Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer. Studies have shown that exposure to hazardous and toxic substances – especially asbestos – can directly lead to this devastating disease. The fibers from asbestos can become airborne and be inhaled or ingested into the body, where they damage the cells and trigger the development of mesothelioma.
Many people who worked with or around asbestos and asbestos-containing materials, along with their loved ones, have over the past several decades developed mesothelioma as a result of exposure.
If you have developed mesothelioma as a result of asbestos or other toxic exposure, you could be entitled to compensation, including for medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. If your family has lost a loved one due to mesothelioma, your family may be able to seek compensation and justice.
At Tomeny | Best Injury Lawyers, our Baton Rouge mesothelioma lawyers work tirelessly to hold asbestos manufacturers, employers, and other entities responsible for the harm caused when people develop mesothelioma from asbestos exposure.
Contact our Baton Rouge mesothelioma attorneys today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case and to learn more about your legal rights and options for pursuing compensation. We are ready to guide you through the product liability claims process and fight to get you the financial recovery and justice that you need and deserve.
What Is Mesothelioma and What Causes It?
The Mayo Clinic defines mesothelioma as “a type of cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of your internal organs.” This thin layer of tissue is called the mesothelium.
Physicians often classify mesothelioma based on the affected part of the mesothelium. The most common type is pleural mesothelioma, which affects the tissue surrounding the lungs.
However, there are rarer forms of mesothelioma, which include peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects tissues around the abdomen, and mesotheliomas that affect tissues around the heart or tissues around the testicles.
In mesothelioma, a cell’s DNA undergoes a series of changes or mutations. In mesothelioma and other types of cancer, these mutations cause the patient’s cells to grow and multiply out of control. The cells then accumulate and form a tumor.
Researchers have identified certain factors that increase the risk of developing mesothelioma. The most significant risk factor is exposure to asbestos, although many people who are exposed to asbestos never develop the disease. Other risks include living with someone who is exposed to asbestos (they may carry asbestos fibers home with them on their skin and clothing), a family history of mesothelioma, and radiation therapy or exposure to the chest.
Who Could Be Held Liable in a Mesothelioma Lawsuit?
Most cases of mesothelioma arise from occupational exposure to asbestos or exposure to someone who has occupational exposure. As a result, parties who may be held liable in a mesothelioma lawsuit include employers who exposed their workers to asbestos.
For example, asbestos mining occurred in the U.S. up until 2002. Miners who were responsible for digging up the mineral suffered heavy exposure. Since mesothelioma can take decades to emerge following asbestos exposure, more former asbestos miners continue to develop mesothelioma.
Other workers who were frequently exposed to asbestos include factory workers who manufactured materials or parts or products that incorporated asbestos. Laborers and workers in the construction industry, especially plumbers, electricians, and boiler repairmen, often worked with asbestos-containing materials or products.
In addition to holding Louisiana employers responsible for occupational exposure to asbestos that caused mesothelioma, it may also be possible to sue the manufacturers of asbestos-containing products liable in a products liability lawsuit.
It may be conceivable to hold another party liable in a mesothelioma lawsuit through a premises liability claim. The owner of property contaminated by asbestos or where asbestos-containing materials are in use may be liable for mesothelioma that develops from exposure to asbestos on the property.
How Our Lawyers Can Help with Your Mesothelioma Claim
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the Baton Rouge mesothelioma lawyers at Tomeny | Best Injury Lawyers are prepared to pursue a claim on your behalf. Understand, though, that pursuing a mesothelioma claim can be incredibly difficult and very technical, making legal representation a priority.
There may be multiple parties that are responsible for the asbestos exposure. For example, a victim may have been exposed to more than one manufacturer’s hazardous product.
Our Louisiana mesothelioma lawyers have a deep understanding of the law regarding mesothelioma and asbestos exposure. We know what it takes to hold all the parties responsible for your illness liable to compensate you for your ordeal.
Our asbestos attorneys can gather the necessary documentary evidence to establish the sources of toxic exposure involved. We can also gather the medical evidence to show the development and extent of your illness. We work with experts to authenticate how the disease developed and the kinds of exposures responsible for causing your mesothelioma.
Our Baton Rouge asbestos lawyers will also work tirelessly to identify all the sources of compensation that may be available. For example, we can seek to hold the asbestos manufacturers responsible in addition to your employer if your job required you to work with such toxic materials.
If your mesothelioma developed as a result of military service, we can seek to access government compensation and benefits. If an out-of-court settlement of your claim is not reachable, our attorneys are fully prepared to file an asbestos lawsuit to pursue full compensation and justice in court.
Why You Should Choose Tomeny | Best Injury Lawyers for Your Mesothelioma Case
When you are diagnosed with mesothelioma that developed as a result of occupational exposure or another form of exposure to asbestos, you need experienced legal representation to seek the maximum compensation you are entitled to. But with so much advertising, including radio and TV commercials from mesothelioma lawyers, it can be a challenging task to know which attorney or law firm is best situated to handle your case.
