Automobile Mechanics Asbestos Risk

Asbestos attorneys from Williams Kherkher continue to speak to clients that have suffered serious medical issues caused by exposure to asbestos. With the well known dangers of asbestos exposure, one would think that asbestos-related issues are quite unique. But asbestos attorneys will adamantly differ.

It is true that there are regulations in place to deal with the dangers of asbestos. However, you have to keep in mind that there are still products around that were created before these regulations were implemented.

Mechanics and Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos can be found in different areas of your automobile. In the past, parts of the brake system and the clutch were made with asbestos-containing material. For the most part, the use of asbestos material has been phased out, however, there are still brakes on cars be driven today with traces of asbestos. This is because asbestos is known to be an excellent fiber for brake linings. It is cheap compared to other material that can be used, not to mention it has good temperature resistance and chemical resistance. Ironically, these characteristics are why asbestos is such a harmful substance.

Because asbestos can be found so readily in trucks and in cars, mechanics need to take adequate precaution against being directly exposed to the asbestos. They need to treat every brake system they work on as if they were working on asbestos brake pads or shoes. Unfortunately, because of the misconception that asbestos is not found in brakes today, technicians are not properly educated on what to look for and what health issues asbestos can cause.

When mechanics work on brakes, they are cleaning them and taking them apart. Dust tends to fly everywhere and this dust can contain the very harmful fibers of asbestos. These fibers are very thin and long and can become embedded in the lungs’ lining, eventually leading to lung cancer since the body is unable to rid itself of the asbestos fiber.

When speaking with asbestos attorneys, you will hear about brake technicians who have inhaled what they thought was harmless brake dust but turned out to be asbestos fibers. These cases end with the mechanic dying from mesothelioma (lung cancer). Auto shops used to be pretty careful about the safety of their brake mechanics and contact with asbestos. But auto shops slowly lessened their safety procedures with misinformation that brakes no longer contain this dangerous substance.

The bottom line is that being exposed to asbestos is still an issue today. If you have experienced health issues from being exposed to asbestos, contact an attorney. The asbestos attorneys of Williams Kherkher are very familiar with asbestos related issues that brake mechanics and other workers are faced with at their employment. You need to understand your legal rights. Schedule a free consultation with one of the asbestos attorneys at Williams Kherkher today.