Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer attributed to the inhalation of toxic asbestos fibers. It most commonly affects the lungs but can also impact the living of the abdomen, testes, and heart.
If you’ve had the misfortune of being diagnosed with mesothelioma, then you already know all of this. You also already likely understand that by the time symptoms manifest themselves, a patient’s diagnosis is often dismal.
While we might not be able to cause your diagnosis to go away, we can, at the very least, help you recover compensation to ensure you have the means to receive the best possible care for your condition if you have a viable claim. Email us or reach out to us by phone to discuss the onset of your illness with a Peru mesothelioma lawyer. Meeting with our attorneys for case consultations is free of charge at Schweickert Ganassin Krzak Rundio, LLP.
How Common Is This Asbestos-Related Disease?
American Cancer Society statistics show that at least 3,000 of the patients diagnosed with this cancer each year are in the U.S. A person’s average age at the time of diagnosis is 72. This disease is most common among Whites and Hispanics compared to African Americans and Asians.
Workers With the Highest Mesothelioma Diagnosis Rates
Individuals who’ve historically had the highest incidence rates of mesothelioma have been:
- Manufacturing plant workers: From brake pads to asphalt shingles to make up to chlorine, these are just a few items that have been known to contain or be manufactured using asbestos fibers, putting workers in these industries at risk for exposure.
- Home construction professionals: This is a broad category that often includes construction workers, carpenters, roofers, plumbers, electricians, and anyone else involved in the demolition, building, or renovation of properties. Also, remediation and insulation professionals and anyone who worked or resided in these locations could have been put at risk.
- Power plant workers: Asbestos was once readily utilized for its heat-protection properties when constructing these plants.
- Military service members: Exposure to asbestos has been commonplace among tank builders, aircraft mechanics, shipbuilders, and building professionals.
- Mechanics: Brakes were one of those products that, as described above, were manufactured using asbestos fibers, which has caused auto mechanics and car enthusiasts alike to become exposed to this toxic material.
Even if someone was never directly exposed to asbestos fibers through their employment, they may have experienced second-hand exposure to it by having contact with clothing and other personal items containing this toxic fiber.
Symptoms Mesothelioma Patients Experience
Individuals who ultimately come to be diagnosed with mesothelioma generally can track the onset of their illness to exposure to asbestos decades before. Some of the earliest indicators someone may be affected by this aggressive form of cancer include if they’re experiencing the following symptoms:
- Sudden, unexplained weight loss
- Chest pain
- Generalized fatigue
- Labored breathing
- Night sweats
- A pesky cough
- Fever
As you might imagine or know first-hand, if you’ve been diagnosed with this disease, symptoms only intensify over time.
Options for Treating This Asbestos-Related Cancer
You’ll often read that mesothelioma is incurable. While the prognosis is often dismal for many patients diagnosed with this disease, treatment options do exist that can slow its progression and help symptom and pain management, including:
- Fluid Removal: This procedure, which involves the insertion of a needle into the affected body part to remove fluid buildup, is called differently, depending on the sector of the body being addressed. For example, paracentesis is the procedure performed on the abdomen, thoracentesis involves the chest, and pleurodesis affects the lungs.
- Surgery: Removing the affected tissue may be an option, depending on how advanced the disease is when it’s discovered.
- Chemotherapy: This intravenous or oral medication can be effective in doing away with cancer cells, which can slow this disease’s progress.
- Radiation: This nuclear medicine option is also effective in killing off cancer cells and can be administered by itself or in conjunction with chemotherapy and other treatment options.
- Immunotherapy: This is a nuanced treatment option, often taken orally, that is still largely being tested through use in clinical trials. It triggers one’s immune system to try and destroy its cancer cells.
- Targeted therapy: This treatment option is also relatively new and still being tested for efficacy, independently as well as when used together with other above-referenced treatments. Its focus is on targeting specific cancer cells in the body.
The stage and location of the cancer and a patient’s overall health may dictate which treatment options doctors recommend.
Securing Funding To Help Pay for Your Mesothelioma Care
As you’re likely very well aware, the treatments you require are very costly. This is why it can be helpful to know that each Peru mesothelioma lawyer at our firm has been successful in assisting our clients in securing compensation from one or more of the following sources:
- Through the filing of a personal injury lawsuit
- Applying for disability benefits
- By filing a workers’ compensation claim
- Applying for Veterans’ benefits
- Requesting compensation from an asbestos trust fund
Circumstances surrounding how you became exposed to asbestos, when, and where are just some of the many factors that will impact what sources of compensation you might be able to pursue.
Help You Can Expect To Receive From a Mesothelioma Lawyer in Peru, IL
When you choose to work with our legal team at Schweickert Ganassin Krzak Rundio, LLP, you can expect us to help in the following ways:
- Assess the merits of your case, which essentially means determining if you can establish the elements of negligence necessary to have a pursuable claim, and if you’re still within the Illinois statute of limitations for bringing it
- Have a comprehensive understanding of all defendants you can pursue for liability and all sources of compensation that you can potentially stake claim to
- Understand how to build a strong case that commands top-dollar compensation for your losses
- Have clarity about when pursuing an out-of-court settlement is an effort in futility, and shifting one’s focus to taking the case to trial is best
If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, your sole focus needs to be on your health. Here at Schweickert Ganassin Krzak Rundio, LLP, we can help you do that by evaluating and building your case and handling all communication and legal wrangling on your behalf.
Meeting with a Peru mesothelioma lawyer to discuss your potential case is free of charge, and since we work on a contingency basis, you won’t owe your attorney anything to represent you unless they secure a recovery in your case. So, if you’re ill or have recently lost a loved one to this asbestos-related disease, reach out for our assistance by phone or email. We’re ready to help you secure the compensation you deserve.
