Long-Term Health Implications of Asbestos Exposure in the Maritime Industry
Maritime workers face a wide range of risks every time they report for work. Asbestos exposure is one of those threats, and unfortunately, it can have a profoundly negative impact on a maritime worker’s long-term physical health. Asbestos exposure is closely linked to mesothelioma, a serious form of cancer that generally results in death between four and 18 months after diagnosis.
It’s crucial that maritime workers be fully informed of the risks they face in their line of work and have the protection they need. Furthermore, they must be able to fight for compensation when they are injured or become ill. If you’ve suffered an injury while working in a maritime setting, call Reeves & Mestayer at 1-855-558-2977 to set up a consultation now.
Sources of Asbestos Exposure in the Maritime Industry
There are numerous ways maritime workers may inadvertently be exposed to asbestos as they work. Asbestos is resistant to corrosion, heat, and fire, making it a popular choice for many applications in this field. Unfortunately, before we found out just how devastating it can be to our health, it was widely used in hundreds of different ways, making exposure nearly unavoidable in some settings.
Asbestos is used in insulation materials in shipbuilding, so shipbuilders often suffer substantial exposure in the course of their work. You’ll also find lots of asbestos used in engine rooms, boiler rooms, and piping systems. Those who work in the engine room and those who perform maintenance work are often exposed to substantial amounts of asbestos every day.
Gaskets, valves, and brake linings are also common sources of asbestos on ships. Some of the most at-risk workers are shipbuilders, repair personnel, and demolition workers.
Health Effects of Asbestos Exposure
At this point, it’s no secret that asbestos can have lots of negative health outcomes. The respiratory system is the most heavily affected by asbestos. Inhalation of asbestos fibers often leads to lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. When mesothelioma spreads, it aggressively attacks the lungs, abdomen, and heart.
The tragic part of these diseases is their long latency periods. People may work in the maritime industry for decades before retiring—and only then, after they have been exposed to asbestos thousands of times, do the health effects start appearing. Once these diseases are diagnosed, it’s often too late to do very much for patients. They spread aggressively, causing significant pain, discomfort, and a decreased quality of life.
How Asbestos Can Affect Maritime Workers
Maritime workers may dedicate decades of their lives to their careers, only to ultimately find out that their careers have cut years off of their lives. They may experience difficulty breathing, constant shortness of breath, pain and discomfort, and poor cardiovascular health. These effects extend beyond the maritime workers, reaching their loved ones as well. There’s always the possibility of a maritime worker unintentionally bringing home asbestos fibers on their clothes day after day, only for their family members to breathe them in.
Even if family members are not exposed to asbestos, they are often left to grapple with the rapid deterioration and loss of their loved ones.
Rights of Maritime Workers After Illness or Injury
Under maritime law, maritime workers have substantial rights when they are injured or develop an illness because of their line of work. At a minimum, maritime law allows for maintenance and cure—this includes paid-for medical care and coverage of necessary expenses during the period of injury or illness. However, there are other U.S. laws that allow maritime workers to recover additional compensation. Depending on your position within the industry and the source of your illness or injury, you may be covered by the Jones Act or the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, often shortened to LHWCA.
Beyond maritime-specific laws, there are trust funds established for victims of asbestos poisoning. When industries’ aggressive use of mesothelioma caught up to them, many were forced to create funds to compensate victims.
Fight for Compensation with Reeves & Mestayer
If you have suffered a maritime injury, you may be entitled to compensation. Let the team at Reeves & Mestayer fight for you. Call us at 1-855-558-2977 or get in touch online to schedule a consultation.
