From the early Greeks the naturally occurring fiber now called asbestos has demonstrated characteristics that seemed truly miraculous. Because the fibers could be woven into cloth, tablecloths and other fabrics could be cleansed through exposure to fire. Even then there were health concerns, and with what we know today, mesothelioma lawyers make money fighting companies for restitution for its victims.

It is written in history of the surprise visitors had when tablecloths made from asbestos fiber were cleansed by fire. This would be tantamount to magic at the time, and is one reason the fibers were used during the cremation of royalty. By swathing the noble in an asbestos sheet, his ashes would not be defiled by the wood and other combustibles needed to create the fire.

The fibers are strong, extremely resistant to heat and are also good sound absorbers. This combination made it an extremely attractive substance for the construction industry. It could also be easily molded into coverings for electrical wiring which added a considerable level of safety to homes and office buildings. Asbestos has been used in over 3000 products and its use continued to expand into 1970.

Problems with the health of people who mine the asbestos fibers or work with the fibers to make other material have been around and documented for many thousands of years. The problems were ignored because it was largely slaves or common workers who suffered, and their ills were routinely ignored in the name of progress. So even though the first death attributed to asbestos occurred in the first ten years of the last century, the use of asbestos expanded through the next seven decades.

Suspected for decades, research in the 1970s began to verify the link between the asbestos impact on human lung tissue and actual lung cancer. This was made fact by a definitive study released in 1978 showing beyond any doubt that asbestos causes malignant mesothelioma. Asbestos is found on every continent, and even in Britain where action was beginning to be taken to protect workers, World War II interrupted and post war recover was dominated by construction using the fiber.

It required government intervention to protect workers from the effects of the asbestos fibers on their lungs. Unfortunately, nothing was formally accomplished until 1980, with compliance taking even longer. We are still discovering places where the fiber was used in occupied buildings, still exposing personnel to the dangers of its fibers. The lawsuits filed will occupy the courts and victims will wait while mesothelioma lawyers make money fighting the companies that allowed this too happen.