Mesothelioma
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that develops in the mesothelium. There are several types of mesothelioma including pleural mesothelioma (chest and lungs), pericardial mesothelioma (heart), and peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen). Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious and most deadly asbestos-related disease. There is no known cure for mesothelioma.
What Cases Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is usually caused by asbestos exposure. Most people who develop mesothelioma worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles or they have been exposed to asbestos dust or asbestos particles. The duration of exposure to asbestos causing mesothelioma can be short, even as short as one to three months. The incidence of mesothelioma is higher among people who live near naturally occurring asbestos or other fibrous materials similar to asbestos. Secondary exposure or bystander exposure of family members living with asbestos workers comes along with a great risk of contracting mesothelioma from the asbestos dust brought home on the clothing of asbestos workers.
Asbestos fibers that are inhaled through your mouth and/or nose may become embedded in your lung lining, causing damage and resulting in mesothelioma lung cancer or asbestosis. Swallowing the asbestos fibers can move the fibers down into your abdomen causing peritoneal mesothelioma.
What are Mesothelioma Symptoms?
Mesothelioma symptoms may not appear until many years after asbestos exposure, sometimes up to 50 years after. Mesothelioma is hard to diagnose because the symptoms are non-existent or very subtle for a long time.
- Shortness of breath
- Chest wall pain
- Weight loss
- Cough
- Abdominal swelling
- Fatigue
- Blood in sputum
- Jaundice
- Pulmonary emblosim
- Lower back pain
- Difficulty swallowing
Who Can You Sue for your Mesothelioma?
The first lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers were in 1929 and ever since, the government has been reluctant to step in. Currently there are no federal laws governing asbestos exposure compensation.
From the 1930s through the 1970s, tens of thousands of people with jobs such as shipbuilder, construction worker, contractor, insulator, welder, oil refinery worker, chemical plant employee, and railroad engineer were exposed to asbestos in the workplace. As a result, many developed serious asbestos diseases, including mesothelioma.
Those who worked with asbestos were rarely informed that the material was toxic and that their health was being compromised, despite the fact that executives at companies nationwide knew that hazardous asbestos was making their employees sick. Hence, no protection was provided and workers regularly breathed in dangerous asbestos fibers. Years later, many of these individuals would discover they had asbestosis – or worse – mesothelioma cancer.
If you or a loved one is suffering from an asbestos cancer such as malignant mesothelioma, you need the support and proven results of a firm like Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. Skilled in presenting the facts, our mesothelioma attorneys know the ins and outs of mesothelioma litigation. As with your mesothelioma treatment, time is also of essence when filing an asbestos-related lawsuit because statutes of limitations may prohibit legal action after a fixed period of time. Once you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, act quickly to increase your chance of obtaining the compensation you deserve for your asbestos-related illness.