Mesothelioma Claims
Most cases of mesothelioma result from asbestos exposure during work. Many of the victims are veterans who were exposed to asbestos during their service in the military.
The symptoms of mesothelioma are often confusing, painful and confusing. They can be costly. Compensation from claims helps patients and their families offset costs.
Compensation can be derived from a combination of lawsuits, settlements and trust funds. A lawyer can assist in the process of filing for each kind of claim.
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the mesothelium. Asbestos is a known cause of this cancer. It is most often found in the lungs. It can also affect the abdomen and chest wall. A doctor can diagnose the disease using imaging tests and biopsy. Once a diagnosis is made, a doctor will give the patient an estimate of the prognosis. Prognoses can differ based on the type of mesothelioma and how advanced it is.
Following a diagnosis one may be eligible for financial aid. There are various types of mesothelioma compensation claims, including lawsuits. Settlements and trust funds awards. An experienced attorney will explain the options and suggest the best option for your case. Mesothelioma lawsuits usually have the highest payouts. However, they require an extended litigation process. Settlements are an option for those looking to accelerate the process of obtaining compensation.
Veterans Affairs (VA) also offers insurance benefits to individuals. This includes health insurance and disability. Compensation from the VA can ease a family's financial burden. Veterans could also be eligible for additional VA benefits like Special Monthly Compensation (DIC), which helps pay for care at home and home health care expenses.
A person who is ill may be eligible for Social Security Disability and/or Medicare. Social Security provides a monthly income to those who are not able to work. Patients with mesothelioma can also apply for life insurance to help cover funeral costs and other expenses for the family. These benefits are usually obtained through your employer. The VA and a few private companies provide these benefits as well. Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma can contact a military veteran lawyer for help in filing for benefits.
Diagnosis
When doctors suspect mesothelioma they start with a physical exam and take the complete medical history of the patient, including their time at work. They will look for any exposure to asbestos, which is the number. 1 factor that raises a person's risk of mesothelioma. They also inquire about any symptoms that the patient is experiencing.
The next step for doctors is to run imaging tests to see the locations where cancerous tumors or fluids have formed within the body. They can use CT scan, MRI, ultrasound or PET (positron emission tomography) scan to identify the areas that could be mesothelioma-prone. Imaging tests can reveal the accumulation of fluid between the chest wall, lung and pleura in mesothelioma pleural. This is called an pleural effusion. Doctors can drain this fluid using an ultrasound-guided needle aspiration. This does not always confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis, but it does help rule out other causes of pleural fluid buildup like a leaky heart valve or pneumonia.
Doctors may use a colonoscopy or laparoscopic to collect tissue samples in order to determine if there is pericardial or peritoneal peritoneal peritoneal peritoneal-peritoneal peritoneal peritoneal pleural mesothelioma. These cancers form on the lining of the abdomen and the tissues surrounding the organs. They can inject a radioactive substance to show any cancerous cells on images of the scans or biopsies.
The tests can reveal the stage of cancer, and the treatment plan will depend on whether the cancer has spread or not. Patients may undergo surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or targeted therapy, which uses drugs to destroy cancerous cells without harming healthy cells. A multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals will care for patients with mesothelioma, including pulmonologists, gastroenterologists and surgeons for the thoracic. They will offer assistance and talk about the patient's choices.
Treatment
The three standard treatments for mesothelioma include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. In some instances doctors may combine these treatments. They can also include targeted therapy medications such as immunotherapy.
The type of mesothelioma you have will determine which types of treatments are appropriate for you. If you suffer from pleural cancer, the tumors develop in the lining of the pleura of the lungs. Pleural mesothelioma usually comes from exposure to asbestos during work as an asbestos miner, or in the military.
The treatment for pleural mesothelioma is by taking out excess fluid. They may use a paracentesis procedure or pericardiocentesis. Doctors can also remove the tissue from around the tumor to reduce the size. It is a palliative treatment for mesothelioma but cannot cure cancer.
There is a chance that doctors can completely eliminate the lung cancers with pleurectomy and decortication (P/D) or extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP). Doctors can also try to eliminate any remaining cancer cells by giving you chemo prior to or following surgery, called neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy.
The tumors may be more difficult to treat if they're large. Radiation can cause more damage to the lining in the abdominal cavity and stomach than is normal. asbestos exposure mesothelioma is why surgery is used more often for this type of mesothelioma.
There are a variety of principal treatments that can help manage symptoms like pain, fatigue and weight loss. Doctors may prescribe medications to treat diarrhea, nausea, and other side effects. They can also refer patients to support groups to help patients deal with issues like relationships and body image. Some patients opt to participate in mesothelioma clinical trials to test out new treatment methods.
Living with mesothelioma
The path to mesothelioma may be difficult. There are many ways that you can live well even if you've been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Many mesothelioma patients feel at ease by talking to their loved ones about their experiences and joining a support group or joining an online community.
It is essential for patients to remain in touch with their doctors even when they feel better after treatment. Report any new symptoms or side-effects immediately. They could mean that the cancer has gotten worse or the effects it has on your body have gotten worse.
The symptoms may not be specific, however the majority of patients with mesothelioma will develop a nonproductive cough. Other symptoms include chest pain and breathing problems. Another typical symptom is a pleural effusion.
Patients with mesothelioma are typically treated by specialists including the thoracic surgeon or pulmonologist, gastroenterologist, and respiratory physician. A patient's treatment may also comprise radiation therapy, chemotherapy and a new drug called pemetrexed.
A mere tenth of the cases occur in the peritoneum. It is a thin layer that covers organs like the liver, bowel, and the ovaries. Patients with peritoneal mesothelioma typically have excess fluid, also known as an the peritoneal effusion. This can cause abdominal pain, fatigue, and difficulty breathing.
Some mesothelioma sufferers remain alive for a long time following their diagnosis, with examples including paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould, who passed away from peritoneal mesothelioma August 1982 and Florida asbestos lawyer and activist Larry Williams, who survived mesothelioma that was pleural and peritoneal in six years until his death from Alzheimer's disease in the year 2018.
Weitz & Luxenberg's compassionate attorneys can help you claim compensation in the event that you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma. We dedicate significant time to establishing relationships and understanding the requirements of our clients, making the claims process as stress-free as is possible and ensuring that they receive maximum compensation.
Making a claim
A mesothelioma case is a legal procedure that can assist asbestos victims receive compensation. The compensation can be used to pay for mesothelioma treatment and provide financial security to family members.
A mesothelioma attorney with experience can help you file the appropriate type of legal claim in order to receive the maximum amount of compensation. Compensation may come in the form of a mesothelioma trust fund award or trial verdict, or mesothelioma settlement of a lawsuit. A mesothelioma lawyer will go over all types of compensation that are available in a no-obligation free legal consultation.
Mesothelioma claims are filed in civil courts, however the laws of each state differ on how they are dealt with. Limitations on time, jury selection rules, and other factors can vary. However, the top mesothelioma lawyers will ensure that the filing process is as easy as it can be.
Due to the number of mesothelioma cases filed against them, many responsible companies that made or sold products that contain asbestos have filed for bankruptcy. In some instances companies have set up asbestos trust funds in order to pay compensation to asbestos victims and to protect them from future lawsuits. Trust mesothelioma claims from trust funds are typically the easiest to settle, and may result in a payout in a matter of weeks or even months.
Patients' families may also file a lawsuit for the wrongful death of a loved one. This type of lawsuit could include compensatory damages to cover funeral expenses, lost wages and other losses. The amount of wrongful death awards is usually much larger than personal settlements for injuries. The most successful mesothelioma cases have led to multi-million dollars verdicts.
