Are There Legal Remedies for Household Exposure?

Galiher DeRobertis Ono Has Helped Family Members Who Contracted Mesothelioma

Yes, there are legal remedies for mesothelioma caused by household exposure to asbestos. Galiher DeRobertis Ono has represented many family members who have contracted mesothelioma.

Courts in the United States recognize household exposure claims against the manufacturers of asbestos products. However, there are a number of jurisdictions that do not recognize a claim for a household exposure brought against a premise owner. For this reason, it is important to properly select the jurisdiction in which a household exposure claim should be filed. Based on our experience, the mesothelioma attorneys at Galiher DeRobertis Ono can help you with this important legal decision.

Family Members at Heightened Risk

Family members of workers who worked with asbestos may be at a heightened risk of mesothelioma. It has been recognized for decades that workers could bring home significant amounts of asbestos on their bodies, hair and clothing.

As a result of this household or take-home exposure, these workers' families are at risk of mesothelioma. There are numerous examples of family members contracting malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases simply by breathing the asbestos brought home on a household member's clothes. Wives could be exposed by shaking out the contaminated clothes to do the laundry each week. Children could be exposed by playing with their father before he had a chance to change clothes.

Legal Remedies for Household Exposure

Today there are federal regulations to ensure that asbestos and other hazardous materials are not brought home in this way. Employers are required to warn their workers about the hazards of asbestos on clothing. Some employers may be required to provide special areas where workers can shower and change their clothes before they leave work. In addition, people who work with asbestos and other hazardous materials may also be instructed to store their street clothes in a separate area of the workplace, or wash their work clothes at home separately from other clothes.

In the past, however, most workers had no idea that they could be putting their families at risk by carrying asbestos home on their work clothes. As a result, mesothelioma has become increasingly common among the wives and children of men who had a high occupational exposure to asbestos. Household exposure to asbestos has put thousands of spouses and children of asbestos workers at risk of serious diseases.