Showing posts with label mesothelioma treatments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mesothelioma treatments. Show all posts

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Mesothelioma Lawsuit

A mesothelioma lawsuit is filed by a victim of mesothelioma in order to recover damages associated with their development of this asbestos related cancer. A mesothelioma case can help a victim seek reparations for medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering. Mesothelioma develops almost exclusively as a result of toxic exposure to asbestos. This disease can remain latent in a victim for up to forty years; therefore people who were exposed to asbestos in the environment in the 1950s may still be at risk for developing this disease.

Asbestos has been used to make more than 5000 products in the last few hundred years. Asbestos is a naturally occurring group of minerals that is used to make products such as vehicle brakes and building materials. Asbestos is added to these products because it aids in heat and corrosion resistance. The deadly effects of asbestos have been known for over sixty years, though it continues to be used in a variety of industries. People in the construction, automotive, factory, railroad, shipyard, and custodial industries may all be at risk for the serious health consequences resulting from toxic exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma is a rare but fatal cancer that is caused by this harmful exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma affects the mesothelium that surrounds and protects the internal organs of the body and can affect any organ in the body including the brain, heart and reproductive organs. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common and affects the lining surrounding the lungs. This lining can become cancerous when asbestos is inhaled at toxic levels. Many times the disease is asymptomatic, though symptoms may include a persistent cough, pain in the chest area or shortness of breath.

Mesothelioma also affects the peritoneal lining of the organs in the abdominal cavity. This type of mesothelioma can also remain latent and asymptomatic for several years. If symptoms do develop they might include pain and swelling of the belly, nausea, bowel problems, weight loss, swollen feet, and anemia.

Mesothelioma affects men three to five times more often than it affects women. It is diagnosed in patients at an average age of 50 to 70 years. Once diagnosed, mesothelioma is fatal. The average survival time after diagnosis is only one year, because the cancer is usually in its advanced stages by the time it is discovered. For people who are diagnosed earlier, about one half survive for two years and twenty percent make it to five years.

A mesothelioma lawsuit can be filed in the legal system in order to seek reparations for medical expenses, loss of income and pain and suffering associated with the development of this disease. Employers and manufactures of asbestos containing products can be held liable for the injuries that develop as a result, especially when they were aware of the risks associated with the level of exposure they caused or permitted. Contacting a qualified lawyer is often the first step in discovering what your legal rights and options might be in a mesothelioma lawsuit. For more information on a mesothelioma lawsuit, please Contact a Mesothelioma Attorney who is familiar with other mesothelioma cases.


Mesothelioma Lawsuits Goes to Trial

A suit filed by a previous electrician who recently died from mesothelioma, is proceeding to trial in New York.

Joel Rosenberg is one of many men who fell victim to the disease after working for years in New York as an electrician and being exposed to asbestos.

Mesothelioma Due to Asbestos Exposure

Rosenberg began working at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) when he was a teenager and after being diagnosed later in his life with mesothelioma, died at the age of 64.

Before his death, Rosenberg filed the suit against IBEW aware that his condition was from all the work he had done in New York at the World Trade Center, Kennedy Airport, and Rockefeller Plaza, and other building’s in New York.

Losing his father, who was also an electrician for the Local 3 Union to mesothelioma in 1981, Rosenberg became aware of the co-relation between his job and his illness, as many of his co-workers became diagnosed throughout the years.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is related to the exposure of asbestos and affects thousands annually.

The Case

Before passing, Rosenberg made a video giving sworn testimony which will be shown to the jury.

His widow, Sharon Rosenberg, who is serving as a plaintiff in the case for her late husband, is continuing the lawsuit.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Mesothelioma Settlements

Asbestos and Mesothelioma Settlements

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is typically caused by exposure to asbestos – a naturally occurring fiber that is commonly used in construction, shipbuilding and automotive repairs. For decades, the use of asbestos in these industries went unregulated despite the presence of scientific data that found a strong correlation between asbestos exposure and lung illnesses like Mesothelioma. Because Mesothelioma symptoms only become noticeable decades after exposure, many victims of asbestos exposure fail to realize the actual cause of their declining health.

Many companies using asbestos were accused of knowing the dangers of asbestos exposure long before the government officially began regulating its use in 1970. As such, these companies knowingly allowed its workers to be exposed to deadly levels of asbestos fibers in order to maintain profit margins. The result has been hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Mesothelioma settlements and lawsuits. Since the incubation period between asbestos exposure and the first symptoms of Mesothelioma can last for up to 50 years, government health officials expect the number of Mesothelioma lawsuits and settlements to continue to grow.

The reach of this Mesothelioma epidemic is so great that industry leaders have been petitioning lawmakers in Washington to pass a bill that would take Mesothelioma cases out of the courtroom and create a Federal trust fund designed to provide financial assistance to Mesothelioma victims. Most experts believe this system would not provide enough support for Mesothelioma victims while also granting what essentially amounts to a pardon to the industries responsible for the pain and suffering of thousands of Americans.
Settling Mesothelioma Cases

Settlements allow all parties involved to avoid protracted legal battles. Lawsuits involving asbestos exposure and Mesothelioma typically never make it to trial. Depending on the specifics of the case, settlements can range anywhere from thousands to millions of dollars. Factors influencing settlements include the avenue of exposure and the political climate in the region at the time. Ultimately, the amount of the Mesothelioma settlement is dependant on the amount of damage done to the victim as a result of the exposure, the defendant’s culpability, as well as the factors listed above.

Settlements must account for the cost of long term medical treatment, lost wages, and pain and suffering. In the event of a wrongful death caused by Mesothelioma, the settlement must also account for the pain and suffering of the deceased’s survivors and funeral expenses.