What Should I Do if I Have Been Diagnosed with Mesothelioma?
Many people panic when they are diagnosed with mesothelioma. This reaction is understandable. Most victims are diagnosed with mesothelioma late in life, many decades after they were exposed to asbestos. So, the devastating diagnosis blindsides them. This diagnosis is especially devastating because mesothelioma lung cancer has a very low survival rate.
However, panic is unnecessary because medical and legal options are available. Therefore, if you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, immediately contact a nationwide mesothelioma lawyer. A nationwide lawyer should handle your mesothelioma case because, most likely, the asbestos exposure occurred in another state. Additionally, only a nationwide lawyer has the resources to handle these complex claims.
Understanding MesotheliomaAsbestos exposure almost always causes mesothelioma cancer. This asbestos exposure is generally direct or indirect.
Asbestos is a fireproof mineral. This mineral also doesn’t conduct electricity or sound. Therefore, it was a very popular insulation ingredient. Most companies extensively used asbestos until 1980, when use began declining, mostly because of the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. It declined even more around 1990 when the government passed some specific asbestos regulations. Domestic use almost stopped when the government banned asbestos mining in 2002, and companies refused to pay high imported asbestos prices.
Because of the aforementioned latency period, many industrial workers who were exposed to asbestos before 2000 will not show signs of illness until around 2050. In other words, asbestos poisoning and mesothelioma are not yesterday’s problems. Instead, they are tomorrow’s problems.
Although mesothelioma’s survival rate is very low, some treatment options are available. A nationwide asbestos lawyer typically connects victims with doctors who are familiar with these options.
CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) gene editing is one example. Toxic particles, like mesothelioma particles, alter cell DNA and cause tumors. Researchers rightly conclude that if genetic mutations cause cancer, they can reverse it as well. The FDA has approved several CRISPR drugs, but they cost millions of dollars per round of treatment.
An asbestos exposure lawyer not only connects mesothelioma victims with doctors. In many cases, these doctors charge no upfront fees for their services or for ancillary services, such as prescription drugs.
Finding the Right LawyerMany lawyers can handle a simple car crash or other personal injury case. However, mesothelioma cases are much more complex. Most personal injury lawyers are not fully qualified to handle them. The best mesothelioma lawyer has the following qualities:
- Accessibility: Mesothelioma usually limits mobility, especially on a bad day. So, your lawyer should be close to your home, place of business, hospital, or other stomping ground. Attorneys offer virtual and phone visits, but that’s not the same as a personal visit.
- Dedication: If your foot hurts, you should see a podiatrist, not a general practice doctor. The same rule applies in legal matters. As mentioned, your lawyer should be dedicated to complex mesothelioma cases and other asbestos poisoning matters, such as asbestosis and pleural thickening.
- Experience: This quality may be the signature quality of an asbestos exposure lawyer. However, beware that years of experience could be deceptive. Many lawyers practice personal injury law for many years and never go to court. Your attorney should be ready, willing, and able to go the distance for you.
Search diligently for the best lawyer, but search quickly. Mesothelioma victims have a limited amount of time to act.
Work With a Thorough Asbestos Exposure LawyerMesothelioma victims need and deserve significant compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced nationwide mesothelioma lawyer, contact the Throneberry Law Group. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.