Mesothelioma Attorney

You can help speed the investigation process by having the following information and documents handy. However, do not postpone seeking a consultation with an attorney just to gather such information.

• Medical Reports confirming the diagnosis of mesothelioma.
  This might include one or more of the following reports:
  • Pathology report: Laboratory report on tests performed on tumor tissue taken from your biopsy. It is typically just a few pages in length. This is the report that often confirms a mesothelioma diagnosis.
  • Cytology report: Laboratory report on tests performed on liquid drained from your lung or abdominal cavity. You might have this instead of a pathology report.
  • Surgical Report: This provides your surgeon’s assessment of the surgery, and may also include pathology or cytology results.
  • If you have not had a biopsy or a fluid sample taken, a copy of a CAT scan or PET scan report would be helpful to your attorney.
• Information about your history of asbestos exposure, and any documentation you may have.
• Names of witnesses to your asbestos exposure. This may include names of co-workers at jobs where you were exposed to asbestos, or family members who may have worked with or around asbestos and brought it home on their clothing.
• Your will. Your attorney will need a copy of your will in the event you pass away before your case is resolved, in order to identify the executor of your estate.
• For family members seeking a claim on behalf of a deceased mesothelioma victim: a copy of the death certificate and autopsy report, if available.

If you were previously diagnosed with asbestosis and have recently been diagnosed with an asbestos-related cancer, such as mesothelioma, there is a chance that you can also be compensated for the cancer. Many states recognize that mesothelioma develops many years after a disease like asbestosis, and that a person has the right to seek compensation for both. Many lawyers has successfully convinced courts in Texas, Florida and Iowa to allow recovery for asbestos victims in such cases, and several other states also recognize this right. There might be other factors involved in whether you can bring a second claim, which your attorney can evaluate for you.

Some attorneys handles cases on a “contingency fee” basis, meaning that you do not need to pay out-of-pocket for legal fees and expenses. This helps people who otherwise do not have the financial means to hire a lawyer to secure legal representation. Under a “contingency fee” arrangement, lawyers receives a legal fee as a percentage of your total recovery only if we are successful in achieving compensation for you. If we do not achieve compensation for you, we do not get paid for our services. We also will advance the expenses of litigating your case, such as court filing fees, expert witness fees and the like. If we are successful in achieving a recovery for you, these expenses are deducted from your portion of the recovery.

Most states allow a lawsuit for the wrongful death of a spouse or family member, even if he or she did not file a lawsuit while alive. There is a limit on the amount of time you have for filing such a suit. If you are interested in pursuing a case, you should secure an attorney as soon as possible.Some states’ laws do not provide for the same types of compensation to the family of the deceased as would have been available to the mesothelioma victim while alive, so it is advisable for a person with a mesothelioma diagnosis to pursue his or her claim as soon as possible after the diagnosis.

When receiving a diagnosis of mesothelioma, you and your family are suddenly confronted with many important decisions to make. Of course, you must work with your medical professionals to make important decisions about your treatment options. Additionally, if you want to pursue compensation, it is advisable to do so as soon as possible, for a number of reasons. First, you are the best source of information about your history of asbestos exposure, and it is important that your testimony is preserved early in your case in the event your health fails and you are unable to testify at a later date. Also, in some instances a person with a diagnosis of mesothelioma can get an “expedited” (fast) trial setting, whereas if you pass away before the trial date in your case, it might face a significant delay. Also, the sooner you pursue your case, the sooner you might receive compensation to help with your medical bills and other needs. Even if your trial setting is several months in the future, you might qualify for bankruptcy trust and administration settlement monies relatively early in your case.