 Murray performed an autopsy on a 33-year-old patient and found large amounts of asbestos fibers in his lungs. Across Europe, other reports of deaths from fibrosis were reported. Insurance companies were aware of the dangers too, and as early as 1908, they decreased coverage and increased premiums for workers in the factories that used asbestos. Asbestosis is the damage caused to the lungs by tiny asbestos fibers. The scarring within the lungs hinders oxygen from being transferred to the blood.