Mesothelioma is a very rare, but very aggressive form of cancer. Scientists are still studying the exact mechanism that takes place inside our bodies to cause the cancer, but almost everyone agrees that the largest risk factor for being diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma is past exposure to asbestos. Although doctors and scientists have known of the potential link between asbestos and mesothelioma since the early 1900’s, thousands of products continued to be manufactured with asbestos until fairly recently. Asbestos was routinely used in the manufacture of cars, textiles and in many of the construction trades until the United States government finally stepped in the 1980’s and began to regulate the use of and exposure to asbestos.
What makes pinpointing the cause of mesothelioma even harder is that it can takes years, even decades to produce symptoms in your body. You would have been exposed to asbestos 30 years ago and just now receive a diagnosis of mesothelioma. The damage from asbestos is caused when someone breaths in the asbestos particles that are found in a plant or construction site where asbestos products are used. When someone breathes in the asbestos fibers, the fibers eventually reach the end of the small airways where they penetrate into the pleura (the lining of the lungs). The asbestos fibers may then injure the medothelial cells that surround the lungs and eventually cause cancerous cells to grow and become mesothelioma.
For years, workers in the construction, textile or automotive trades worked in asbestos filled environments without ever knowing the dangers. The symptoms of mesothelioma are extremely slow to show up in the human body and someone can live with mesothelioma precursor cells in their body for decades without knowing they have contracted the cancer. If you are concerned that you may have been exposed to asbestos over your lifetime, or you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should contact an experienced California mesothelioma lawyer as soon as possible. While most personal injury cases have a relatively short statute of limitations (time within which you must file a lawsuit), asbestos cases are treated differently for statute of limitations purposes due to the extremely long incubation period of the disease. Only an experienced mesothelioma lawyer can tell you whether you may be able to file a lawsuit for the damages you have suffered as a result of exposure to asbestos. If you were exposed to asbestos at your job, and that exposure ultimately caused you to be diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Compensation may include payment of your medical bills as well as additional compensation for the suffering you have endured as a result of the exposure.
If you are suffering from mesothelioma, chances are good that your present or past employment caused the cancer. Workers should not have to worry that doing their job can cause them to suffer from cancer 20 or 30 years down the road. If you would like to know more about your legal options as a mesothelioma sufferer, please contact California mesothelioma lawyer Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or visit him online at www.ledgerlaw.com.
