Pleural Mesothelioma Lawyer

If you’ve been diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, you need legal representation. Negligent workplace exposure is the leading cause of this type of cancer. A pleural mesothelioma lawyer can find out how and where you were exposed and help you take legal action.

What Is a Pleural Mesothelioma Lawyer?

Pleural mesothelioma lawyers specialize in helping patients with this rare type of cancer which affects the lining of the lungs. They work with clients who want to take legal action against companies responsible for exposing them to asbestos. Asbestos in the workplace is the leading cause of pleural mesothelioma.

Facts About Pleural Mesothelioma

• Pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the pleura. The pleura are two layers of thin tissue surrounding the lungs.
• Even experienced doctors and specialists often misdiagnose pleural mesothelioma. They often confuse it with lung cancer.
• Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of this cancer, accounting for about 75% of diagnoses
• Approximately 3,000 people get a diagnosis of mesothelioma every year.
• Pleural mesothelioma is aggressive. It spreads rapidly and is most often considered terminal.
• Most people don’t receive a diagnosis until decades after asbestos exposure.
• In the later stages, pleural mesothelioma is painful and restricts mobility and quality of life.
• Almost all cases of pleural mesothelioma are preventable, which means victims can hold companies accountable and seek compensation for medical expenses.

What Are the Symptoms?

Early symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are mild and similar to more common illnesses. This is one reason people rarely get an early-stage diagnosis. As mesothelioma develops into late-stage cancer, you may experience:

• Chest pains
• Difficult breathing, wheezing, and shortness of breath
• A persistent cough
• Pain at sites where the cancer has spread
• Fatigue
• Weight loss

Does Anyone Survive Pleural Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is treatable but is generally not considered curable. Rarely, a person may survive many years with pleural mesothelioma. This is most likely with diagnosis during an early stage and with aggressive treatment.

How Long Can I Live with Pleural Mesothelioma?

Life expectancy for pleural mesothelioma is generally short, but it depends on individual factors: age and health, cancer stage, treatment choices, and more.

The median survival time for pleural mesothelioma is nine months, a statistic that includes people who do not receive treatment. By beginning treatment right away, you can significantly extend your life expectancy.

How Does Asbestos Exposure Lead to Pleural Mesothelioma?

People who develop pleural mesothelioma often take legal action because this type of cancer is almost entirely preventable. Workplace exposure to asbestos causes most cases of mesothelioma. Less often, residential and secondary exposure causes mesothelioma.

Asbestos is a mineral that many industries once used to make light, strong, fireproof, and heat resistant materials. Eventually, it became clear that working around asbestos could lead to serious illnesses. The microscopic yet sharp fibers of asbestos can contaminate air and surfaces leading to inhalation or ingestion.

In the body, these fibers cause damage to the pleural tissue around the lungs, and over time this can cause disease. Not everyone exposed to asbestos will become ill, but many develop mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a cancer that can form anywhere in the mesothelium, the tissue that lines the organs in the body. Most often, it affects pleural tissue around the lungs. Exposure can also cause lung cancer and a lung-scarring disease known as asbestosis.

Many workers were exposed without their knowledge or without being warned of the risks. Those people got sick decades later. Because asbestos lingers in many workplaces, people are still at risk of getting pleural mesothelioma.

Do I Need a Pleural Mesothelioma Lawyer?

Pleural mesothelioma is a terrible, aggressive disease. It is painful and shortens your life. It leaves loved ones behind. For these reasons, many people exposed to asbestos who later become sick choose to take legal action against those responsible.

Many employers in the past used asbestos extensively. Either a past employer or a manufacturer that supplied your employer with asbestos-containing materials can be held accountable for being negligent in your exposure and current illness.

Even if you don’t want to sue, a pleural mesothelioma lawyer can help you seek compensation through settlements, trust funds, and benefits, such as those offered to veterans through the VA.

With the right lawyer on your side, you can seek justice for the harm caused to you, recover damages, and get money to pay for your cancer treatment.

Actions Your Lawyer Can Help You Take

A pleural mesothelioma lawyer will help you decide the type of legal action to take in your search for justice and compensation. A lawsuit is not right for every client, and a good lawyer will go over your information and your goals and determine what path is best.

• One option is to file a lawsuit against one or more companies you believe to be negligent in your asbestos exposure. Your lawyer will investigate to find evidence of asbestos, even if you aren’t sure when or where you may have been exposed in your past work. Your legal team will then file the lawsuit for you and negotiate a settlement with the defendants. If they can’t settle, your lawyer will take your case to court.

• If the company that exposed you no longer exists or went through bankruptcy, your lawyer may suggest you file a claim with an asbestos trust fund. These funds were set aside during the bankruptcy filing and included money to compensate current and future victims.

• Further, your lawyer may suggest filing for various types of disability or government compensation. If you are a veteran, your lawyer can help you find out if your exposure happened during your service, and in turn, will help you file for VA compensation and access to health care.

How Much Compensation Can a Lawyer Help Me Get?

Although getting justice for the negligence that made you sick is essential, more pressing is the need to recover damages. The compensation a lawyer can help you get covers necessary treatment costs, especially since pleural mesothelioma requires specialty care.

Some of the types of expenses that compensation may cover include:

• Past, current, and future treatment costs
• Medications
• Supportive therapies
• Lost wages if you can no longer work
• Travel expenses for getting treatment
• Costs of home care and supportive care equipment

Depending on your state and the laws there, you may also be able to seek compensation for non-economic costs, including pain and emotional suffering. You can request compensation for emotional suffering, loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and medical bills for wrongful death cases.

Make sure your pleural mesothelioma lawyer has access to all the information needed to make a claim. This may include medical records and bills, travel receipts, homecare receipts, and employment history.

The average settlement amount for a mesothelioma case ranges from $1 million to $1.4 million, so it’s worth talking to a lawyer to determine the best course of action.

Asbestos trust funds, on average, pay out $180,000 to victims of exposure.

How Do I Choose a Pleural Mesothelioma Lawyer?

A general lawyer, who practices all types of law or even all kinds of personal injury cases, is not suitable for your pleural mesothelioma case. You need an experienced lawyer that understands all the complexities of cases of pleural mesothelioma and asbestos exposure.

Look for the following attributes in your search for a lawyer to take your case:

• A deep understanding of personal injury and asbestos laws and asbestos trust funds
• Proven experience working with other mesothelioma clients and asbestos victims
• A track record of winning for these victims
• References from previous clients
• Accessibility and willingness to spend time answering your questions
• Adequate resources to help investigate your case and determine where and how you experienced exposure to asbestos
• Compassion and empathy when working with sick clients

What if I Can’t Afford a Lawyer?

Reputable law firms and pleural mesothelioma lawyers only charge clients on a contingency basis.

This means that the lawyer recovers no fees unless you win your case. Your lawyer will charge a percentage of the damages you recover and does not get paid unless you do.

This is how most pleural mesothelioma lawyers work because they know victims of asbestos exposure are already struggling to cover treatment costs.

Always look for a lawyer who accepts contingency payment to avoid additional financial stress. And, make sure you discuss those fees before hiring any lawyer.

The best pleural mesothelioma lawyer will be your trusted guide and advocate during this difficult time. Even if you aren’t sure you need to take legal action, talk to a lawyer to explore your options and rights.

Most importantly, if you struggle to make ends meet and pay for needed treatment, a lawyer is a powerful ally to help you recover damages from those responsible for your illness.