Monday, March 28, 2011

Obtaining Legal Representation for Mesothelioma

A friend of our family recently passed away from this terrible cancer. If you have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, its very important that you obtain the best legal council available, given the fact that Mesothelioma is usually caused by an industrial or work related environmental factor such as exposure to asbestos. I grew up in schools that were filled with asbestos, as did many baby boomers. Our family friend was killed by Mesothelioma, and it had been known that he was a dry-wall installer when he was a kid, some 50 years ago. After that, he never had any exposure to asbestos. Mesotheliomacan strike anyone at anytime, so if you have it, please get representation. I've compiled a list of law firms who are noted to have tremendous success in representing clients against companies who exposed you or those you love to an environment that could have been the cause of the Mesothelioma you are now facing.

Review this list carefully and vet each one. Chose the best for you! Good luck and God bless you.

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma, more precisely malignant mesothelioma, is a rare form of cancer that develops from the protective lining that covers many of the body's internal organs, the mesothelium. It is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.

Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart),[2] or the tunica vaginalis (a sac that surrounds the testis).

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos and glass particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. It has also been suggested that washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos or glass can put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma.[3] Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking, but smoking greatly increases the risk of other asbestos-induced cancers.[4] Those who have been exposed to asbestos often utilize attorneys to collect damages for asbestos-related disease, including mesothelioma. Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).

The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-ray and CT scan, and is confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.