Tennessee Asbestos and Mesothelioma Lawyers

Asbestos is caused by inhaling asbestos fibers thus causing Mesothelioma which is lung cancer. Mesothelioma can be lethal, and can be caused by inhaling even the smallest (microscopic) asbestos fibers. Approximately 2,500 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year. Because the tiny asbestos fibers can lie hidden in your lungs for decades before being discovered, the risk of developing mesothelioma increases with age.

You may be at risk for developing mesothelioma if any of the following is true:

• You handle asbestos or come into direct contact with asbestos on your job, or…

• You work in an area where asbestos was handled by others, or…

• You are a family member of someone who worked with asbestos, or…

• You live within one mile of an asbestos plant, shipyard or other source of asbestos.

Delayed onset of mesothelioma is common. One unique characteristic of asbestos-related injuries is the long period of time between exposure to asbestos and the onset of injury or disease. This can be anywhere between 15 and 50 years, sometimes even more. So, a person could be exposed to asbestos and not develop mesothelioma until 50 years later! The average latency period (amount of time the disease is hidden from detection) is approximately 35-40 years.

The result of prolonged exposure to asbestos when mesothelioma is diagnosed in the United States, its onset is typically linked to a prolonged exposure to asbestos fiber, or an extended asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was used for decades as insulation material. Since the 1920's,  asbestos has been known to be a carcinogen (meaning it causes cancer in humans). Even so, asbestos use continued until the mid-1970's. In fact, asbestos insulation is still present in massive quantities in many buildings today. Unfortunately, very little exposure is required to set this cancer in motion in many cases. Some of the following occupations are typically associated with the onset of mesothelioma later in life:

• Automotive Mechanics

• Boilermakers

• Bricklayers

• Carpenters

• Cement Finishers

• Drywall Workers

• Electricians

• Engineers

• Foundry Workers

• Insulators

• Lathers

• Machinists

• Mechanics

• Millwrights

• Operators

• Painters

• Paper Workers

• Plasterers

• Pipe Fitters

• Plumbers

• Power Plant Workers

• Roofers

• Sailors (Navy & Merchant Marine)

• Shipyard Workers

• Steel and Sheet Metal Workers

• Welders

Causes and Symptoms

The primary risk factor for developing mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. In the past, asbestos was used as a very effective type of insulation. The use of this material, however, has been declining since the link between asbestos and mesothelioma has become known. It is thought that when the fibers of asbestos are inhaled, some of them reach the ends of the small airways and penetrate into the pleural lining (pleura is a thin membrane which lines the inside of the chest cavity and also covers the lungs). There the fibers may directly harm mesothelial cells and eventually cause mesothelioma. If the fibers are swallowed, they can reach the abdominal cavity, where they can contribute to the formation of peritoneal mesothelioma. Exposure to certain types of radiation as well as to a chemical related to asbestos known as zeolite has also been related to incidences of mesothelioma.

Symptoms of mesothelioma may include the following:

• Cough

• Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing

• Difficulty sleeping

• Pain in the chest and abdominal regions (which may be unresponsive to pain medications)

• Progressive loss of appetite and weight loss

• Fluid in the chest cavity

Clinical Staging, Treatments, and Prognosis

The treatment and outlook for those with mesothelioma depends a great deal on the stage of their cancer. Because the most frequently occurring type of mesothelioma is pleural and it is also the one most studied, it is the only type for which a staging system exists. The following stages are based on a system known as the Butchart system, which divides mesothelioma into four stages:

• Stage I: Mesothelioma is found within the right or the left pleura and may also involve the lung, the pericardium, or the diaphragm on the same side.

• Stage II: In this stage, mesothelioma has spread to the chest wall or involves the esophagus, the heart, or the pleura on both sides. The lymph nodes in the chest may be involved as well.

• Stage III: Mesothelioma has gone through the diaphragm and into the lining of the abdominal cavity. Additional lymph nodes besides those in the chest may be involved.

• Stage IV: There is evidence that mesothelioma has spread through the bloodstream to distant organs or tissues.

By the time symptoms show up and mesothelioma is diagnosed, the disease is often advanced. The average survival period after diagnosis is about one year. If the cancer is found before it has spread and it is treated aggressively, about half of the patients will live two years, and approximately 20% will survive five years. After diagnosis, it is important to understand your treatment options. Your doctor or oncologist will provide you with information on the treatments that are available to you. There are treatments available for all patients with malignant mesothelioma. The three kinds of treatment used are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

Coping With Cancer Treatment

Coping with cancer treatment can be difficult and exhausting. It can be very helpful for the patient receiving therapy for mesothelioma to find a group of family and friends who can aid with household responsibilities, provide transportation, and give psychological support. The patient should not feel a need to rush back to normal activities after treatment is completed.(∗Source: Oncology Encyclopedia)For legal advice regarding mesothelioma or other asbestos related cancers, contact the lawyers at Massey & Associates, P.C..

If you have mesothelioma, or any other asbestos-related disease, chances are you were exposed to asbestos. Many of the manufacturers of asbestos insulation products knew that asbestos was hazardous, yet made a business decision not to warn people of those hazards for decades. You may have a right of recovery against those manufacturers, which can help cover the costs of cancer treatment and provide compensation for your suffering.Our Chattanooga personal injury law firm handles mesothelioma cases throughout Tennessee to ensure that our clients medical bills and suffering are fairly compensated.

