Painters & Asbestos Exposure

Painters

The entire process of preparing the walls for painting is a very important part of a painter’s job. Painters remove old layers of paint, which might contain particles of asbestos. After this is done, the wall needs to be sanded, and have plaster and spackle applied to it. During this process, the worker is exposed to asbestos dust and asbestos-containing products.

These tasks will put the painter in danger because the asbestos particles can be easily inhaled even with protective gear on and this can result in harmful and sometimes deadly asbestos-related diseases.

Due to the fact that these diseases – mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis – have a long latency period, the symptoms usually show up when it is already too late for the doctors to treat your condition.

Relevant job titles

painter
trades painter
steel painter
marine painter
coating worker
industrial painter
painter assistant
prep worker
sandblaster
spray painter

Asbestos-related cancer eligible for filing a claim

If you developed one of the following cancers as a result of occupational exposure, you are eligible for compensation. If you are too ill, a family member can help you with the legal process. In the unfortunate event that you pass away before recovering compensation, your surviving family members will receive compensation on your behalf.

If, however, you struggle with non-cancerous pleural diseases such as asbestosis, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural plaques, pleural effusion, diffuse pleural thickening, COPD (emphysema & chronic bronchitis), pleurisy, lung nodules, lung spots, asthma, pneumonitis, tuberculosis, rounded atelectasis or lung scarring, please seek a second or even a third opinion as the rate of misdiagnosis is very high among the victims of asbestos exposure.

Companies that exposed painters to asbestos

Labor union members are also eligible

Asbestos products handled by painters

During the past century, it was not uncommon for finely ground asbestos fibers to be added in paint in order to enhance its fire resistance and strength. Before applying new layers, painters would often have to prepare the walls by removing any preexistent product. By sanding old layers of paint, particles of asbestos would be released in the air and the risk of inhaling them was quite high. Other asbestos-containing products painters might have come in contact with are gypsum, spackling, plasters, textured coating and caulk.