Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos on a regular basis. This cancer can take many decades to develop, usually at least several decades. Therefore, people that worked with asbestos perhaps 30 or 40 years ago are only now being diagnosed with this disease. This cancer can affect several vital organs: the most common variation is that which affects the lungs, causing fluid build-up which in turn causes a variety of symptoms such as breathing difficulties, shortness of breath, persistent coughing and difficulty swallowing; the second variation affects the stomach and abdominal area and can cause symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, bowel obstruction and loss of appetite; and the rarest version affects the heart and can cause palpitations, persistent coughing and chest pain. However, because the disease takes so long to manifest you will find that the onset of these symptoms comes many, many years after the actual exposure that causes the disease.Mesothelioma and asbestos litigation has become a huge business these days, and many people that have contracted asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma are awarded multi-million dollar compensation payouts. However, before any compensation can be paid out, you need to seek assistance from a mesothelioma and asbestos lawyer, and he or she will run through the various legal options available to you with regards to pursuing a claim. It is important to find a suitably qualified and experienced lawyer as soon as possible as the statutes of limitation imposed from state to state could otherwise hinder your chances of filing a claim.
Once you have contacted an asbestos lawyer, you need to discuss the various mesothelioma and asbestos legal options that are open to you. By choosing a lawyer with a good level of experience in the field of mesothelioma and asbestos litigation, you can ensure that you are informed about all the legal options available, and that you are offered advice on which is the best option to suit your needs and circumstances. An experienced lawyer can draw on past experience in order to make a recommendation with regards to your most suitable mesothelioma and asbestos legal options, thus maximizing the chances of a compensation payout.
Once you have found a lawyer, you will need to make an appointment to discuss your options fully, although many online companies will allow you to make your initial contact by e-mail and they will then evaluate your case and contact you with the options. Your lawyer can advise whether you should pursue your case, and if so which direction to take it in. Your lawyer will also need to put a water-tight case together, which is another reason to get legal advice and assistance as early as possible. Further investigations may be required, which will also take time. It could be that you are unsure of when and where you were exposed to asbestos, and your lawyer will need to hire someone to look into this.
There will be a number of legal options that are available to you depending upon your circumstances. If you are one of a number of claimants, then a class action may be suitable for you. This type of legal option lends strength to your case because there is more than one plaintiff. However, the payout can be lower as the compensation has to be shared among all plaintiffs named on the lawsuit. You may be advised to file an individual lawsuit if the lawyer feels you have a strong case, and this means that you may get more in the way of compensation.
You may find that your lawyer can get you a generous out of court settlement, which means that your case need never go to court at all. These are just a few of the legal options that an experienced mesothelioma and asbestos lawyer may tell you about. You should make sure that he or she covers all of the possible mesothelioma and asbestos legal options when you visit the lawyer, as you can then make a more informed decision with regards to the course of action you wish to pursue