Selecting a competent, committed lawyer or law firm may end up being the most critical decision you make in your mesothelioma case. Founded by Frank Tomeny, Tomeny | Best Injury Lawyers fights to protect the rights and interests of people suffering from mesothelioma. Our team has the drive and dedication and other qualities that someone with this terrible illness is looking for in a mesothelioma lawyer in Baton Rouge. Tomeny | Best Injury Lawyers has the experience, client service, and track record of success that you can trust.
As a former insurance defense attorney, Attorney Tomeny understands the objectives and tactics of insurance companies and the corporations that they defend. Having seen how innocent victims and their families have to deal with the difficulties of illness and injury, financial loss, and pain and suffering, he has chosen to use his experience and knowledge to represent people suffering from injury and illness pursue a full range of compensation.
Our team is proud of our record of representing clients in obtaining millions through settlement and court verdicts. Tomeny has been recognized for his successful track record, including being named as a Super Lawyer and receiving the coveted AV peer-rating from Martindale Hubbell. Unlike other firms that may take on thousands of cases and pass off clients to associates whom the clients have never met, we only take on the cases where we believe that we can reach a positive outcome.
Rest assured that we will aggressively pursue every avenue of recovery and will work with legal, medical, and industrial experts to establish your right to maximum compensation. The team at Tomeny | Best Injury Lawyers strives to take the time to get to know you and your family and to understand your concerns, goals, and needs.
Workplaces where Asbestos was Commonly Used
Many cases of mesothelioma developed from occupational exposure to asbestos and asbestos-containing materials and products.
Some of the most common workplaces in Louisiana where workers may have been exposed to asbestos include:
- Construction sites
- Electrician jobs
- Plumbing jobs
- Oil refineries
- Lumber mills
- Paper-product factories
- Food processing plants
- Power plants
- Shipyards
- Automobile part factories
- Chemical factories (including those that manufactured industrial asbestos or asbestos-containing materials)
Products that may contain asbestos include the following:
- Insulation
- Paint
- Pipes
- Boilers
- Furnace ducts
- Floor tiles
- Ceiling tiles
- Soundproofing material
- Patching or joint compounds
- Roofing, shingles, guttering, and siding
- Automobile brake pads and linings, clutches, and gaskets
- Electrical wire casings
If you or a loved one have been exposed to asbestos on the job in Baton Rouge, or in another location in the state, and have since developed mesothelioma, contact the mesothelioma attorneys at Tomeny | Best Injury Lawyers today to learn more about your legal rights and options.
Compensation for Mesothelioma Patients: Types and Sources
If you’ve suffered mesothelioma that developed after exposure to asbestos, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Some of the types of damages that may be recovered in a mesothelioma lawsuit include:
- Medical expenses, including hospital stays, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, surgery, prescription medication, therapy and rehabilitation, or palliative care
- Lost wages and earning potential if you miss work during your treatment for and recovery from mesothelioma
- Pain and suffering, which is the emotional and physical anguish and distress caused by your illness
- Lost quality of life, which can arise from disabilities or disfigurements caused by the disease, the inability to participate in activities you previously enjoyed, or the ability to take care of daily tasks
- Loss of consortium, which compensates your spouse for the loss of your companionship as a result of your illness
- Wrongful death, if a close relative passes away due to mesothelioma, the surviving family may be entitled to damages for costs of illness, funeral and burial expenses, lost economic contributions, and lost companionship
A mesothelioma victim suffering from occupational exposure or exposure to hazardous products may be able to secure compensation from multiple sources, such as:
- Mesothelioma trust funds – Manufacturers of asbestos and asbestos-containing products have set aside billions of dollars to compensate people who have developed mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases for their medical care, pain and suffering, and other financial damages.
- Workers’ compensation – If you have developed mesothelioma from occupational exposure to asbestos or other toxic materials, you may be entitled to assert a workers’ compensation claim against your employer to obtain benefits, including reimbursement of medical expenses, partial wage replacement, disability benefits, or death benefits.
- VA benefits – If you have developed mesothelioma as a result of military service, you may be entitled to government benefits and financial compensation from the federal government.
- Lawsuits – Victims of mesothelioma may also be eligible to file a civil lawsuit against asbestos manufacturers, businesses that used asbestos, or owners of property contaminated with asbestos. These corporations and businesses may have also participated in a trust fund set up to compensate victims of mesothelioma, or they may have insurance coverage available to compensate those afflicted with exposure-related mesothelioma.
- Public and private grants – Numerous grant programs provide funding and compensation for those fighting mesothelioma to cover medical treatment, travel and housing costs, and other financial support.
Talk to a Baton Rouge Mesothelioma Attorney for Free
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma that you believe was caused by exposure to asbestos or other toxic materials, you may deserve to receive compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Contact Tomeny | Best Injury Lawyers today to speak to an experienced Baton Rouge mesothelioma lawyer about your case. There is no cost or obligation to you for an initial consultation, and there are no legal fees unless we secure compensation for you. Call us now or reach out to us online to schedule an appointment.