If you or a loved one were diagnosed with mesothelioma or cancer of the mesothelium, you may be entitled to recover compensation from a mesothelioma lawsuit case or settlement claim.
A team of asbestos injury lawyers and class action attorneys is investigating potential mesothelioma lawsuit and settlement claims of individuals who were diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly form of cancer that develops in the mesothelium, a thin layer of tissue or membrane (made of epithelial cells) that surrounds various organs in the body such as the abdominal cavity (peritoneum and mesentery), chest (pleura and pericardium) and pelvis (the tunica vaginalis that surrounds the testes).
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 3,000 new mesothelioma cases are diagnosed each year in the United States. The vast majority of mesothelioma cases are malignant (meaning that a tumor is cancerous and may invade its surrounding tissue or spread around the body) and are caused by asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma Lawsuit Cases & Settlement Claims
Mesothelioma lawsuit and settlement cases potentially being investigated include claims of individuals who, after being exposed to asbestos or asbestos fibers, were diagnosed with mesothelioma:
- Mesothelioma
- Pleural mesothelioma
- Peritoneal mesothelioma
- Pericardial mesothelioma
- Testicular mesothelioma
- Cancer of the mesothelium
- Malignant mesothelioma
According to some reports, the average mesothelioma settlement is estimated to be between $1 million and $1.4 million and the average mesothelioma lawsuit trial verdict is estimated to be about $2.5 million.
Mesothelioma lawsuit and settlement compensation can vary, depending on the location and duration of asbestos exposure, who the defendants are, the extent of injury, the amount of expenses incurred and the amount of income lost (i.e., lost wages), among other things.
Mesothelioma Cancer Injury Cases
There are four types of mesothelioma, based upon on the location of the mesothelium affected or where the tumors initially develop after exposure to asbestos. The most common type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, which develops in the tissue around the lungs. Other forms of mesothelioma include peritoneal mesothelioma (which develops in the tissue surrounding the abodomen), pericardial mesothelioma (which develops in the tissue surrounding the heart) and testicular mesothelioma (which develops in the tissue surrounding the testicles).
Mesothelioma can also be classified by the type of cells where the cancer originates, including epithelial mesothelioma, sarcomatoid mesothelioma and biphasic mesothelioma (or mixed mesothelioma).
Epithelial mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma (making up about 70% or more of all asbestos related mesothelioma cancers), but it is also typically less aggressive and responds better to mesothelioma treatment than the others. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is less common (making up about 10 or 20% of mesothelioma cancer cases), but it is more likely to spread than the others and the mesothelioma prognosis is typically worse. Biphasic mesothelioma is a combination of epithelioid and sarcomatoid mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Symptoms & Signs
Mesothelioma signs and symptoms can vary, depending on the type of mesothelioma (i.e., pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma or testicular mesothelioma). Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma can include, among others:
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- Pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs)
- Respiratory complications
- Chronic cough
- Dry cough
- Wheezing
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle weakness
- Fatigue
- Chest pain
- Coughing up blood
- Blood clotting disorders
- Difficulty taking a deep breath
- Lumps of tissue under skin on chest
- Night sweats
- Stomach pain or swelling
- Ascites (buildup of fluid in abdomen)
- Other mesothelioma symptoms
Tests and procedures used to diagnose mesothelioma can include physical examination, medical history, imaging tests (such as CT scan, PET scan, ultrasound, chest X-ray, MRI, etc.), blood tests (to check for high levels of Fibulin-3 and soluble mesothelin-related peptides or SMRPs often found in those with mesothelioma), and/or biopsy (fluid testing, needle biopsy, endocopic biopsy, surgical biopsy, etc.)
Mesothelioma Stages
Mesothelioma is a disease that can progress through four stages. In the first stage of mesothelioma, cancer cells are in the mesothelial lining. In the second stage, the mesothelioma cancer cells enter the lymph nodes (small bean-shaped structures that are part of the body’s immune system). In the third stage of mesothelioma, the mesothelioma cancer cells spread to adjacent organs and distant lymph nodes. In the fourth stage (also called end stage mesothelioma) cancer cells spread throughout the body.
Mesothelioma Treatment
Treatments for mesothelioma used by oncologists, surgeons and/or pulmonologists can include surgery (to remove cancer and/or relieve pain caused by mesothelioma tumors), chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy, among other mesothelioma treatments.
If you or someone you love were diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to compensation from a mesothelioma lawsuit or settlement. Contact an injury lawyer to request a free case review
*If you or a loved one are experiencing health issues, side effects or complications from a product (i.e., mesothelioma), we urge you to promptly consult with your doctor or physician for an evaluation.
**The listing of a company or product is not meant to state or imply that the company acted illegally or improperly or that the product is unsafe or defective; rather only that an investigation may be, is or was being conducted to determine whether legal rights have been violated.
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