Over time, asbestos exposure can lead to serious health consequences that may eventually develop into a rare form of aggressive cancer called mesothelioma. It all depends on how long you were exposed and how much asbestos you’ve either inhaled or ingested, but the outcome is generally cancer.
Unfortunately, many people are exposed to asbestos in the workplace or during the course of their employment. For example, military buildings are made with asbestos materials, auto mechanics work with brake systems that use asbestos, and general contractors often handle materials made with asbestos, like insulation and flooring.
Photo by SELİM ARDA ERYILMAZ on Unsplash
While most recently diagnosed people are finding that their exposure took place several decades in the past, don’t ignore current exposure. If you’ve held the same job over the years and are still exposed to asbestos, you should do what you can to remove yourself from the situation to limit your exposure.
If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos at work, no matter how far in the past, here’s what you should do next.
Understand how asbestos causes mesothelioma
Although it won’t make it go away, it helps to understand how exposure to asbestos caused your illness. Although asbestos looks like a fine powder, the particles are actually quite jagged and sharp.
When asbestos is inhaled or ingested, the particles become lodged in bodily tissue, specifically the lining of the abdomen (the peritoneum) and the lining of the lungs (the pleura). In either case, the asbestos agitates the tissue, creating prolonged inflammation that eventually leads to cancer.
When this occurs in the abdomen, it’s called malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. In the lungs, it’s called malignant pleural mesothelioma. Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of this disease, and unfortunately, it takes decades for the symptoms to show, which means by the time you realize you’re sick, the cancer has usually spread pretty far.
Explore your treatment options
Mesothelioma can be treated in a handful of ways, but which one is right for you will depend on the type of cancer (where it’s located) and other specifics personal to you. The most common treatments currently include:
- Surgery;
- Immunotherapy;
- Chemotherapy;
- New treatments through clinical trials.
It’s crucial that you talk to your mesothelioma doctor about your treatment options so you can make the best decision based on your circumstances. You can also request to be notified of any new clinical trials for new potential treatments if you don’t mind being part of an experiment.
No matter which route you take for treatment, make sure you only use a mesothelioma specialist for all of your needs. Just like a diagnosis, effective treatment requires help from a team of specialists with extensive experience treating this rare form of cancer.
If your primary care physician doesn’t know who to refer you to, search online for a specialist in your area to ensure you get the best treatment possible.
Contact a mesothelioma attorney
No matter what type of treatment you pursue, you’re going to end up with extensive medical bills. Unless you’re rich, it’s probably going to be difficult to pay for everything on your own. Sometimes health insurance policies cover major illnesses, but most people find their mesothelioma treatments aren’t covered by their policy.
There’s little to no chance that you’ll be able to convince your former place of employment to pay for your illness just by asking nicely. Filing a lawsuit is the only way to recover the compensation you need to pay your medical bills, cover lost wages, and financially support yourself and your dependents while you seek treatment.
If you don’t take legal action, you’ll have to pay for everything on your own. Through an attorney, you have a good chance of getting a generous settlement for your illness. Most mesothelioma cases have settled out of court for between $1 million and $2 million, but compensation is often much higher when a case goes to trial.
In addition to covering your medical and household bills in case you aren’t working, getting a settlement will ensure you can provide financial support for your dependents now and in the future, even after you pass. It’s an important factor to consider if you have children or aging parents as dependents.
Don’t wait any longer if you have yet to talk to a lawyer. Get a consultation as soon as possible. If your case is strong, an attorney will advise you on what steps you can take and how much your case is potentially worth.
Mesothelioma spreads fast, so start treatment as soon as possible and get the ball rolling with a lawsuit so you can recover the compensation you deserve.
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