Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by asbestos exposure and can affect the heart, abdominal cavity or the thin, protective membrane that surrounds the lungs. In the U.S., more than 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year, and many of these cases trace their beginnings back to workplace exposure. Victims may consider filing a California asbestos lawsuit to seek compensation for their health conditions.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for California today. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated California asbestos lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
How Does Asbestos Cause Mesothelioma?
Workers are most commonly exposed to asbestos in industrial settings, auto repair shops, public buildings, shipyards, old houses and schools. Although long-term exposure is often necessary to develop mesothelioma, short-term, heavy exposure may also result in the condition as well. Whether you have developed mesothelioma as a result of short-term or long-term exposure, you have legal rights and are urged to file a California asbestos lawsuit to seek compensation for your injuries.
When a worker inhales asbestos fibers, the fibers themselves lodge in lungs’ mesothelial tissues and cause damage to the cells that ultimately cause tumors to grow. The body often struggles to destroy the fibers, and the asbestos can result in inflammation, scarring and genetic damage due to biological changes over time. Once the fibers begin the process, a 20 to 50-year latency period will begin.
Symptoms and Treatment of Mesothelioma
Nearly 75 percent of all mesothelioma cases are pleural mesothelioma. The second most common type of the disease, peritoneal mesothelioma, represents 10 to 20 percent of cases, while the remaining one percent consists of periocardial and testicular mesothelioma. Few people recognize early symptoms of the disease, as they are often mild. Late-stage symptoms are more noticeable and may prompt a worker to visit his doctor:
- Shortness of breath
- Weight loss
- Bowel obstruction
- Chronic pain near tumor
- Fluid buildup
Who is to Blame?
According to plaintiffs filing asbestos lawsuits, the blame most often falls on the employers, not the workers themselves. Employers have a legal and moral obligation to ensure that their workers are in a safe environment and that they are fully aware of any risks or dangers of the job.
Unfortunately, employers sometimes do not act responsibly and, as a result, workers could develop mesothelioma through an exposure to asbestos of which they had no knowledge. If you have been injured and you were not adequately warned about the potential for asbestos exposure in your place of employment, consider filing a California asbestos lawsuit and seeking compensation for your injuries.
How an California Asbestos Lawyer Can Help
Product makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their products, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a product maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
People injured by the fault of others may be eligible to recover money for:
- Medical Expenses
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
The families of those killed may be eligible to recover money for funeral expenses and the pain that comes with losing a loved one.
Affected individuals and their families are encouraged to seek the advice of a mesothelioma asbestos attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for California.
After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
