Trusted Mesothelioma Lawyer in Stuart
One of the scariest things a doctor can tell you is that you have mesothelioma. You and your family are faced with the possibility that you might not survive. You also have to determine how to pay for your treatment, which will probably be expensive.
This is why you should contact a Stuart mesothelioma lawyer. Your condition was caused by exposure to the mineral asbestos, and an attorney might be able to prove that a former employer or a product manufacturer caused you to be exposed through negligence. This would mean you are entitled to compensation for the various damages you have suffered, from medical expenses to pain and suffering and lost earning capacity.
The mesothelioma attorneys at Gordon & Partners can manage every aspect of your claim, from the investigation to settlement negotiations. Our reputable lawyers take mesothelioma cases on contingency, which means your consultation with our trusted lawyers is free, and we do not charge legal fees unless you obtain fair compensation.
Schedule a free legal consultation today by calling 1 (855) 722-2552.
How Can an Attorney Help with my Case?
One of the main benefits of handing your case over to an experienced Stuart mesothelioma lawyer is that he or she can conduct a thorough investigation to collect evidence and try to build a strong case.
These cases are more difficult to investigate than other personal injury cases in Stuart because victims were exposed to asbestos decades before they were diagnosed with mesothelioma. Many victims may not know when and where they were exposed and even if they do, it may be difficult to locate the employer or manufacturer because it may have gone out of business.
Fortunately, our Stuart mesothelioma attorneys know how to determine if any of your former employers used asbestos and when you may have been exposed. We also know how to find records from product manufacturers to find out if they used asbestos in any of the products you were exposed to in your life.
Another benefit to having an attorney is that he or she will know how to determine an accurate value of your claim. This is very difficult to do on your own because there are so many issues to consider. You not only have to factor in the cost of your current medical expenses, but also emotional damages that are much more difficult to calculate.
Our lawyers also know how to determine the fair value of your future medical expenses from the treatment of your disease. This is very difficult to do unless you have a lot of experience with it from other mesothelioma or personal injury cases.
We can tell you how you can help us collect the evidence we need to document your damages, including receipts, bills, and personal accounts of the physical pain or emotional problems you are having because of your diagnosis.
Contact a Stuart mesothelioma lawyer today to learn more about how we can help you.
Types of Mesothelioma Claims
Many mesothelioma cases are resolved in lawsuits against former employers or the entity that caused your exposure through negligence. In these situations, we investigate your case and draft a complaint against the entity that is responsible for your asbestos exposure.
Once we file the complaint, the other side will have a deadline for drafting a response and then we will begin to proceed toward a trial. There will be a discovery process where both sides share the evidence and information they have collected.
At any point before or during the trial, the other side may reach out to propose a settlement of the case. While we are fully prepared to settle your case, we will only accept a fair offer that takes into account the full value of the damages you have suffered. We are prepared to go to trial to achieve the justice you deserve, which sometimes helps encourage the other side to give us a fair settlement offer.
The other way mesothelioma lawsuits are resolved is by filing a claim with an asbestos settlement fund. Some businesses set up these funds to handle mesothelioma claims because they have received so many of them.
If this happens, we can handle all settlement negotiations with the fund. We have many years of experience negotiating fair compensation for personal injury victims. We come into a negotiation with detailed knowledge of our client’s case and what constitutes a fair settlement offer.
Schedule a free legal consultation with a mesothelioma lawyer in Stuart today.
How are People Exposed to Asbestos?
Many people were exposed to asbestos at their jobs. For much of the 20th century, this fibrous mineral was used in numerous products across many industries because of its many benefits, including its high tensile strength and resistance to heat and electrical damage.
The problem with asbestos is that it can easily break apart into smaller pieces and get into the air, where people can easily breathe it in. Once these fibers are inhaled, they can get stuck in the lungs where people are unable to expel them.
Even people who did not work directly with asbestos-containing materials were at risk for exposure. Once asbestos fibers become airborne, they could travel around a work site. They could also get stuck to hair or clothes and later be breathed in by others at the facility. There is a particularly high-risk of secondhand exposure if the areas with asbestos-containing materials were not sectioned off from the rest of the work site.
Children and spouses of workers could have also been exposed because workers could have brought asbestos fibers home with them on their work clothes or in their hair. Wives could have become exposed when washing their husband’s work clothes.
One of the reasons asbestos is so dangerous to human beings is that there is no safe level of exposure to this mineral. Even being exposed to a small amount can cause you to develop health problems later in life, including mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis.
No matter how you were exposed to asbestos, the mesothelioma attorneys in Stuart at Gordon & Partners may be able to obtain compensation for the damages caused by your diagnosis. There was evidence of the dangers of asbestos for many years, yet companies continued using this harmful mineral. This means they could be held accountable for the injuries this mineral caused to workers.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form right now.
