Lung and Respiratory Injuries

Common Lung and Respiratory Injuries

Lung and respiratory conditions can develop suddenly after a traumatic event or gradually over years of exposure to harmful substances. We handle cases involving:

• Asbestosis – Scarring of lung tissue caused by inhaling asbestos fibers, leading to shortness of breath and increased cancer risk.
• Asthma – Chronic inflammation of the airways that can be triggered or worsened by workplace chemicals, poor air quality, or environmental toxins.
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – A progressive disease that makes breathing increasingly difficult, often linked to prolonged exposure to dust, fumes, or chemicals.
• Chronic bronchitis – Long-term inflammation of the airways, frequently caused by exposure to irritants in the workplace or environment.
• Mesothelioma – A rare and aggressive cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure, often not diagnosed until decades after initial exposure.
• Lung cancer – Can result from exposure to asbestos, silica dust, diesel exhaust, chemical fumes, and other carcinogens.
• Silicosis – Lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust, common in construction, mining, and sandblasting work.
• Chemical pneumonitis – Inflammation of the lungs caused by inhaling toxic chemicals or gases.
• Farmer’s lung – A type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by inhaling organic dust from hay, grain, or other agricultural materials.
• Emphysema – Destruction of lung tissue that makes breathing difficult, often linked to long-term exposure to pollutants or smoke.

These conditions don’t just make breathing difficult—they affect every aspect of life. Many patients struggle with simple daily tasks, require supplemental oxygen, face repeated hospitalizations, and experience a significantly reduced quality of life.

How Lung and Respiratory Injuries Occur

• Workplace exposure – Many lung injuries result from prolonged exposure to hazardous substances on the job. Construction workers, miners, factory workers, agricultural workers, and others in industrial settings face risks from asbestos, silica dust, chemical fumes, diesel exhaust, and other respiratory hazards. California workers’ compensation law covers these injuries, but proving the connection between your work and your illness can be challenging.
• Defective products – Asbestos-containing products, faulty respirators, defective air filtration systems, and contaminated materials can all cause serious respiratory harm. Manufacturers can be held liable when their products cause injury.
• Environmental contamination – Toxic exposure from nearby industrial facilities, chemical spills, or poor indoor air quality in residential buildings can lead to respiratory illness.
• Vehicle accidents – Inhalation injuries from fires, chemical spills, or airbag deployment chemicals can cause acute respiratory damage.
• Premises liability – Building owners and property managers have a duty to maintain safe environments. Mold, asbestos, poor ventilation, and other hazards can cause serious respiratory problems.

The Challenge of Proving Lung and Respiratory Injury Claims

These cases are uniquely complex for several reasons:

• Delayed onset – Many respiratory diseases take years or even decades to develop after initial exposure. Asbestosis and mesothelioma, for example, can have latency periods of 20-40 years. This makes it harder to identify when and where the harmful exposure occurred.
• Multiple potential causes – Insurance companies often argue that respiratory illnesses could have other causes—smoking, genetics, age, or environmental factors. Proving that workplace exposure or another party’s negligence was the primary cause requires strong medical evidence.
• Progressive conditions – Many lung diseases worsen over time, making it essential to account for future medical needs and loss of earning capacity in your claim.
• Technical medical evidence – These cases require expert testimony from pulmonologists, occupational health specialists, industrial hygienists, and other experts who can establish the link between exposure and illness.

This is why you need experienced legal representation. Our Fresno lung and respiratory injury attorneys work with leading medical experts who can testify about the cause of your condition and the full extent of your damages.

Types of Compensation Available

Depending on how your injury occurred, you may be entitled to multiple forms of compensation:

• Workers’ compensation benefits – If your respiratory illness is work-related, you can receive medical treatment coverage, temporary or permanent disability benefits, and vocational rehabilitation. Workers’ comp is a no-fault system, meaning you don’t have to prove your employer was negligent.
• Third-party personal injury claims – In many cases, someone other than your employer may be liable. For example, if your illness was caused by a defective product, toxic substance manufactured by another company, or negligence by a property owner, you can file a personal injury lawsuit for full damages including pain and suffering.
• Toxic tort claims – When multiple people are harmed by the same toxic exposure, we can pursue claims against the responsible parties for environmental contamination or mass exposure events.

We thoroughly investigate every case to identify all potential sources of compensation. You may have both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury lawsuit against third parties.