Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma cancer is particularly hard to diagnose. It is a form of cancer caused by asbestos, (a mineral commonly used in industry or as insulation in homes).

Once the asbestos particles are inhaled, they harm the mesothelium of the lungs. The mesothelium is a lining that covers the outer portion of the lungs.

Mesothelioma Cancer Diagnosis

Mesothelioma cancer takes many years to develop and the symptoms develop gradually. These are often misdiagnosed as other illnesses ranging from bronchitis to emphysema. Symptoms develop over 15 to 50+ years after exposure to asbestos fibers. Quite often, individuals will die from the complications of mesothelioma and really not even know the real cause of their illness.

It is important for the patient to find a doctor who specializes in mesothelioma cancer and asbestos mesothelioma. Using imaging tests like CT, MRI, Ultrasound, and X-Rays, a good diagnostian can find the underlying cause of an illness and confirm it with a biopsy of the pleural or peritoneal tissue to detect the presence of mesothelioma cancer cells.

Mesothelioma Cancer Symptoms

Symptoms of mesothelioma cancers depend upon when the patient is diagnosed. Shortness of breath and coughing are typical of early detected pleural mesothelioma cancer. This may also be accompanied by chest pain.

Abdominal or peritoneal mesothelioma cancer is a later stage development of the disease and these symptoms can include unexplained weight changes, anemia, constipation, diarrhea, swelling or pain in the abdomen, lumps or masses in the abdomen, and swelling of the feet or ankles.

Other symptoms for all types of mesothelioma cancer include fevers, sweating, night sweats or unexplained weight loss.

Mesothelioma Lawsuits

Mesothelioma Lawsuits: History

Mesothelioma is a cancer that is related to exposure to asbestos fibers. Many people do not develop mesothelioma symptoms until many years after they were exposed to asbestos. However, there are numerous reasons to consider filing mesothelioma lawsuits.

What is Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer that develops as a result of exposure to asbestos fibers. The most common form of mesothelioma is the pleural form, although peritoneal or abdominal mesothelioma may develop as a primary cancer or as a secondary cancer if the pleural form spreads into the abdominal area.

Pleural mesothelioma is cancer that develops in the plural, which is the membrane sac that surrounds and enfolds the chest cavity and the lungs. This form of mesothelioma develops from breathing in asbestos fibers. The fibers lodge in the mesothelial cells in the sac, where the cells become irritated and inflamed. As a result of this irritation and inflammation, cells begin to form around the fibers, resulting eventually in the development of cancerous tissue and tumors.

Abdominal mesothelioma is formed in the peritoneal membrane, which is the sac that holds the abdominal organs, including the intestines and digestive tract. In this case, asbestos fibers are introduced to the peritoneal membrane through ingestion or from the lymph nodes.

Similar to pleural mesothelioma, the asbestos fibers become lodged in the mesothelial cells of the peritoneal membrane, where the cells become irritated and inflamed and cancerous tissue and tumors form around the fibers. In some cases, pleural cancer cells spread into the peritoneum, causing secondary abdominal mesothelioma.

Asbestos Usage and Mesothelioma Lawsuits

Asbestos has been mined in the United States since the 1800s. However, it did not come into extensive use until after World War II, where it was used in textiles, construction materials (ceiling tiles, insulation, etc), brakes, and other goods.

It was later found that individuals working in fields with high rates of asbestos fiber exposure developed mesothelioma, often many years after exposure had occurred. As the incidents of mesothelioma have increased, so have the numbers of people filing mesothelioma lawsuits in an effort to cover costs related to medical expense or to help pay for pain and suffering due to the loss of a family member as a result of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Risk Industries

There are numerous industries that used asbestos extensively in the past. For example, workers in ship building, railroad, construction and demolition and automotive industries were exposed to asbestos fibers quite extensively.

Recently, firefighters and others who participated in the response to and recovery efforts of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center site have discovered that they have suffered high rates of asbestos fiber exposure and are now developing mesothelioma symptoms.

Filing Mesothelioma Lawsuits

While there are many reasons to file mesothelioma lawsuits, the primary reasons are to help you and your family cope with the high expenses related to treating this industrial illness. Many people in the United States do not have insurance or they may have inadequate insurance to cover the costs of this substantial and devastating illness. Also, because mesothelioma is almost exclusively related to industrial exposure to asbestos, it is a work-related illness, even if it shows up years after the fact of exposure.

For families who lose a loved one as a result of asbestos fiber related illness, there are also other factors. This is a material that was introduced to more than just workers who were directly exposed to asbestos. Employees also brought home asbestos fibers to their family, since it permeated their clothing, hair and skin.

It has been found that family members may develop mesothelioma simply due to asbestos fibers that were transferred through being in close contact and proximity to workers who were exposed to asbestos. In these cases, mesothelioma lawsuits may be necessary in order to be awarded compensation for the resulting illness.

Mesothelioma Settlement

Mesothelioma Settlement

Mesothelioma is a cancer that is almost exclusively the result of exposure to asbestos fibers. The risk of developing this illness has been known for many years, yet employers continue to use products that contain asbestos fibers, exposing employees to the risks and dangers of developing mesothelioma.

