If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos, it is important to contact a mesothelioma lawyer Maryland right away, because of the statute of limitations of three years, at least in the instance of occupational disease. This lawyer will tell you about your legal rights and any compensation that you may receive, after a free case evaluation. He or she can help you with every step along the way, and make sure that you win an appropriate settlement. You should not have to suffer from the financial burden which you probably are facing after job loss and/or high medical bills. You may even be able to affect future legislation through your case.
Mesothelioma is a cancer that can affect organs in your body. Specifically, pleural mesothelioma is the most common type, and it affects the lining of the lungs. Other types affect the stomach, the heart, etc. Deaths from mesothelioma occur much too frequently, mostly because there is no cure, but also the symptoms do not present themselves early on. There are treatments, however, that help with the pain and discomfort of the disease. Asbestos-related diseases accounted for over 1,000 deaths between 1980 and 2000 in Maryland, which accounts for about 2 in 10,000 people in the state. Half of these people were in Baltimore city and county. Maryland ranks 16th in the nation for cases of malignant mesothelioma.
Bathesda, Maryland is home to the National Cancer Institute, and it has done great research work. Workers at the Curtis Bay Coast Guard Shipyard between 1950 and 1963 ran a significantly higher risk of becoming ill from asbestos exposure than the rest of the population. Power plants also have been known to have asbestos problems, including the Glen Burnie Powerhouse, Basco Power Electric, and the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. Asbestos materials have been used frequently as an electrical insulator, such as in electrical cloth tape and components of generators and turbines. Halliburton, of which the former CEO was the past Vice President Dick Cheney, had a large amount of lawsuits against it, many of which were filed in Maryland. The company faced a loss of $820 million in damages due to their asbestos liability. The diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases is increasingly becoming a sub-specialty in the field of medicine. Specifically, the National Cancer Institute focuses on these diseases.
Anyone who has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma should contact one of many mesothelioma lawyers for help with their case. An experienced mesothelioma attorney will be a great asset to your case, and significantly improve your chances of receiving a substantial settlement from your case. You will want to have your documents in order, and give them to your Maryland mesothelioma lawyer to be used as evidence in court. These include medical records, work or military service history records, and if you are filing a claim for a deceased family member, their death certificate with cause of death listed. There is hope that you will find justice and receive compensation for your pain and suffering.