High-Risk Industries for Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos was so widely used that people who worked in a variety of industries were at risk for being exposed to this harmful mineral. However, there were certain industries with a particularly high risk of asbestos exposure, both for people who worked with asbestos-containing materials and those who did not.
Some of the industries with a high risk of asbestos exposure include:
- Firefighting
- Electronics manufacturing
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing
- Aerospace engineering
- Paper mills
- Clothing manufacturing
- Railroads
- Glass manufacturing
- U.S. Navy
- Residential or commercial construction
- Car manufacturing and maintenance
- Missile production
- Aircraft manufacturing and maintenance
- Food processing
- Asbestos mining or milling
- Textile mills
- Steel mills
- Farming/agriculture
- Powerhouse work
- Chemical plants
- Cement plants
- Air conditioning maintenance and repair
- Appliance repair and manufacturing
- Shipbuilding
High-Risk Occupations
Some of the specific jobs that put employees at high risk for exposure to asbestos include:
- Train conductor
- Boilermaker
- Engineer
- Iron worker
- Naval yard worker
- Deckhand
- Auto mechanic
- HVAC mechanic
- Mason
- Building engineer
- Insulation worker
- Oil field worker
- Millwright
- Carpenter
- Custodian/janitor
- Electrician
- Painter
- Pipe cutter
- Steam fitter
- Brick layer
- Plasterer
- Drywall installer
- Roofer
- Fire door installer
- Forklift operator
- Crane operator
- Welder
- Machinist
- Grinder
- Roofer
- Longshoreman
Contact our Stuart mesothelioma lawyers today for a free legal consultation. Call 1 (855) 722-2552.
Common Asbestos-Containing Products
Asbestos had so many benefits that it was used in numerous products before companies acknowledged the danger of this mineral and stopped using it. If you worked with any of these products or had them in your home, you or your family are at risk of having been exposed to this mineral:
- Acoustical plaster
- Agricultural filler
- Air conditioning products
- Asbestos blankets
- Asbestos felt
- Asbestos canvas
- Asbestos spray
- Asbestos curtains
- Baby powder
- Boiler coating
- Bonding cement
- Brake pads
- Brake linings
- Brake shoes
- Calcium silicate
- Clay
- Crock pots
- Cigarette filters
- Cork covering
- Dust masks
- Electrical cable
- Elevator brake shoes
- Fake snow
- Cement siding
- Fertilizer
- Fire doors
- Fireproofing cement
- Glassblower mitts
- Ironing board covers
- Metal mesh blankets
- Putty
- Popcorn poppers
- Brake pads, shoes, clutch discs and linings
- Mufflers
- Electrical meters
- Plumbing gaskets
- Pipe block
- Transformers
- Roofing tar
- Roofing sealant
- Incinerators
- Laboratory hoods
- Laboratory gloves
- Leggings
- Magnesia
- Pumps
- Millboard
- Floor tiles
- Furnaces
- Gaskets
- Insulation
- Compressors
- Ceiling tiles
- Drywall
- Sponge block
- Stucco
- Valves
- Vinyl wallpaper
- Welding equipment
- Insulate boilers
- Car engines
- Boat engines
- Turbines
- Welding rods
- Yarn
- Siding
- Shingles
- Roofing cement
If you or a family member came into contact with any of these products, even for a short time, and were diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to compensation.
The Stuart mesothelioma attorneys at our firm understand the damages caused by a mesothelioma diagnosis. We know how to build a strong case to pursue all of the compensation you deserve.
Call us today for a free legal consultation. 1 (855) 722-2552
Types of Mesothelioma
There are several different forms of mesothelioma, some of which include:
Pleural Mesothelioma
This is a form of the disease that develops in the lining of the lungs, also known as the pleura. Doctors often have a tough time diagnosing this form of mesothelioma because symptoms tend to be mild until the later stages.
Some of the common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include:
- Wheezing
- Dry cough
- Pain in the chest
- Difficulty swallowing
- Swelling in the face and arms
- Faint breathing
- Harsh breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Blood clotting disorders
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
This starts in the lining of the abdomen and can spread to the liver, spleen, bowels and other organs in that region of the body. The chances of surviving this disease have gone up in recent years due to new treatments.
These are some of the typical symptoms of this form of mesothelioma:
- Abdominal distention
- Fatigue
- Obstruction of the bowels
- Hernia
- Swelling of the abdomen
- Lost appetite
- Weight loss
- Buildup of fluid in the abdomen
Testicular Mesothelioma
This is a very rare form of mesothelioma that is rarely diagnosed. Four of the most common symptoms of this form of mesothelioma include:
- Swelling of the testicles
- Pain in the testicles
- Lump in the scrotum
- Fluid in the scrotum
Pericardial Mesothelioma
This disease starts in the lining of the heart cavity and is quite rare. When this disease progresses, it impairs the heart’s ability to deliver oxygen to the body, which can cause a quick decline in health.
