Most products containing asbestos were manufactured prior to the 1980s, but many of them are still in use or available from antique and rummage stores, flea markets, garage sales or just acquired from attics and basements. Other categories of products that are still manufactured include some construction materials and brake linings.
Older products that create heat, or protect from heat, are the most likely sources of household asbestos contamination. Items like potholders, oven mitts, electric blankets, or anything fireproof that was manufactured before the 1980’s probably does contain asbestos. One big problem today is that these products are at least 30 years old and deteriorating. Their age increases the chances of asbestos fibers escaping into the air where they can be breathed or ingested.
Other asbestos products used in building construction pose an especially dangerous risk. Many people are buying older homes and renovating them as a home improvement project. The problem is that most lay people have no idea the extent to which their older home contains asbestos or the danger they are exposing themselves to.
If you have been exposed to asbestos through the use of household products or construction materials please contact the experienced asbestos lawyers serving Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Brown | Kiely, LLP to learn more about your legal rights.
