Mesothelioma Risk From Home Renovation in The Spotlight
The case of an Australian man is highlighting the mesothelioma risk from home renovation when asbestos is present. Forty-two year old Matthew Werfel recently won a lawsuit against Amaca, the asbestos producer previously known as James Hardie. The company manufactured the asbestos-containing cement sheets that led to Werfel’s pleural mesothelioma. The record $3 million payout is an expensive warning to other DIY homeowners about the potential mesothelioma risk from home renovation. Asbestos in Construction Products Asbestos is a mineral that has to be mined from the ground. As early as the 1930’s, companies like James Hardie recognized its potential value as a construction material. Asbestos is strong, plentiful and resistant to heat and corrosion. It was used for decades to…