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Mesothelioma Lawyers - Important Information for Patients

Deciding to pursue legal recourse and selecting an attorney to represent you in a mesothelioma or asbestos lawsuit are important decisions that should be made carefully. The facts of your situation and the law firm you select have a dramatic impact in the outcome of your case.
The Facts of Your Situation
Some mesothelioma patients know they worked around asbestos, but many do not know how they were exposed or how often. In fact, many people are not sure if they were ever near this carcinogen. Unfortunately, there have been thousands of products that contained asbestos - cigarette filters, hair dryers, brakes, basement and roof materials, pipes, boilers, insulation, and many other products found throughout the home and at work. If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma it is more than likely that you were exposed to asbestos multiple times in your life and that this happened decades before your diagnosis.
In general, the value of your case depends on how many asbestos containing products you were exposed to, the number of identifiable defendants that still exist (many have declared bankruptcy), your age and earning capacity. And the speed of your case can depend on a number of variables including the state where you worked and lived when you were exposed to asbestos.
The Law Firm You Choose
When you have been given the news about this terrible disease, you may not feel that you have the time to deal with the legal questions - Should I talk to a lawyer? Should I file a claim? However, you should not wait too long to learn about your legal rights for at least three reasons:
  1. Statutes of Limitations - There are statute of limitations which means you only have a limited time to file your case after diagnosis. The statute of limitations time period is set by individual states and varies. The clock usually starts ticking on the day of diagnosis.
  2. Financial Pressure - A mesothelioma diagnosis can bring financial stress, less income, more expenses, and treatments that are not covered by insurance. Knowing that money may be on the way from filing a claim can bring financial relief.
  3. Lawyers Can be Excellent Resources - The more experienced mesothelioma lawyers and law firms can often be excellent sources of information about various doctors and treatment options available for this disease.
But, picking a lawyer is serious business and you should not use TV ads as the reason to hire an attorney. Actual credentials are what counts. For example, what type of accomplishments has the law firm achieved? How committed are they to mesothelioma / asbestos cases? Are these cases a substantial part of their practice or just a small piece? How many other cases like yours have they handled?
Also, make sure you understand the fees being charges. Contingency is the term that means that the lawyer gets paid only after they collect money for you. The amount of the contingency fee that your lawyer can charge varies and is usually between 33% and 40%. It is important to discuss fees openly, ask what services they cover, how they are calculated, and whether there will be any extra charges.
Finally, for something as important as a mesothelioma lawsuit, your attorney should not only be experienced, skilled, and dedicated, but also a trusted partner who understands that your health needs always take precedence. The best lawyers are those that are not only expert at what they do, but are also caring, supportive, thoughtful and compassionate.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to the accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting disorders, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, difficulty swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.

Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:

  • Chest pain
  • Pleura effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung 
  • Shortness of breat
  • Fatigue or anemia 
  • Wheezing, hoarseness, or cough 
  • Blood in the sputum (fluid), cough (hemoptysis)
In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. Individuals may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. This disease can spread, or spread, to other parts of the body.
Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at the final stage. Symptoms include:
  • Abdominal pain
  • Ascites, or the abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
  • Mass in abdomen
  • Problems with intestinal function
  • Weight loss
In severe cases of disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:

  • blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
  • Disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
  • Jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
  • Low blood sugar levels
  • Pleural effusion
  • Pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the pulmonary artery
  • Severe ascites
Mesothelioma A does not usually spread to the brain, bone, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.
Staging of mesothelioma information is based on recommendations by the International Mesothelioma Interest Group. TNM classification of primary tumor, lymph node involvement, and distant metastases are made. Mesothelioma is staged He-IV (single-A for four) based on the TNM status.

Mesothelioma Information

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that can only be defined as a malignancy occurs in the mesothelial layer The mesothelium is the protective networks located as layers on the outer surface of the body's vital organs including the lungs, heart and stomach. There are three main types of mesothelioma in the human body which include epithelioid type, sarcomatoid type and mix or type biphasic. Mesotheliomas also classified based on the networks or location. Pleural mesothelioma Mesothelioma is happening in the pleural networks of the lungs, while occurring in the abdomen called the Peritoneum Mesothelioma. Pericardial Mesothelioma occurs in the cavity around the heart and testis in testicular peritoneum Mesothelioma
  
Mesothelioma Diagnosis is difficult because most of the symptoms are similar to many other diseases. Pleural Mesothelioma symptoms found during the respiratory disease, including chest and back pain, difficulty swallowing, trouble breathing, persistent cough, fever, nausea and weight loss. Peritoneal Mesothelioma symptoms include abdominal swelling, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, swollen legs, stomach and vomiting is irregular


Mesothelioma information According to research, people who are employed as factory workers, miners, insulation manufacturers, railroad workers, ship builders, gas mask factory and construction workers the highest incidence of <. These employees can file a lawsuit against the company if the company values profits over human life. Typically, companies do not implement prevention technologies is important and tends to ignore the ill effects of hazardous chemicals to employees. In this situation, the only way to get justice if diagnosed with mesothelioma is to file a lawsuit. A successful lawsuit could provide a means of financial security for families and also pay the costs of medical care.