Many people throughout Kentucky have faced asbestos exposure and developed mesothelioma, and should contact a mesothelioma lawyer Kentucky. There is a good chance you will be able to file a claim, as long as you have your documents in order. The first time you speak to an experienced mesothelioma lawyer, he or she will give you a free case evaluation, as well as tell you your legal rights and the types of compensation you may be eligible for. As the Kentucky statute of limitations for such cases is only one year from the time of discovery of the disease, you must act quickly or you will effectively forfeit the chance to file a claim. Call one of many mesothelioma lawyers located near you today.
The most common types of this cancer called mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, and it affects the lining of the lungs. Other types of mesothelioma may affect the stomach, the intestines, the heart, and other organs. The prognosis is an especially difficult one, due to the fact that many people do not have symptoms of the disease until quite some time after they have been exposed to the asbestos. Also, there is no cure at this point; it is a fatal type of cancer. However, a person can undergo treatment that will help them to feel less discomfort and pain.
There are no naturally-occurring deposits of asbestos anywhere in the state of Kentucky. Nearly all of the exposure has been occupational, whether it be at power plants, construction sites, natural gas plants, the chemical industry, or oil refineries. Also, the asbestos may be contained in building materials in workplaces, in homes, or other building, because for about a hundred years asbestos-containing materials were used in building. For this very reason, many workers in the field of construction are at substantial risk of asbestos exposure. The military has also been known to use asbestos in many of their applications, such as when it was used as a flame retardant for sea-going vessels for the Navy.
Kentucky is home to Fort Campbell, a base that was constructed shortly after the United States entered World War II. This time was known for the frequent use of asbestos in boiler rooms and buildings in general. Maintenance workers, pipefitters, and Army personnel were likely to have been exposed to large doses of asbestos from the 1940s through the 1960s. In a startling statistic, it was determined that an estimated half of people who died from being in the war, died as a result of asbestos exposure. Even with the recent Ban Asbestos in America Act, about 3,000 products containing asbestos were still being manufactured and sold in the United States as of the end of the last decade.
Unfortunately, asbestos-related cases appear to end with decisions in favor of the defendant. One case in particular was the Brewster v. Colgate-Palmolive Co., and the plaintiff could not prove which company out of the two he had brought lawsuits against had actually been the site where he had been exposed. In Kentucky, there is a lack of asbestos-related cases, yet there is much concern about asbestos exposure from many places. The fact that the state only has a statute of limitations of one year is troubling, and it is surely taken very seriously.
Be sure to contact a Kentucky mesothelioma lawyer as soon as possible for a free evaluation of your case. He or she can help you to understand your legal rights, and what type of compensation, if any, you may receive. Get your documents in order, including medical records and work or military service history records. If you are a family member filing a claim on behalf of a person deceased from mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you have a chance at winning a large settlement in court.
