These types of cases are time sensitive, and only a lawyer highly skilled in asbestos litigation should assist you in determining if and/or when to pursue a lawsuit against a company who may be responsible for exposing your father to asbestos. Many people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos are eligible to file a lawsuit to receive financial compensation. If you have questions about Mesothelioma, call the Gertler Law Firm at (504) 527-8767 for a free consultation.Read More
A latency period, for Louisiana workers who were exposed to asbestos through their occupations, is the length of time between the exposure and development of a disease related to that exposure. The concept of a latency period is not cut and dried – for most people with occupational exposure to asbestos, that exposure occurred over many years. For mesothelioma, which is a cancer caused by asbestos that is breathed in or inadvertently swallowed, the delay between asbestos exposure and diagnosis with the disease can be many decades. The vast majority of people diagnosed with mesothelioma in Louisiana and nationwide are older men who were exposed to asbestos fibers during their careers. Keep in mind that the vast majority of people who worked with asbestos never develop mesothelioma, but there have also been many cases where someone who worked in an asbestos-intensive industry or worksite came home in contaminated clothing, and years…Read More
We are deeply saddened to hear about your husband’s diagnosis and our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. Many factors may be involved in determining the survival rate of someone diagnosed with mesothelioma. The American Cancer Society has reported that patients generally have a short, average mesothelioma life expectancy of four to 18 months after diagnosis. Only 10{d37eae5b8410ed8fb22098597e6ecfa689963c7e8a6548fdf24949bed3e82123} of mesothelioma patients survive more than five years after their initial diagnosis. Many people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos are eligible to file a lawsuit to receive financial compensation. If you have questions about Mesothelioma, call the Gertler Law Firm at (504) 527-8767 for a free consultation.Read More
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer nationwide and in Louisiana, but there is some evidence that the number of cases in our state is growing. According to one report, between 1980 and 2000, some 700 Louisianans died of mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Each year in the United States, about 3,000 new mesothelioma cases are diagnosed, mostly in older men who worked in industries where asbestos was commonly used decades ago. Before regulations were tightened in the 1970s and 1980s, workers in a wide variety of industries and occupations commonly worked on job sites or in factories where asbestos fibers were routine airborne pollutants. By breathing these fibers in, or swallowing fibers that became lodged in the mouth, asbestos moved into the body, where it often ended up in small airways, capillary networks, and other areas where the body’s natural cleansing system couldn’t remove the toxic fibers. Over time,…Read More
His doctor says has only 2-3 months to live. I now have obtained power of attorney. Can I file a lawsuit? Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. Most insulation materials before the mid 1970’s contained asbestos. Many other construction materials also contained asbestos. Many people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos, or their legal representatives, are eligible to file a lawsuit to receive financial compensation. The first step though is to contact a law firm that has significant experience with mesothelioma lawsuits and get them started on the research and investigation of the work history for the individual that was diagnosed with mesothelioma. That information does take a while to put together yet is what moves the lawsuit forward. If you have questions about Mesothelioma, call the Gertler Law Firm at (504) 527-8767 for a free consultation.Read More
As much as the headlines may trumpet falling rates of uninsured people, as many as 750,000 people are still unable to access or afford insurance in our state. If you’ve been diagnosed with a difficult disease like mesothelioma and don’t have health insurance to cover the costs of treatment, don’t lose hope. Louisiana hospitals and cancer treatment centers typically have programs available to help uninsured patients access the mesothelioma care they need. Once you are diagnosed, you may also be eligible for certain benefits and programs that were not open to you before. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers, and most people who’ve suffered illnesses as a result of asbestos were exposed in the workplace. Louisiana is home to many sites that are known to have caused significant pain and suffering through years or decades of contamination with asbestos. Many military specialties were also the source of significant asbestos exposure until…Read More
Mesothelioma in adults is generally understood to have just one cause – exposure to asbestos fibers that are breathed in or swallowed. For most people diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos exposure occurred in the workplace, over an extended period of time. Proving that your mesothelioma was caused by asbestos exposure is not the difficult part of making a mesothelioma claim. The harder part for many people is proving that they worked at a particular site, or that a given military specialty or assignment exposed them to asbestos. Because mesothelioma takes many decades to develop, records of exact dates of employment, job sites, or military postings may be lost. To successfully make a mesothelioma claim, clear documentation is required. For instance, to make a claim with the Veterans Administration for asbestos exposure based on your specialty as an auto mechanic, you’ll have to show the dates when this work occurred and the postings where…Read More
….and was recently diagnosed with Pleural Mesothelioma from exposure to the asbestos. Should I hire a lawyer? We are deeply saddened to hear about your recent diagnosis and our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Studies have revealed there are several thousand shipyard workers in the United States who are diagnosed each year with mesothelioma. Many of these workers have sued and obtained substantial verdict amounts and/or settlements for an asbestos-related diseases. The bottom line is this – you need an attorney to protect you and your family. If you have questions about Mesothelioma, call the Gertler Law Firm at (504) 527-8767 for a free consultation.Read More
As survivors of someone who was injured by asbestos exposure, you have the right to pursue compensation based on your father’s employment history or record of military service. Mesothelioma has just one cause – asbestos exposure – and tracking down the source of that exposure nearly always leads us to a contaminated worksite or a military specialty where asbestos use was common. Many companies with a history of extensive asbestos use have created trust funds for employees who later develop asbestos-linked diseases like mesothelioma. The Veterans Administration offers additional benefits to service members and their families when asbestos exposure is linked to their time in the service. As a final option, litigation against a past employer is possible to recover damages for negligence and wrongful death when workplace asbestos exposure leads to the development of mesothelioma later in life. In other words, your family has a number of options worth exploring to protect your mother…Read More
Wrongful death lawsuits in Louisiana can generally only be brought by the person or persons that the law considers their designated beneficiary. If the victim was married, then the spouse and/or children will be the designated beneficiaries. Children may also file a separate suit in cases where a parent has died. If the victim was unmarried, then parents have the right to bring an action to recover damages for wrongful death. If the victim has no surviving spouse or parents, then siblings may bring an action against the responsible party. There are complexities to most areas of law, and wrongful death suits are no exception. Who is eligible to file, and under what circumstances, can be confusing, especially in large, close-knit families, where the desire to punish a negligent party can run deep. When your family has lost a loved one to another person’s negligence, your best course of action…Read More