It is important to act quickly following a mesothelioma diagnosis to protect your legal rights. The leading cause of mesothelioma is asbestos, and the exposure to asbestos may have occurred decades earlier, making it difficult to prove your case and receive compensation for your medical bills. Companies may have destroyed records, statutes of limitations may be drawing near and your co-workers may have passed away earlier due to mesothelioma resulting from their asbestos exposure.
Regardless of the decades that may have occurred between asbestos exposure and the rapid onset of mesothelioma, the burden is on you to prove the where, how and when details of the exposure. An asbestos lawyer can provide you with guidance following your mesothelioma diagnosis.
Confirming the Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Often mesothelioma is difficult to detect because its symptoms resemble those of other diseases such as lung cancer. If a doctor diagnoses you as having mesothelioma, follow up by asking what test he or she used and how accurate the test is. A second opinion, particularly from a cancer specialist, can be a good choice before taking the next step.
Once doctors confirm the mesothelioma diagnosis, you will then likely see a cancer specialist who will analyze the cancer more in-depth and advise you of a course of treatment depending on your age, the stage of the mesothelioma and size and location of the tumor. The most common types of mesothelioma treatment are surgery, a course of drug treatment and radiation therapy. Fighting this aggressive cancer in the aftermath of a diagnosis can cost several hundred thousands of dollars.
Receiving Financial Support to Treat Mesothelioma
Those suffering from mesothelioma may be able to receive money from the following sources:
- Asbestos manufacturers. If your work exposed you to asbestos-containing products, you should speak with an attorney about filing a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the asbestos. More compensation is available via this method than the others, so it can be most effective to seek compensation from asbestos manufacturers for costly medical bills.
- Disability insurance. If you had private disability insurance or your employer provided it, you may be able to receive a portion of your wages for being unable to work due to work-related injuries.
- Workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation may be available if you are able to prove that your asbestos exposure occurred at a particular site. However, workers’ compensation claims typically prevent you from also filing a lawsuit to recover compensation, so you should consult with an attorney before filing a workers’ compensation claim.
- Social Security disability. Those suffering from mesothelioma can typically receive federal financial assistance via Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Consult with an attorney to determine whether you are eligible for this type of financial assistance.
If doctors have recently diagnosed you with mesothelioma, be sure to contact a mesothelioma attorney at the Mesothelioma Law Firm of Cappolino, Dodd, and Krebs, LLP to learn what options you have to obtain compensation.
It is important to act quickly following a mesothelioma diagnosis to protect your legal rights. The leading cause of mesothelioma is asbestos, and the exposure to asbestos may have occurred decades earlier, making it difficult to prove your case and receive compensation for your medical bills. Companies may have destroyed records, statutes of limitations may be drawing near and your co-workers may have passed away earlier due to mesothelioma resulting from their asbestos exposure.
Regardless of the decades that may have occurred between asbestos exposure and the rapid onset of mesothelioma, the burden is on you to prove the where, how and when details of the exposure. An asbestos lawyer can provide you with guidance following your mesothelioma diagnosis.
If doctors have recently diagnosed you with mesothelioma, be sure to contact a mesothelioma attorney at the Mesothelioma Law Firm of Cappolino, Dodd, and Krebs, LLP to learn what options you have to obtain compensation.