An asbestos law firm is the second most important requirement to a mesothelioma patient. First is a medical facility specializing in mesothelioma cancer and asbestos-related illnesses. Each year between 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States. It has been linked to long-term and/or heavy exposure to asbestos and has a latency period of 20 to 40 years. In other words, four decades can pass before an individual who was exposed to asbestos actually develops the disease.
Asbestos is not manmade. Unbelievable, nature provides this fibrous material valued because of its imperviousness to heat and absorption qualities. Over 3,000 different types of products have asbestos in them including brake linings, insulation, cement, roofing tiles and dry wall. A number of industries still use asbestos in their products today. Asbestos has been shown to be a bio-hazard and responsible for causing the disease, mesothelioma. Asbestos exposure is blamed for causing 90 percent of all mesothelioma cases.
Individuals who have been employed as construction workers, electricians, iron workers, machinists, miners and shipyard workers have a much higher risk of emerging with mesothelioma and should contact a quality asbestos law firm due to extended exposure to asbestos.
For years the hazardous effects of asbestos exposure have been known; the very first cases of asbestos-related diseases were seen as early as 1906. Since this time, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) have put rules in place for the safe handling of asbestos and issuing a ban in 1989 for most products that contain it. Despite this though, asbestos is still used in certain industries; this shows that these companies have ignored the health and safety of the public. An asbestos law firm helps victims of this illegal exposure recoup monies legally owed to them.
Because of the serious reality of mesothelioma and the fact that it is caused by asbestos products, which for many years have been shown to cause various illnesses, many individuals have hired an asbestos law firm to file lawsuits seeking monetary damages. Generally most mesothelioma cases fall under tort law. Torts are civil cases where a party was injured or harmed in some way and is now seeking some monetary damage. It is this injury that establishes the right to file a legal claim. Usually, when tort cases are filed, monetary damages are sought for things like medical expenses, lost wages, as well as pain and suffering. Most asbestos litigation includes tort cases like premise liability, product liability, economic loss and workers’ compensation.
If you or a family member has recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma it would behoove you to confer with an asbestos law firm that is highly skilled in asbestos litigation. They should be experienced in all facets about the illness and what path to take in your case. Your mesothelioma attorney will also know what is required to file a claim and can assist you in seeking monetary damages for medical expenses as well as pain and suffering due to your mesothelioma.