MESOTHELIOMA

If a physician gave you a mesothelioma diagnosis your world probably stopped. The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, a fibrous mineral used for decades in several major industries. Mesothelioma is almost always fatal and often leaves victims with only a few months to live. Most are diagnosed with mesothelioma as a result of long-term exposure to asbestos, and many may be entitled to compensation. 

WHAT CAN I DO IF I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH MESOTHELIOMA?

Approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the U.S. In New Jersey, 1,576 people died between 1999 and 2013 as a result of mesothelioma, making it the eighth ranking state for the most mesothelioma and asbestos-related deaths in the nation.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of malignant respiratory cancer that forms when an individual inhales asbestos fibers, which are light and can easily travel through the air or by attaching to materials like clothing.

Once inhaled, the fibers are absorbed into the lining of the victim’s lungs where a malignant tumor forms. The victim may be unaware that he or she has developed mesothelioma for as long as twenty to fifty years, until signs begin to appear. Symptoms can include:

Mesothelioma is often difficult to initially diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other more common respiratory diseases.

Once a victim has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the tumor has had several years to spread throughout the internal lining of the lungs and other organs, which severely shortens a patient’s life expectancy.

The sooner a victim has been diagnosed, the more time doctors have to provide treatment that might improve the individual’s condition and may expand his or her lifespan.

If you believe that another’s negligence or recklessness caused you or someone you love to develop mesothelioma, you may have legal options that can hold the at-fault party liable and provide compensation for treatment and means of comfort.

Contact our New Jersey mesothelioma attorneys to determine if you may be entitled to justice and compensation through a lawsuit.

WORK-RELATED MESOTHELIOMA DIAGNOSIS

Most cases of mesothelioma are reported from victims who were employed in professions that required frequent and heavy exposure to asbestos.

The widespread use of asbestos the 20th century exposed countless workers and others who came into contact with products, buildings and manufacturing goods to the dangerous substance.

This was despite growing knowledge of the dangers of the substance. Industries and professions that were commonly exposed to asbestos include:

New Jersey contains dozens of jobsites where residents have been frequently exposed to asbestos for decades by industries that created high numbers of well-sustaining jobs in shipyards, manufacturing plants, chemical plants, power plants and construction sites.

If you believe that your previous profession or employer caused you to interact with asbestos in an unsafe manner or without any protective equipment, you may have legal options.

RECOVERING COMPENSATION FOR YOUR MESOTHELIOMA CLAIM

There are several options those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma can explore to recover compensation.

As most victims developed mesothelioma through workplace asbestos exposure, employers and manufacturers of asbestos products are often named as defendants. If a workers’ compensation claim fails to provide you with the compensation you deserve, there are alternatives.

Several asbestos manufacturers and companies that dealt heavily with the material created trust funds to compensate employees who developed mesothelioma. We are experienced in the procedures for accessing these funds and can help you and your family receive the share you deserve.

Members of the military were also routinely exposed to asbestos, particularly those who served in the U.S. Navy. After many veterans began displaying symptoms of mesothelioma, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs established its own claims process for veterans to seek compensation benefits.

We can provide you with valuable assistance that can help you get the maximum compensation you are entitled. But it is important that you act fast after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Ordinarily, New Jersey’s statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death claims has a two-year deadline that begins on the date that the injury first occurred.

However, New Jersey uses a “discovery rule” which delays the statute of limitations for victims who were unaware of their injury, such as a mesothelioma diagnosis. Under this rule, the two-year deadline begins on the date in which you first discovered your injury or when you should have reasonably known about the condition.

If you are not satisfied with the settlement or offer made by the insurance company or defendant, we can explore the option of filing a lawsuit and will prepare to take the other party or insurance company to trial.

We have the skills and resources needed to build and support your claim. Our attorneys will:

• Investigate the origin of your mesothelioma diagnosis by examining your previous employer or jobsite for evidence of unsafe exposure to asbestos or a breach in federal safety guidelines that protects the public from asbestos exposure.
• Gather evidence to support a timeline that tracks the development of your mesothelioma development, from its site of origin to your diagnosis, so we can have a solid foundation for your claim.
• Consult with medical professionals who can confirm your diagnosis and support your claim of how you developed mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma claims can be complicated and require an experienced attorney who is determined to exhaust all possible leads. In each case that we accept, we dedicate ourselves to pursuing the best possible outcome for our clients, which has earned us national recognition for the significant results our work has produced.

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ASBESTOS AND MESOTHELIOMA

Asbestos is a flame retardant and cheap fibrous mineral that can be used in many different products and materials, which made it popular among manufacturers. From the early 20th Century until the mid-1970s, asbestos was one of the most commonly used forms of insulation in the U.S.

Although asbestos has never been officially banned in the U.S., several federal laws and regulations have successfully reduced the use of asbestos and warned people of its harmful effects.

Once the medical effects of asbestos became known to the public, the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1970 enabled the Occupational Safety and Health Association to establish rules and regulations for employers regarding employee interaction with asbestos.

The Clean Air Act of 1970 allowed the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to classify asbestos as a hazardous air pollutant and began heavy regulations on the use and disposal of asbestos.

In 1976, the Toxic Substances Control Act gave the EPA the authority to place restrictions on certain chemicals, such as asbestos, which began the gradual decline of the material’s use.

In 1980, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health studied the effects of varying levels of asbestos exposure and concluded that no amount of exposure was low enough for clinical effects to not appear.

The U.S. government’s efforts to eradicate asbestos have been successful in placing a federal ban on asbestos in several products and materials. However, asbestos is still present in some buildings constructed before 1980.

Q. Was I Exposed to Asbestos?

Individuals who worked in the mid-1900s in any of the following occupations may
have had the highest risk of asbestos exposure:

• Protective Clothing, Gloves and Blankets
• Adhesives
• Automobile Brakes, Gaskets
• Cables
• Capacitors
• Cements
• Fireproofing Materials
• Floor, Roofing and Ceiling Tiles
• Grinders
• Hydraulic Assemblies
• Asbestos Plant Workers
• Appliance Installers
• Textile Mill Workers
• Shipyard Workers and Longshoremen
• Naval Machinists
• Boiler Tenders
• Power Plant Workers
• Pipefitters and Steamfitters
• Insulators
• Oil Refinery Workers
• Steel Mill Workers
• HVAC technicians
• Electricians
• Insulation Materials
• Meters
• Pipe Covering
• Rope Packing
• Sheet Rock Compounds
•  Steam pipes
• Transite Siding
• Tubing
• Valves
• Wallboards
• Construction Workers
• Cement Plant Workers
• Auto and Aircraft Mechanics
• Chemical Plant Workers
• Plumbers
• Railroad Workers
• Painters and Drywallers
• Automotive Part Manufacturers
• Protective Clothing Manufacturers
• Road Builders
• Building Inspectors
• Paper and Glass Factory Workers