Doctors typically diagnose people with this form of mesothelioma when they experience the following symptoms:
- Labored breathing
- Heart palpitations
- Fatigue
- Heart murmurs
- Pain in the chest
- Night sweats
If you experience symptoms of any of these types of mesothelioma, seek medical attention right away. Seeking treatment quickly may improve your chances of survival, as these diseases are easier to treat the earlier they are discovered.
If you are diagnosed, your next step is to contact a mesothelioma lawyer in Stuart at our firm for a free legal consultation. We might be able to recover compensation to cover the cost of your medical treatment.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form right now to schedule your free consultation.
Compensation for Mesothelioma Diagnosis
The Stuart mesothelioma attorneys at our firm understand the many side effects of cancer treatment. We also understand the tremendous financial burden of paying for cancer treatment. That is why we are committed to fighting for fair compensation for all past, current and future medical treatment related to the treatment of your condition. This could include the cost of:
- Surgery
- Prescription medications
- Hospital stays
- Mileage to the hospital
- Appointments with specialists
Medical expenses are one of the main forms of compensation in a mesothelioma claim. However, there are a variety of other types of compensation we may be able to obtain for you. This includes:
- Lost wages – When people are diagnosed with mesothelioma, they are often unable to go to work on some of the days they are scheduled to work. This could be because they are physically unable to work because of their symptoms or because they are recovering from treatment they received. Our attorneys can pursue compensation for all the wages you lost when you were unable to work.
- Lost earning capacity – As the disease progresses, you may be completely unable to work to support yourself or your family. In some cases, victims have to change careers or work in a different capacity than they did before their diagnosis. This can have a severely negative impact on your future earning capacity. Our Stuart mesothelioma lawyers can pursue compensation to make up for the loss of income caused by your diminished ability to work. We will carefully weigh your experience, skills and salary history to determine how much you would have earned if not for your mesothelioma diagnosis.
- Pain and suffering – The physical and mental suffering from mesothelioma cannot be understated. The side effects from treatment can create tremendous discomfort and pain. These physical issues are often accompanied by stress, anxiety, depression and other severe emotional problems that affect your life. Fortunately, our mesothelioma attorneys in Stuart might be able to obtain compensation for all of these issues. This can be tough to document and it may involve personal accounts from you or family members about your physical and mental suffering.
- Loss of companionship – A cancer diagnosis can have a severely negative effect on your relationship with your spouse. Victims are often unable to provide the same level of love, affection, comfort and companionship as before. Our attorneys will attempt to document all of the ways your diagnosis hurts your relationship with your spouse.
Fill out a Free Case Evaluation form to find out if you are entitled to compensation.
How Long do I Have to File a Claim?
Once you receive a mesothelioma diagnosis, you should immediately contact an attorney to determine your legal options. There is a limited amount of time to pursue a case because of Florida’s personal injury statute of limitations, which also applies to mesothelioma cases.
This law states that lawsuits must be filed within four years of when the cause of action accrues. In a mesothelioma case, this is four years from when you were diagnosed. If you do not file a claim within that timeframe, you will lose the right to do so.
If you are pursuing a case for someone who died from mesothelioma, the deadline for filing a claim is governed by Florida’s wrongful death statute of limitations. This statute begins running on your loved one’s date of death and lasts for two years from that date.
These statutes make some people think that there is plenty of time to file a lawsuit. However, a comprehensive investigation takes time, as does drafting a complaint and determining the value of the damages you have suffered. It is better to give us as much time as possible to try to build the strongest case we can as we pursue all of the compensation you deserve.
Fill out a Free Case Evaluation form or call us at 1 (855) 722-2552
Contact a Stuart Mesothelioma Lawyer Right Now
There was evidence about the dangers of asbestos decades before companies discontinued its use. This means companies either knew or should have known they were putting their employees in harm’s way by using asbestos-containing materials.
Our Stuart mesothelioma lawyers are prepared to pursue fair compensation for the damages you suffered because of an employer’s or product manufacturer’s negligence.
We offer a free, no obligation legal consultation where you can review the merits of your case. If we take your case, we will not charge legal fees unless you receive the compensation you deserve.
Call 1 (855) 722-2552 or fill out a Free Case Evaluation form.
Free Case Evaluation
Verdicts & Settlements
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R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company product liability.
Jury verdict for the wrongful death of a 63-year-old man survived by his widow.
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Verdict against tobacco manufacturer for family of man who died from lung cancer as a result of smoking.
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