Asbestos exposure is the single known cause of mesothelioma, a rare, incurable cancer. If you are a mesothelioma patient who was exposed to asbestos through no fault of your own, you may qualify for compensation, but you’ll need the help a California mesothelioma lawyer provides.
You are entitled to compensation if you have inhaled asbestos and you suffer from mesothelioma because a manufacturer, contractor, property owner, or employer was negligent. Mesothelioma victims may be compensated for their medical expenses, lost earnings, and related damages.
Who May Develop Mesothelioma?
Every case of mesothelioma may be traced to asbestos dust, fibers, or particles that have been inhaled into the lungs. Across the United States, approximately 3,000 victims will be diagnosed with mesothelioma this year alone.
Most mesothelioma patients were exposed to asbestos at their jobs; other patients may have resided near manufacturers that used asbestos, near an asbestos mine, or with a household member who had been exposed to asbestos.
Because mesothelioma may take decades to emerge, determining the source of someone’s asbestos exposure can be challenging. Asbestos was used in a variety of industries through the 1970s. According to the Department of Labor, as many as a million people may still be at risk.
What Should You Know About Secondary Exposure to Asbestos?
The Occupational Safety and Health Act took effect in 1970. It protects most workers in the U.S. from asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibers can break down into microscopic particles. Their tiny size and rough texture make it easy for asbestos fibers to adhere to skin, hair, and clothes.
Secondary or indirect exposure is just as dangerous as direct exposure. Secondary exposure happens when those who work with asbestos bring fibers home on their bodies and clothes. Relatives and others in the home may inhale the fibers, putting them at risk for mesothelioma.
What Are the Symptoms of Mesothelioma?
While indirect exposure to asbestos happened more frequently before asbestos regulations were put in place in the 1970s, new mesothelioma cases continue to emerge as spouses and children who were exposed decades ago to asbestos are only now developing symptoms.
Many of those people are the victims of secondhand asbestos exposure because they had a parent or spouse employed in an industry that used asbestos. You can even suffer secondary exposure to asbestos by handling the towels, bedsheets, or clothing of a family member who was exposed. While mesothelioma may take decades to develop, when it does, its symptoms may include:
- difficulty with swallowing
- digestive and bowel problems
- fatigue or anemia
- inexplicable, sudden weight loss
- lung or abdominal pain
- persistent coughing or shortness of breath
- respiratory infection
Should You Be Examined for Mesothelioma?
These symptoms are linked to several diseases, so if you believe you were exposed to asbestos, directly or indirectly because a household member worked with asbestos, have a mesothelioma diagnosis. This requires a tissue biopsy in order to examine your cells under a microscope.
When mesothelioma is diagnosed, MRI and CT scans, ultrasound, and blood tests may indicate how far the cancer has advanced. While the disease remains incurable, treatment may alleviate the symptoms and slow the cancer’s pace. Patients should ask their doctors about experimental treatments.
If your asbestos exposure or your household member’s exposure was caused by another party’s negligence, contact immediately – from anywhere in the U.S. – a California mesothelioma attorney who has experience and success fighting on behalf of mesothelioma patients.
How Will an Attorney Help You?
Many mesothelioma patients improve their prognosis with swift, appropriate treatment and by making a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. A great deal depends on the stage of the disease, the patient’s age, and the patient’s health apart from mesothelioma.
An experienced California mesothelioma lawyer can probably help you trace your exposure to asbestos and hold negligent parties accountable. If you were exposed to asbestos because another party was negligent, you may receive a settlement or win a trial verdict that compensates you for your cancer treatments, your lost wages, and your related losses and damages.
Some victims may qualify for a considerable amount of compensation that can cover decades of medical treatments and related expenses. If you move forward with legal action, your mesothelioma attorney will handle the legal paperwork and fight for the compensation you need.
How Are Mesothelioma Claims Resolved?
Most mesothelioma claims are resolved privately in out-of-court negotiations, so your attorney should have abundant negotiating experience.
However, if no reasonable settlement is offered privately, or if the liability for your exposure to asbestos is disputed, your attorney will take your claim to court, explain to the jurors how you developed mesothelioma, and ask the jurors to order the payment of your compensation.
Mesothelioma patients must act now. Every state has a statute of limitations, a deadline for taking legal action after you’ve been injured by another party’s negligence. There are exceptions, but in most cases, if you miss the deadline, you will not be allowed to recover compensation.
However, even if your asbestos exposure was decades ago, you can probably take action. In most states, the “clock” on the statute of limitations begins only when you receive a mesothelioma diagnosis and not when you are first exposed to asbestos.
Let Frost Law Firm Protect Your Rights and Handle Your Mesothelioma Claim
The attorneys at Frost Law Firm represent mesothelioma patients across the United States. Our experienced team of mesothelioma attorneys routinely recovers compensation for our clients, and you will not have to worry about owing us anything.
If the cost of your mesothelioma treatment is overwhelming you, Frost Law Firm will represent you on a contingent fee basis, which means that you will owe no attorney’s fee to Frost Law Firm unless and until we recover your compensation.
If you are a mesothelioma patient, or if someone you love is struggling with mesothelioma, call Frost Law Firm now, from any state in the nation, to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation, in-depth evaluation of your case. You can reach us at 866-FROST-WINS (866-376-7894).
