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Florida Mesothelioma Lawyer

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Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is known to cause mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is the cancer of the mesothelium – the thin membrane that surrounds body cavities and essential organs like the heart and lungs. Asbestos fibers are tiny, and can enter the lungs where they can damage the sensitive tissue there. From there, the immune system attempts to attack the fibers, but they are very strong and can not be broken down by the body\'s defenses. So, they are only moved into the pleura – the thin body cavity around the lungs. While there, the fibers mutate the DNA of the cells in the mesothelium, causing them to become cancerous.

Although Florida has no known natural deposits of the mineral, the state deals heavily with vermiculite. Vermiculite is a natural mineral that, much like asbestos, can be used for insulation purposes. It can be bonded with sodium silicate for use in high-temperature insulation and fireproofing. It\'s a very versatile mineral – in addition to insulation, it can be used as soil conditioner and as a growing medium for hydroponics. Tampa has a plant that processes large quantities of vermiculite.

Vermiculite itself poses no health threat to users, manufactures, or miners, but the mineral is often contaminated with asbestos. For years, the town of Libby, Montana mined vermiculite. The mine in Libby, the oldest of its kind in the United States, started in the 1920s. Unfortunately for the miners and the residents of Libby, the vermiculite deposits were heavily contaminated with asbestos. Many of them have since contracted asbestos-related diseases. In 1990, the mine was closed over health concerns, but the residents of the town are still exposed to large quantities of asbestos that are present in the dust in the air.

Unfortunately for Florida, for nearly five decades starting in the late-forties, more than 97,644 tons of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite were shipped from Libby, Montana to the processing plant in Tampa. This vermiculite has exposed the workers of the Florida processing plant to high levels of asbestos. If proper protection against the carcinogen wasn\'t worn, the workers are likely to suffer health effects.

Since the mine in Libby was closed, the plant in Tampa processes vermiculite mined from Virginia, South Africa, and South Carolina. These mines were originally thought to be asbestos-free, however, new data has shown that the mine in Virginia does have relatively high levels of asbestos contamination. This means that workers at the Tampa plant are still in danger of asbestos exposure.

Other Florida residents might also have been exposed to asbestos. If construction workers ever installed asbestos insulation or were even on site when asbestos was being handled, they may have breathed in the fibers. Workers that perform demolitions and renovations might also have encountered the material if they were not informed of its presence.

If you have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, it is imperative that you contact a lawyer as soon as possible because the more time a lawyer has to work on your case the more likely they will be able to get you a large settlement. If you are like most Mesothelioma patients then your financial life has most likely been thrown into disarray since your diagnosis. Contacting a lawyer and getting him or her to file a lawsuit on your behalf is the first step towards getting yourself out financial stress. Mesothelioma cash settlements tend to be very large; especially if you have a good lawyer that presents a great case to the judge on your behalf. A lawsuit could easily help you pay off all your outstanding debt and cover your medical expenses for some time.