Fact Sheet About Mesothelioma
While it has been phased out in favor of safer materials, asbestos is still present in many of our homes and workplaces. The National Cancer Institute cites asbestos as one of the most dangerous risk factors for cancer, but specifically for mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the membrane surrounding many internal organs, including the lungs, heart and stomach. Other statistics about mesothelioma include:
- Two-thirds of patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma are over the age of 65.
- Mesothelioma is quite rare, with only about 3,000 cases being diagnosed each year.
- Generally, the diagnosis is more common in men than women, at least partly because men historically worked more jobs where they were exposed to asbestos.
- It can take an extremely long time for the disease to manifest itself – most people are not diagnosed until 20 years or more after their exposure.
Being diagnosed with mesothelioma, or any serious condition, can be devastating. Questions immediately arise about how to pay for treatment, how to rearrange schedules and lives around this new need, and how to ensure the family is still taken care of. If you are able to obtain compensation for what you have been through in a Chester mesothelioma lawsuit, some of these worries may be solved.
Mesothelioma Videos
Mesothelioma Incidents
Because mesothelioma occurs so long after exposure to asbestos, its appearance can often come as a complete shock to those diagnosed, leaving them and their families totally unprepared for the future. While lawsuits and awards do not bring back good health, they may set minds at ease by helping to cover future costs and provide for the future. The firm of Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C. has been serving Chester and the nearby area for over four decades, and we do our very best to get results.
Common Types of Injuries Caused by Asbestos Exposure
Mesothelioma most often affects the lungs, heart and stomach, though it can occur in the reproductive organs and elsewhere. However, it can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms mimic other less serious diseases and conditions. The longer it goes undiagnosed, the poorer the prognosis. Symptoms may also appear on their own, without ever fully developing into cancerous cells. Some of these include:
Pleural thickening
Pleural thickening – this is when the lining of the lungs becomes irritated and can even scar. It causes pain and shortness of breath.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis – while not cancerous, this is a breathing disease that affects the ability of the lungs to expand and contract, causing severe breathing difficulties and chest pain.
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While a mesothelioma lawsuit cannot prevent individuals from acting carelessly, a lawsuit can provide monetary damages to compensate you for the injuries such conduct causes. Contact Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C., your Philadelhpia Mesothelioma Attorneys, for a free consultation.
Investigating Mesothelioma Claims Requires Resources
The first is that the defendant had a duty of care toward you. In other words, you must show that the defendant was obligated to warn you, or make things as safe as possible in your job or other location. The second point that must be proven is that that duty was breached – that the defendant did not ensure that the activity you were doing was as safe as possible.
However, merely proving a breach of duty is not enough – you must also prove that the defendant’s conduct – the breach – was a direct cause of the harm you suffered, and that the harm was tangible.
Evidence of every kind is imperative in helping to prove these four things, and most often, anything relevant will help. Doctor’s notes, expert testimony, surveyors’ reports, depositions – the evidence must be enough to turn the fact finder’s opinion in your favor. To find it requires knowledge and experience.
Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C. offers a FREE CONSULTATION.
Contact us today to discuss how we can helpPhiladelphia Office
2001 Market St Suite 2900
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 567-3500
Fax: (215) 567-6019