In towns and cities throughout the United States, asbestos lawsuits are increasingly prolific as individuals exposed to asbestos twenty and thirty years ago are today developing and dying from mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare and extremely lethal form of cancer, in which malignant cells are found in the protective sac covering most of the body’s internal organs. Mesothelioma, which is caused by exposure to asbestos, takes up to three decades to strike its victims. Those with the greatest risk of developing mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. Today, a growing number of mesothelioma lawsuits have succeeded in recovering hundreds of millions in compensation for the tens of thousands of mesothelioma victims. Compensation is paid by the companies that make these asbestos products, and enables victims to cover their medical expenses and to be compensated for their pain and suffering. A current center of concern for asbestos victims is New Orleans. In the post-Katrina era, New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana is undergoing a boom in construction– a business infamous for its use of asbestos products. Post-storm rehabilitations of homes, the related large-scale demolitions, and even just the ubiquitous roofing jobs currently underway are exposing thousands of people to asbestos. Despite these dangers, however, Congress is considering a Bill that would prevent someone who becomes ill with cancer as a result of post-Katrina asbestos exposure from getting financial relief. The introduction of the Bill is being motivated by calls for tort reform among asbestos-related industries. Financially crippled by increasingly high rewards to asbestos victims, these industries want a cap on their liability. They cite a recent asbestos lawsuit in Louisiana, in which homeowners who purchased asbestos-contaminated fill dirt sued the contractor who sold them the soil, as well as the oil company where the dirt had been removed. Although none of the plaintiffs have yet become sick, a jury awarded them compensatory and punitive damages due to their fear of harm (rather than actual harm). The verdict was upheld by a Louisiana appeals court, which ruled that any exposure to a harmful substance, no matter how slight, justifies a lawsuit. The new Bill, set for debate by Congress in February, would halt asbestos lawsuits. The Bill is seeking to protect companies with asbestos liability from further lawsuits by paying into a government administered trust fund, which would screen claimants through established medical criteria. Victims would be awarded compensation based on the severity of their illness. The Bill specifically states that the fund would not cover victims of environmental and neighborhood exposure, with the prime example being post-Katrina victims in New Orleans and across Louisiana. The Bill is widely opposed by the medical community, as well as by labor unions and citizens rights activists, particularly in the state of Louisiana. Nick Johnson serves as lead counsel with Johnson Law Group, a personal injury law firm with principal offices located in Houston, Texas. Johnson specializes in representing plaintiffs with injury cases involving mesothelioma, nursing home abuse, medical malpractice and defective drugs. Contact Nick Johnson at 1-888-311-5522 or visit http://www.johnsonlawgroup.com for a free case evaluation.
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If you suffer from mesothelioma, then you likely have grounds for a mesothelioma lawsuit. Mesothelioma is a rare and deadly form of cancer, which causes malignant cells to be produced on the protective sac covering most of the bodys internal organs, mainly the lungs. Exposure to asbestos is the cause of mesothelioma; there is no known link between smoking and mesothelioma. Those with the greatest risk of developing mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, or a family member has died as a result of mesothelioma, then you are entitled to recover compensation through a mesothelioma lawsuit against the companies that made these asbestos products. The first step in initiating a mesothelioma lawsuit is to contact an attorney associated with a reputable mesothelioma trial law firm. Your mesothelioma attorney can recover up to millions of dollars, which will be invaluable in assisting you and your family with medical bills and other expenses associated with the disease. When searching for a mesothelioma attorney, you should be careful to choose a law firm that has the required experience and skill to aggressively represent your interests. You should be prepared to interview potential attorneys, asking questions such as how quickly their past cases have been resolved, how much compensation they have successfully obtained and how many total mesothelioma lawsuits they have dealt with. Once you have selected an attorney, you will need to provide him or her with all relevant information regarding your diagnosis and prognosis. This information will form the basis of your mesothelioma lawsuit. One of those most important details to provide to your attorney is the time period in which you believe you were exposed to asbestos. This information is critical for two reasons. First, because as many as twenty or even thirty years will often pass before one becomes ill from asbestos exposure. Second, most states have a set time limit in which you can file your lawsuit, and it is very important that you not miss this deadline known as the statute of limitations. Other details that your attorney will request from you include the name and location of your employer, the working conditions during the term of your employment, and whether your employer informed you that you would be exposed to asbestos during your employment. Many people are concerned because they do not know exactly where and when they were exposed to asbestos. Some people may have been exposed to asbestos numerous times. However, your mesothelioma attorney can help to pinpoint the products that you were exposed to. If necessary, your attorney will hire the services of a private investigator to find out where the exposure took place. Nick Johnson serves as lead counsel with Johnson Law Group, a personal injury law firm with principal offices located in Houston, Texas. Johnson specializes in representing plaintiffs with injury cases involving mesothelioma, nursing home abuse, medical malpractice and defective drugs. Contact Nick Johnson at 1-888-311-5522 or visit http://www.johnsonlawgroup.com for a free case evaluation.
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