Mesothelioma is a debilitating disease that affects many organs in the body. The most common type, pleural mesothelioma, affects the lining of the lungs, although it may spread to other parts of the body. Asbestos exposure is the cause of this cancer, and it is often unknowingly breathed in while on a work site, at the workplace, in someone’s home, or even in the air in some extreme instances. Be sure to contact a New Jersey mesothelioma lawyer immediately for a free case evaluation, to learn about your legal rights, and to determine what, if any, compensation you are entitled to.
New Jersey is a unique state when it comes to asbestos, because it is near the center of asbestos history. There is an abundance of naturally-occurring asbestos in New Jersey. Also, asbestos corporations were majorly targeted by the law for the first time in the state. Asbestos lawsuits date back to the 1920s, though corporations were not held accountable for any ailments due to the fact that Dr. Irving Selikoff did not make his findings on the connection between respiratory disease and asbestos public until 1964. Therefore, corporate management had the defensive reasoning that they did not know about the hazards related to asbestos, and so they could not be held responsible for asbestos related diseases that occurred from exposure that took place prior to the presentation of findings.
A Springfield New Jersey mesothelioma discovered what was termed the Sumner Simpson Papers in one of the offices of Raybestos-Manhattan, the asbestos plant that his plaintiffs had worked at, and found something startling. A conspiracy to cover up information about the hazards of asbestos was initiated between the management and Johns-Manville. Dupont Chemical is a company in New Jersey that has been deemed to be a big-time polluter of the air, with the use of asbestos materials among other harmful chemicals. Also, power plants, the oil industry, and the maritime industry all have had issues with their workers being exposed to asbestos and developing diseases and cancers. In 2007, the family of a woman who died after laundering her husband’s and child’s clothing covered in brake fluid brought a lawsuit to court and it was determined that the asbestos in the brakes were responsible for her becoming ill. The EPA had come out with a statement and goal regarding this mechanical work and the hazards that people face going to a mechanic instead of doing work on their own vehicles. At that time, they were pushing to get asbestos materials out of that line of work.
Due to the statute of limitations in New Jersey being two years after the time of discovery of the cancer or disease, or the when it should have been discovered, one should speak to a mesothelioma lawyer New Jersey for assistance with their case. It is important to bring any relevant documents when you first meet with the mesothelioma lawyer, so that you can show evidence of when you went to the doctor, their diagnosis, and your work history. You should not think that you have no chance in winning a settlement or compensation in court, because the law is almost always on the side of the plaintiff in these types of cases.
