Asbestosis is the scarring of the lung tissue itself from inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers.  Diagnosis of this disease requires a physical examination, a chest x-ray, and a breathing test.

Compensation for asbestosis generally requires a diagnosis by a board-certified specialist in pulmonary disease.

Persons with asbestosis have a substantially incresaed risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma and othe malignancies; however, it is impossible to predict which asbestosis victims will contract these malignancies and which asbestosis victims will not.