If you have developed mesothelioma as a result of prolonged exposure to asbestos, contact the Tennessee mesothelioma lawyers of Massey & Associates, P.C. today at (423) 697-4529 for a FREE Consultation.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the tissue that lines the outer lung, heart, or abdominal cavity (called the “mesothelium”) and is almost exclusively caused by asbestos fibers. But while nearly unique to asbestos fiber intake (breathed or swallowed), mesothelioma is not the only injury asbestos fibers can cause. Exposure to asbestos fibers may create tumors in the lungs and other internal organs, asbestosis (scarring of lung tissue), and cancer of the larynx, esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Most people affected by asbestos-related injury were exposed at work, often unknowingly.

ASBESTOS INJURY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Mesothelioma injuries are not always apparent, and some symptoms can take decades to appear after exposure to asbestos. Some symptoms of lung injury caused by asbestos are:

• Chest pain

• Fluid surrounding the lung

• Shortness of breath

• Fatigue

• Wheezing, hoarseness, or persistent cough

• Blood coughed up

If the mesothelioma cancer spreads, injured individuals may experience weight loss and stomach pain. Bowel obstructions, anemia, and fever may be signs of internal organ damage from asbestos exposure, and trouble swallowing, swollen throat, and facial pain can be symptoms that lung mesothelioma’s cancer has spread.

In more severe cases, a person suffering asbestos injury can demonstrate any of the following symptoms:

• Jaundice

• Blood clots

• Internal bleeding

• Low blood sugar

• Chest pain

• Severe swelling of the midsection

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions that may or may not be asbestos-related.

INCIDENCE AND TREATMENT OF MESOTHELIOMA

While reports of mesothelioma have increased since the late 1970s, asbestos remains a rare cancer with an average of only one in a million Americans affected. Men are more likely than women and older than younger to develop mesothelioma, which corresponds with the population that works with asbestos and the time delay between exposure and development of asbestos-caused cancer. Though the lung version of mesothelioma (pleural mesothelioma) tends to be the most known, 20%-30% of all mesotheliomas are abdominal (peritoneal mesothelioma).

Mesothelioma diagnosis typically includes a preliminary physical examination, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. If cancer could be likely, a biopsy will be conducted to confirm mesothelioma. Where this possible cancer is located will define the means of collecting sample tissue for the biopsy. If a mesothelioma diagnosis is confirmed, doctors will need to learn the extent of the disease, whether localized or if it has spread beyond its originating cancerous membrane.

Treatment of malignant mesothelioma is typically radiation and/or chemotherapy, can roughly three-quarters of the time extends the injured patient's lifespan by five years or more. Surgery is common but rarely successful in causing long-term remission. The removal of a lung to stop the spread in pleural mesothelioma is called pneumonectomy. To relieve pain, fluids accumulated in the chest or abdomen might be drained.

 

Many years ago, hundreds of thousands of workers across the county were exposed to asbestos. Many of these individuals have developed asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, other asbestos-related cancers and asbestosis. Mike Nassios and Tim McLaughlin have been involved in thousands of asbestos lawsuits throughout the years and have been involved in the litigation of numerous mesothelioma cases. Nassios & McLaughlin handles and limits its practice to individuals that have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, severe disabling asbestosis and other forms of asbestos-related cancers.

If you desire, Mike Nassios or Tim McLaughlin will be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss your legal options concerning your diagnosis of mesothelioma or other asbestos related disease you or a family member may suffer from. Settlements and jury verdicts vary greatly from state to state and we can assist you in the filing of your mesothelioma case so that you receive the greatest compensation under the law for you or your family. For example, Tennessee law requires that an individual must have been exposed to asbestos during certain years for them to be able to receive compensation under Tennessee law for their asbestos related injury. Nassios and McLaughlin has worked with numerous law firms throughout the country in the handling of mesothelioma and asbestos related injury cases so that a person or family that has been devastated by a loss from an injured workers exposure to asbestos receive the greatest compensation under the law from the manufacturers of asbestos containing products and through the Tennessee Worker's Compensation system.

Asbestos Related Diseases

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which occurs in the lining of the lung (the pleura) or in the abdomen (the peritoneum.) The major known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos.

Lung Cancer

Studies have shown that lung cancer can be caused or contributed to by exposure to asbestos.

Other Cancers

Colon cancer, cancer of the larynx, and cancer of the esophagus can sometimes be related or linkable to ones exposure to asbestos.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a scarring of the lung which can cause shortness of breath.

IN ANY PERSONAL INJURY CASE, WE WILL PROVIDE A FREE CONSULTATION, WE WILL WORK ON A CONTINGENCY FEE BASIS AND ACCEPT NO FEE UNTIL WE RECOVER MONEY FOR YOU BY SETTLEMENT OR TRIAL.

WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO VISIT YOU AT YOUR HOME OR THE HOSPITAL, AT YOUR CONVENIENCE. CALL AT 865-637-4223 OR 1-800-409-5507 OR CONTACT US ONLINE.