It's hard to determine how much asbestos exposure is too much, but a good rule of thumb is that all it takes is a few weeks or months to inhale enough to cause Mesothelioma somewhere down the road. The longer you were exposed, the better your chances of winning an asbestos claim in court.

It's possible to get asbestos-related illnesses even without direct exposure to asbestos; all you have to do is work for a while near a contaminated area. If you've come down with Mesothelioma or asbestosis and don't know how you got it, you should take this possibility into account.

Remember, just because you've been exposed to asbestos doesn't mean it's necessarily dangerous. The only time you really have to worry is when it's broken up and the fibers can get into the air. Solid, non-friable asbestos tiles, for example, are not dangerous is left unbroken.