Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma, more commonly referred to as simply mesothelioma, is a cancer in the lining of the lungs, known as the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), or the lining of the abdominal cavity, known as the peritoneum (peritoneal mesothelioma).

More rarely, malignant mesothelioma may occur in the lining of the heart, or pericardium (pericardial mesothelioma), and in the lining of the ovaries (ovarian mesothelioma) and scrotum (scrotal mesothelioma).

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer in the general population, but it is commonly found in individuals who have a history of asbestos exposure. Around 3,000 new cases of malignant mesothelioma are reported each year in the United States alone.

Malignant mesothelioma usually develops many years after an initial exposure to asbestos. People diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma are usually shocked to learn that their present day cancer is a result of a short-term asbestos exposure dating back a period ranging from ten to sixty years.

Often, one of the first and most important tasks that mesothelioma attorneys engage in is researching decades into the victim's past to find which company may have knowingly or unknowingly caused the cancer-causing asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma claims, as a result, should be handled by experienced mesothelioma lawyers who understand 'where to look' when dealing with negligence in an asbestos cancer case and be able to prove that a former employer's failure to make people aware of the health risks in the workplace and the product manufacturers' failure to warn about the dangers of asbestos products is what caused their client’s present day malignant mesothelioma.

ATTENTION: Malignant mesothelioma has no known cure and often causes severe pain, suffering, and other types of damage, such as loss of consortium, and loss of income. Additionally, due to the exceedingly high cost of malignant mesothelioma treatments, many families exhaust savings and accumulate financial debt in order to pay for the medical expenses of their family member.

Under the law of most states, pain and suffering from malignant mesothelioma may be compensated through the award of money damages, usually obtained with the help of experienced mesothelioma attorneys. In some states other types of damages may also be recovered.

Asbestos litigation affords malignant mesothelioma victims the opportunity to receive financial compensation and hold accountable the companies that caused their asbestos exposure.

IMPORTANT: If you or your family member has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, you should get in touch with a mesothelioma lawyer as early as possible to determine if you have a mesothelioma case and to:

Preserve your rights to bring a legal action against the responsible parties within the limited time frame allowed by law, known as statute of limitations;
Obtain maximum compensation in your case by being able to:
- Preserve evidence and establish facts of the asbestos exposure while the claimant is still alive and able to provide information;
- File and resolve a lawsuit against the responsible parties before they file for bankruptcy or, if they already have, to obtain compensation before their bankruptcy trust funds run out of money;
Expedite your case, as courts tend to give higher priority to malignant mesothelioma lawsuits where the claimant is still alive.

Find out whether you have a case by speaking to one of our experienced mesothelioma lawyers via our 24/7 toll-free hotline at 1-800-MESO-LAW (1-800-637-6529) or by submitting an email inquiry (see form above). Our attorneys will be quick to respond to you and happy to answer all of your questions.

NOTE: While our offices are located in the states of New York, New Jersey, and California, many of our mesothelioma lawyers are licensed to practice law in a number of U.S. states and have the capability and extensive experience of representing mesothelioma clients throughout the United States. You are encouraged to contact us with any questions.

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