Mesothelioma

Personal Injury Attorneys Assisting Methuen Residents Exposed to Asbestos

Many industrial companies in Massachusetts and throughout the country used asbestos for decades, since asbestos can withstand extremely high temperatures and provide effective insulation. It is also extremely durable and widely available. Ultimately, however, it was revealed that many people who were exposed to asbestos in the workplace developed mesothelioma, a devastating lung disease that causes rapid decline and eventually death. If a physician recently diagnosed you or someone in your family with mesothelioma, the Methuen mesothelioma lawyers at Stephen Law Group can help you pursue a claim for compensation.

Causes and Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops in the tissues that line internal organs, and it typically appears in the linings of a person’s chest wall and lungs. Almost all mesothelioma cases stem from exposure to asbestos, due to the fact that asbestos fibers, when inhaled, cause lung irritation and inflammation. This leads to a reaction within the body that ultimately results in mesothelioma. Initially, symptoms of mesothelioma often include weight loss, fatigue, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest pain. In most cases, a person will not be diagnosed with mesothelioma until 30 to 40 years after his or her exposure to asbestos. Typically, a person’s exposure to asbestos will have been occupational, and in many cases, a person may have been exposed to asbestos in more than one place of employment. For example, asbestos was commonly used by Massachusetts shipyards, auto parts manufacturers, textile mills, and nuclear plants. Despite asbestos’ known detrimental health effects, it is not banned from use in the United States.

Elements of a Massachusetts Mesothelioma Lawsuit

In many instances, mesothelioma lawsuits have more than one defendant. Regardless of whether there is one defendant or several, a mesothelioma attorney in the Methuen area must prove each defendant’s liability. In Massachusetts, proving that a defendant is responsible for a plaintiff’s mesothelioma requires the plaintiff to show that exposure to the defendant’s product that contained asbestos substantially caused the plaintiff’s mesothelioma. Generally, a plaintiff can establish substantial causation by demonstrating that he or she was exposed to asbestos by the defendant on a regular basis over a lengthy period of time and that the exposure occurred in close proximity to the area where the plaintiff worked.

A plaintiff who successfully establishes a defendant’s liability in a mesothelioma lawsuit may be able to recover compensation for any medical expenses and damages for the pain and suffering that he or she endured due to the illness. People who set forth a successful mesothelioma wrongful death claim may be awarded damages for the loss of the deceased person’s income, services, and comfort, as well as funeral and burial expenses and possibly punitive damages.

Statute of Limitations in Mesothelioma Lawsuits

As our Methuen mesothelioma attorneys can explain, the statute of limitations in a mesothelioma lawsuit does not start when the plaintiff was exposed to the harmful element. Instead, due to the fact that mesothelioma often does not develop until several decades after a person was exposed to asbestos, a person suffering from mesothelioma has three years from the date of his or her diagnosis to file a claim seeking damages. Similarly, if a person passes away due to mesothelioma, his or her family must file a wrongful death claim within three years of the diagnosis.

Consult a Knowledgeable Personal Injury Attorney

Mesothelioma causes devastating and irreparable physical and emotional harm, and entities that negligently exposed their employees to asbestos should be held liable when an employee contracts mesothelioma. If you or someone in your family was diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is in your best interest to speak with an attorney regarding your rights. At Stephen Law Group, our knowledgeable attorneys have the skills and resources needed to help you recover all the compensation that you may be owed. We represent people in mesothelioma lawsuits in Methuen and in other cities in Massachusetts and in New Hampshire. You can contact us via our online form or at 877-663-1007 to set up a meeting with a mesothelioma lawyer in the Methuen area.