This fact did not come to light for more than 45 years. In the meantime, the company was able successfully to avoid damage suits. Had the public known about this settlement, it is likely that the hazards of asbestos would have come to light decades earlier.

Companies like Alcoa that used asbestos in its daily manufacturing processes have denied knowing that asbestos exposure could be a danger to those who worked closely with the mineral. In fact, these companies have managed to set the late-1960s as the benchmark for when they could have known about the dangers of asbestos — nearly 40 years later!

Asbestos has been linked to mesothelioma, an aggressive and deadly form of cancer. It is difficult to diagnose and symptoms often take 20-30 years to manifest. Usually, by the time symptoms show up, it is too late to save the patient.

It is also entirely preventable. The best science we have tells us that those who have mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos at some time in the past. In other words, protect people from asbestos exposure and no one develops mesothelioma cancer.

Industrial concerns in the 1940-1970s knew that asbestos exposure led to harmful side effects, and even side effects that could be fatal. But, because it would cost money to change things, companies like Dow Chemical, Du Pont and Alcoa that used asbestos extensively chose to continue business as usual. Further, they avoided telling their employees that asbestos was harmful and even that they were working around it.

Even after it became well-known that asbestos could hurt — and kill — people, many of these companies continued to deny that there was anything wrong. W.R Grace in Montana gave the local high school asbestos-laced mine tailings to put on the track even though OSHA had been warnign about the dangers of the mineral for two decades. Alcoa’s plants in Texas failed to develop and implement proper safety standards until the mid-1990s, even though OSHA rules had been written in the early 1970s.

So, this is why many victims of mesothelioma feel that their employer’s greed is at fault for their terminal cancer, and why they work with experienced lawyers to file mesothelioma lawsuits against these companies.

Remember, if you have mesothelioma you were exposed to asbestos and could have grounds for a lawsuit. Contact an experienced Texas asbestos lawyer today.