Mesothelioma / Environmental Exposure – Personal Injury Attorney Richmond CA
Imagine starting a job at a company headquartered in an old office building. Unbeknownst to you, the building was insulated with asbestos, which had never been removed despite the well-known negative health effects. Modifications to the building routinely shake asbestos fibers loose, which you and your co-workers breathe in on a regular basis. After years of exposure to asbestos, you develop mesothelioma, an incurable cancer that forms along the lungs, heart, and abdomen.
California Cases
This tragedy is all too common, especially in California. The Golden State suffers more deaths from mesothelioma than any other state in the country. Between 1999 and 2013, 3,762 Californians died from mesothelioma, and nearly a thousand more died from other illnesses related to asbestos exposure. Such illnesses are particularly common around the West Coast shipyard. Although it is no longer in operation, those living nearby continue to be exposed to its asbestos deposits. Other sources of asbestos include industrial sites, asbestos mines, and buildings with asbestos insulation. 45 of California’s counties have natural sources of asbestos, and the state’s age-adjusted rate of the disease is 12.6 new cases each year per million people.
Cancer and Compensation
Mesothelioma is expensive, due both to high treatment costs and time away from work. If there is reason to believe that your landlord, employer, a nearby company, or another third party exposed you to asbestos, a personal injury attorney can force that party to compensate you for your losses. Your attorney will take the following steps to ensure that you receive redress:
- Identifying the Source– Personal injury lawsuits are most likely to succeed if they clearly identify who must pay the damages. Your lawyer will look through trust funds, insurance policies, and other sources of money that you may have a right to.
- Listing Damages– A personal injury attorney will consider all the factors you may claim compensation for, including missed work, medical bills, pain, suffering, and disability. He or she will also help you keep track of all data proving that you have suffered these effects.
- Proving Culpability– The defendant will likely claim that you developed mesothelioma from some other source or from your own lifestyle. Your attorney can evaluate these factors and explain why the defendant specifically is responsible for your illness.
Mesothelioma lawsuits are a time-sensitive matter; most jurisdictions require you to file them within five years of your diagnosis. Thus as soon as you know you have the disease, talk to a personal injury lawyer and begin the fight for restitution.
Eric Wagner is an experienced personal injury attorney and helps people just like you to recover the money you need to pay the expenses relating to illness. From our offices in Richmond California, we proudly serve clients in Contra Costa, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the surrounding cities. If you that you have been exposed due to the negligence of the place where you work, the law allows us to help you receive compensation for a multitude of losses due to negligence. Please contact a us today at (855) 529-4465, for a free initial consultation.