As the title of a recent mesothelioma medical article states, you don’t have to work to get mesothelioma. According to NIOSH in 2002, housewife/homemaker was the second most common occupation recorded on death certificates of mesothelioma victims.  Doubtless many family members are exposed via a parent or spouse bringing home asbestos contaminated clothes.  Additionally, some exposures may be due to home remodeling; many floor tiles contained asbestos and joint compounds used in sheet rocking contained high levels of free asbestos. “Shade tree” mechanic work when a family member would change the brakes and clutches on the family cars can also lead to asbestos exposure. In the 1950s some cigarettes actually has asbestos in the filters.

Uncovering the asbestos exposures in some such cases can often be a difficult process. Additionally, the legal issues can be more complicated than typical mesothelioma cases.  It is critical that any attorney handling such a case be familiar with the difficult factual, scientific and legal issues in order for the case to successfully litigated.