare cancer that affects the larynx. Asbestos exposure is associated with a significantly higher risk for laryngeal cancer.

Ovarian Cancer

A Monographs Working Group of the International Agency for Research on Cancer recently concluded that there is sufficient evidence of a direct, causal relationship between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer. One recent study concluded that women who have been exposed to asbestos at work are 75% more likely to develop ovarian cancer than their unexposed peers. 

Treating Chronic Asbestos-Related Illnesses

Physicians treat malignant asbestos-related injuries similar to other cancers.

If you, or a loved one, have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related cancer, you could receive treatment including:

	Surgery. Surgery is a common response to mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other malignant asbestos-related conditions. Surgical interventions can be curative or palliative. During a surgery, the doctor may seek to curb the cancer’s spread or remove an entire cancerous mass. This could involve the removal of an entire lung.
	Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a standard cancer treatment. Chemotherapeutic medications can be administered orally, intravenously, or surgically.
	Radiation. Radiotherapy therapy uses X-ray beams to target cancerous cells. This treatment can be used to eradicate cancerous masses or curb the growth of a resilient tumor.
	Tumor treating fields. A tumor treating field, or TTF, uses alternating electrical currents to hinder the spread of cancerous cells. When used in combination with medication, tumor treating fields can reduce cancerous cell counts.

Note: Since most asbestos-related illnesses are not diagnosed until late in life, treatment options are often limited by a patient’s age and overall physical fitness. Speak to your healthcare provider to discuss screening, diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related diseases.

The High Costs of Treating Asbestos Disease

Asbestos-related illnesses exact a devastating toll: they can destroy lives, limit opportunities, and place an immense financial burden on entire families. 

Unfortunately, even people with high-quality health insurance policies often find themselves struggling to afford the high costs of asbestos treatment. People who have been diagnosed with malignant asbestos-related conditions, including lung cancer and mesothelioma, could be driven to the brink of bankruptcy by rapidly-mounting medical expenses.

Under most circumstances, patients with malignant illnesses could face expenses ranging up to:

• $40,000 for a first-time course of chemotherapy;
• $26,000 per surgical intervention; and
• $9,000 for intensive radiation therapy.

However, asbestos victims often face other losses, which could include:

• Expensive prescription medication co-pays and high-percentage deductibles.
• Mandatory physical rehabilitation sessions, which can cost thousands of dollars.
• Lost income from work.
• Time away from friends and family.
• Total loss of individual independence.

Legal Options After Being Diagnosed with an Asbestos Illness

The Law Offices of Justinian C. Lane, Esq.-PLLC, are committed to providing unparalleled representation to the victims of the American asbestos industry. 

While Justinian and his family never had the opportunity to hold asbestos manufacturers accountable for their misconduct, the asbestos industry’s negligence is today a matter of common knowledge.

Courts across the country have long since recognized that asbestos victims have a legal right to accountability.

If you, or a loved one, have been injured by asbestos, the Law Offices of Justinian C. Lane, Esq.-PLLC, could help you obtain compensation from:

• A personal injury lawsuit
• An asbestos insurance settlement
• An asbestos trust

Every asbestos claim is different.

But claimants usually have to prove how they were exposed to asbestos.

That’s where our database comes in.

Meet W.A.R.D., the largest database of asbestos information on the planet.

Search W.A.R.D. to see if your or your family member’s worksite is listed. Many workers were exposed to asbestos products and materials unrelated to their job, and many claims qualify for compensation from multiple trusts

Family members like spouses and children exposed to asbestos-covered work clothes in laundry rooms, garages and family vehicles can qualify for compensation if they have asbestos damage.

If your family member was an industrial worker before 1982, speak to a healthcare professional about testing for asbestos scarring. A simple X-ray could save your life.

Since many people diagnosed with asbestos-related conditions cannot pinpoint when, exactly, they were first exposed, obtaining compensation could seem like an insurmountable challenge.

However, the Law Offices of Justinian C. Lane, Esq.-PLLC, can help asbestos collect the evidence they need to create a compelling claim for recompense. Using technologies like W.A.R.D., our comprehensive database of asbestos-related workplace information, our firm can identify when and where you may have been exposed to asbestos.

Depending on the circumstances of your asbestos claim, we could help you secure damages for:

• Past, present, and anticipated medical expenses
• Physical rehabilitation
• Prescription medication
• Experimental mesothelioma treatments
• Disability
• Emotional pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment
• Loss of companionship
• Wrongful death

We understand that no amount of money could ever alleviate the suffering caused by a life-threatening diagnosis. However, our attorneys have helped our clients across the country recover millions of dollars in damages—money that they have used to pay down their medical debt, afford the highest-quality care, and honor their loved ones’ legacies.

Contact Us Today

Please contact us online or call us at 833-4-ASBESTOS (427-2378) to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.