As a result, numerous lawsuits have been filed against employers who continue to use asbestos products and the manufacturers of these products and mesothelioma settlement rates have ranged from the hundreds of thousands of dollars to the millions of dollars.

Asbestos Exposure History

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been mined in the United States since the 1800s. However, it came into extensive use after World War II and was and continues to be used in products ranging from brakes to ceiling tiles to insulation materials to playground materials.

Almost everyone in the United States has been exposed, at least on some level, to asbestos fibers. However, those who have worked extensively in industries with high levels of asbestos exposure continue to develop mesothelioma, even years after the exposure event.

Mesothelioma Settlement Industries

There are many, many industries in the United States that used and continue to use asbestos products. It is estimated that over 5,000 asbestos related products are used in the United States. Specifically affected industries include ship building, automotive, railroad, construction and demolition and many others.

Firefighters have become a group of people who are especially affected by mesothelioma because of the construction materials that they often encounter in buildings that are destroyed by fire or other events. For example, firefighters and others who participated in the recovery efforts at the World Trade Center in New York City after the September 11, 2001 attack have been shown to have ever increasing rates of mesothelioma as a result of the horrific amounts of asbestos they were exposed to.

And it is not only the individuals who are working directly in the asbestos materials that are at risk.  Individuals in close proximity to workers may also be at risk because the fibers permeate clothing, hair and skin and may be transferred simply through close contact.

Mesothelioma Settlement Purposes

Today, mesothelioma litigation is very common and lawsuits against employers and manufacturers of asbestos related products have resulted in mesothelioma settlement actions that have ranged from hundreds of thousands of dollars into the millions of dollars. Some individuals opt for a settlement of their claims without the benefit of a jury trail, because of the length of time it takes to go to jury trial and the amount of money this ultimately costs.

The primary purpose of filing a mesothelioma lawsuit is for compensation for medical costs, pain and suffering, loss of wages and injuries resulting from exposure to asbestos fibers and the development of mesothelioma.

Attorneys For Mesothelioma Settlement

Attorneys taking mesothelioma cases often do so on a contingency basis. This means that they will collect their fees based on a percentage of any amount awarded in a settlement as a result of the lawsuit. If there is no award, then they do not collect any fees.

As a result, an attorney taking a mesothelioma case must feel strongly that there is a good chance of winning a mesothelioma settlement in order to invest the time and effort to file the lawsuit.

Asbestos Lawsuit

• Asbestos Lawsuit

  Learn More About the Basics of Asbestos Lawsuits

  Life after a mesothelioma diagnosis can include a number of frightening uncertainties, both medically and financially. While there are many uncontrollable aspects of a mesothelioma diagnosis, one thing that can help ensure the financial stability for your loved ones is to pursue an asbestos lawsuit against the companies who knowingly produced the harmful product for decades.
  There are two different ways to file a mesothelioma lawsuit, depending on your relation to the case. If diagnosed with mesothelioma, filing a personal injury claim is the best way to proceed. If your loved one was diagnosed with an asbestos related disease, and has died from it, a wrongful death lawsuit should be filed. Because different regional judiciary systems may mandate specific requirements depending on your unique circumstance, you should consult a mesothelioma attorney before proceeding with any legal action.
  While mesothelioma is caused primarily by asbestos exposure, there are different ways in which that exposure can occur. Those who work in professions requiring regular interaction with asbestos products, or work in areas containing loose asbestos fibers, are at the highest risk for developing the disease. Indirect contact with asbestos has also shown to be dangerous, as family members of people who work with asbestos have also been known to develop mesothelioma. Indirect exposure is caused by a worker carrying asbestos fibers on their clothes or hair into their home.
  Once a mesothelioma diagnosis is given, one of the first things to do is determining how asbestos exposure may have occurred. If you are not sure of a definite site or cause of asbestos exposure, let your mesothelioma attorney know immediately so they can use their resources to help determine where exposure occurred. Finding a point of asbestos exposure is absolutely vital for a successful mesothelioma lawsuit.
  It is also important to make sure that your asbestos lawsuit is filed on time. While there is no standard timeline or deadline that a mesothelioma patient must follow when filing a case, many courts will not look at the case if you file more than two years after a diagnosis. Using a mesothelioma attorney will ensure that all aspects of a lawsuit are filed on time.
  Sometimes the legal costs associated with a mesothelioma lawsuit can discourage families from taking legal action following a diagnosis. However, because mesothelioma cases have such a high success rate for recovering money for victims, many asbestos attorneys will not charge any fees unless the case is won. Even if you are bankrupt, you can likely still get a lawyer to fight the case for you.
  When first meeting with a mesothelioma lawyer, discuss how much compensation they think they will be able to win for you. There are many factors determining the potential value of your settlement, such as the amount of evidence there is of a company being liable for asbestos exposure, and the severity of the disease.
  A successful mesothelioma lawsuit can result in a settlement worth several hundreds of thousands – sometimes even millions – of dollars. If you or a loved one were diagnosed with mesothelioma caused by either a manufacturer or distributor of asbestos products, or a former employer’s negligence that led to asbestos exposure, contact an asbestos attorney to help get the compensation you deserve.