Yes, when an adult develops malignant mesothelioma in Louisiana, it is assumed to be caused by asbestos exposure. There have been cases where young children have developed mesothelioma of unknown origin, but it is well established that the disease course in adults is caused by small fibers of asbestos that have been inhaled or accidentally swallowed, typically as a result of workplace contamination. Over many years, these small fibers can cause irritation to a number of body areas, which can result in cancerous tumors along the linings of organs, or even infiltration of the organs themselves with cancerous cells. Malignancy is when a tumor in the body is cancerous, and has the potential to grow and spread. This can happen several ways, and often occurs via multiple pathways at once. If a mesothelioma tumor is undiagnosed and therefore not treated, it will simply continue to grow. In this case, a tumor that…Read More
Exposure to asbestos has been linked to a variety of a diseases, including a dangerous form of cancer, mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is not the only cancer that asbestos can cause, or contribute to, but mesothelioma is a particularly difficult to treat cancer, and one whose long term prognosis is particularly poor. Because mesothelioma is understood to have just one cause – exposure to asbestos – regulatory changes over the last several decades have made many worksites and industries much safer for employees today. The problem for retired workers from these sites and industries is that mesothelioma has a latency period that can last as long as many decades. It is not unusual for a person whose asbestos exposure happened in their twenties or thirties to develop the disease in their sixties or seventies. While asbestos can contribute to a number of diseases, including lung cancer and a condition known as asbestosis, where inhaled…Read More
Hiring A Lawyer To File A Mesothelioma Claim With The VA The VA serves America’s veterans, providing specialized healthcare and retirement benefits to those who’ve sacrificed so much for the country. One of these benefits is a dedicated monetary benefit for veterans who experienced asbestos exposure while in the service and have developed mesothelioma as a result. The process isn’t a simple one though. As you would expect, the VA requires detailed accounting of the places, duty roles, and time frames where asbestos exposure is likely to have occurred in order to square a claim against its own records. Further, you’ll be asked to describe jobs you held after you left the service, and the VA will use that information to evaluate whether you likely experienced asbestos exposure, or additional asbestos exposure, outside of your service. Creating a thorough and easily approved application claim for VA mesothelioma benefits isn’t a simple task,…Read More
In a mesothelioma lawsuit, deciding the best strategy to move forward involves many factors, including where the case should be filed. Determining whether or not Louisiana is the appropriate place for your claim is something you should talk about with an experienced mesothelioma lawyer. In many cases, where you live now isn’t material to the case, but in some instances there are advantages to filing in other jurisdictions where you lived and worked and suffered asbestos exposure. If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma in New Orleans, start your search with The Gertler Law Firm. We were the first law firm to obtain a judgment linking asbestos exposure to mesothelioma in Louisiana. And our team of attorneys has the ability to help you in many venues across the United States to make sure that you are able to hold past employers accountable and get the compensation you deserve. To talk to an experienced mesothelioma…Read More
Mesothelioma and Asbestosis are two different diseases arising from exposure to asbestos. New Orleans workers who were exposed to this carcinogenic material often contract these diseases. Mesothelioma is the disease most commonly associated with asbestos exposure. While it is actually less common than asbestosis, its high fatality rate makes it one of the most devastating diseases caused by any industrial toxin. Briefly, mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium – the lining that surrounds the organs in the chest and abdomen. It is caused by inhaled asbestos fibers that have worked their way through the lung into this outer lining. It has a very long latency period, and may not appear in diagnosable form until decades after exposure. For more details on different types of mesothelioma and its symptoms, click here. Asbestosis is also caused by inhaled asbestos fibers. In the case of asbestosis, these fibers become embedded in the inner…Read More
Carcinogenic means cancer-causing. Materials are known as carcinogenic because they provoke changes in cells that multiply continuously. This term is known as “malignancy.” In the case of asbestos, the cause is thought to be a chronic inflammatory state. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral. This means it is made of millions and millions of small, microscopic fibers that are extremely light and can easily become airborne. When a person works or lives in an asbestos-contaminated area, they frequently breathe or swallow uncountable numbers of these small, rigid fibers. They can end up deep in the lungs, lodged into the lining of the stomach and intestines. Less commonly, they can also spread to other parts of the body. Once asbestos fibers are embedded in body tissues, they can remain in place for the remainder of your life. During this time, the lungs are in constant motion as you breathe. Your intestines are constantly contracting and…Read More
New Orleans Lawyer For Veteran With Mesothelioma As a general proposition, active-duty military members and retirees from the military branches are not allowed to sue the Marine Corps or any other branch. That doesn’t mean you have no recourse when you’ve developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos while serving our country. There are several pathways to benefits and compensation that you deserve, and which can help protect your family for the long term. First, the VA has special funds set aside to provide additional benefits to veterans who’ve developed mesothelioma. The application process can be complex, but once approved, you and your family will enjoy an increase in your monthly benefits package. As a veteran, you also have access to VA facilities anywhere in the country to seek treatment, clinical trials, and even experimental therapies that are constantly being explored to improve quality of life and even beat mesothelioma entirely. Beyond the…Read More
What To Do When Diagnosed With Asbestosis In Louisiana You may be able to make a claim or file a lawsuit related to an asbestosis diagnosis in New Orleans. Asbestosis is a disease caused by the chronic inhalation of tiny asbestos fibers which, over time, lead to scar tissue formation in the lungs. Lung tissue is delicate, and has the singular role of providing gas exchange between the blood and the world outside. Oxygen comes into the lungs, and carbon dioxide and other waste gases are excreted through the lungs. When scar tissue, which is thicker than normal lung tissue, develops in the lungs, it can lead to shortness of breath and a significant decrease in quality of life. Asbestosis is incurable and is thought to contribute to more than 1,000 deaths each year in the United States. Does Asbestosis Make Me More Vulnerable To Developing Mesothelioma? It is also an indicator…Read More
Asbestos Injury Attorney For Those With Asbestosis In Louisiana No, being diagnosed with asbestosis or any other asbestos-related disease does not mean that you will definitely develop mesothelioma. However it does indicate that you are at higher risk for developing mesothelioma or another asbestos-related cancer. When dealing with any health crisis, it can help to stay focused on the now and taking care of the problem in front of you, rather than worrying about things that might or might not happen in the future. Asbestosis is not curable, but your doctor can help identify treatments that can ease your symptoms and improve your quality of life. Getting Compensation For An Asbestosis Diagnosis In Louisiana You should know that a diagnosis of asbestosis may entitle you to compensation. As the name suggests, asbestosis is caused by the long-term inhalation of asbestos fibers, usually in a workplace. In Louisiana, a number of worksites are known to…Read More
Compensation For Asbestos Exposure In New Orleans Only your doctor is qualified to determine the cause of your lung cancer. However, asbestos has been known to cause lung cancer since at least the 1940s. Today asbestos-related lung cancer is thought to be responsible for more than 6,000 deaths in the United States each year. Your doctor will use several methods to determine whether your exposure to asbestos caused the cancer. This includes looking for signs of asbestosis (a scarring of lung tissue caused by inhaled asbestos fibers), analyzing the number of asbestos fibers found in lung tissue, linking the exposure rate to certain jobs or job sites, and determining the date of your initial exposure to asbestos. Under an international criteria used by doctors, asbestos-related lung cancer has at least a 10-year latency period between the time of initial exposure and the diagnosis of lung cancer. People who’ve been sickened…Read More
