Chicago Mesothelioma Lawyer

Mesothelioma is rare cancer that often goes undetected until too late. The latency period for mesothelioma can be 20-50 years after exposure, so many people don't realize they're at risk until it's too late.

Early detection gives mesothelioma cancer patients more options and better outcomes than later diagnoses. A failure to confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis could signify medical malpractice in the later stages.

The personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC provide free resources and information about asbestos and mesothelioma for those affected by this disease.

Contact a Chicago, Illinois, mesothelioma lawyer at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today for immediate legal advice and schedule a free consultation.

Mesothelioma is a rare and lethal form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure at a workplace or living environment where the material is present.

For many years, manufacturers hid the dangers of asbestos from the public, placing millions at risk of preventable and needless deaths. If you, or a loved one, have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you might not know where to turn for reliable medical and legal advice for your case. So it's important to speak to our top mesothelioma lawyers.

This disease is often fatal, so family members are devastated when they learn that their loved ones have developed mesothelioma due to long-term asbestos exposure.

The Chicago, Illinois personal injury attorneys in the Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC can help you pursue a legal asbestos/mesothelioma lawsuit case, workers' compensation case, and justice that you or a loved one seek to hold these companies accountable for everything you have endured.

To learn more about how our legal team may help, contact our legal team for a free case evaluation with an experienced Chicago mesothelioma attorney with a proven track record representing people and families harmed by asbestos and other personal injuries.

Asbestos Trust Funds

Our law firm is actively involved in the personal injury lawsuits involving talcum powder after a malignant mesothelioma diagnosis. Learn about our talcum powder litigation here.

Asbestos companies have set aside approximately $30 billion to compensate men and women diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases, including cancer. The funds are available by filing a mesothelioma lawsuit.

Our top Chicago personal injury lawyers represent mesothelioma clients in various practice areas throughout the United States and Illinois, including Cook County and Chicago.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Since mesothelioma results from the steady accumulation of asbestos fibers in the lungs, mesothelioma victims can live without symptoms for decades before the disease's onset.

It is common for some people to develop diseases long after leaving the environment exposed to asbestos. Initially, the illness might be mistaken for other common and less severe respiratory illnesses, but mesothelioma symptoms quickly.

The symptoms associated with peritoneal mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma, and other types of mesothelioma cancer include:

• Unexplained weight loss accompanied by fatigue
• Loss of appetite and nausea
• Pain in the chest that does not go away with treatment
• Coughing and shortness of breath
• Lung cancer
• Painful breathing
• Accumulation of fluid surrounding the protective lining of the lungs

If you have ever been exposed to asbestos in the past, you must treat any respiratory symptoms as warnings of a more aggressive form of cancerous cells. Early detection is key to a better chance of survival.

Our mesothelioma attorneys in Chicago, Illinois, have experience with the following industries occupations.

Mesothelioma cases where industrial employees and construction workers are routinely victims of asbestos exposure include:

• Construction workers and excavation
• Shipbuilding
• Power plant work
• Textile factory work
• Glasswork
• Electronics manufacturing
• Steelworking
• Pipefitting
• Firefighting
• Railroad work
• Farming and agriculture
• Chemical plants
• Food processing plant work
• Auto manufacturing and repair
• Aerospace manufacturing
• Insulation installation
• Carpentry
• Machining
• Naval yard work
• Painting

Diagnosing Mesothelioma

The first step in diagnosing mesothelioma is determining if the individual has been exposed to asbestos. If so, the doctor will order one or more tests to look for Mesothelioma cancer cells.

These tests may include:

• Imaging tests – X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans can help the doctor look for tumors in the chest or abdomen.
• Biopsy – The doctor will remove a small tissue sample to be examined under a microscope. Several biopsies can be performed, including needle, thoracoscopy, and laparoscopy.

Once mesothelioma is diagnosed, the doctor will then stage the disease. Staging is a way of describing how far cancer has spread. There are three main stages of mesothelioma:

• Stage I – The asbestos-related disease is confined to one area.
• Stage II – Cancerous cells have spread to nearby tissues or organs.
• Stage III – Cancer has spread to outside the nearby tissues and organs
• Stage IV – Cancer has metastasized (spread to distant parts of the body)

Mesothelioma Prognosis

The survival rate after mesothelioma diagnoses depends on many factors, including the stage of the disease, the type of mesothelioma, and the age and general health of the patient.

Patients with early-stage mesothelioma generally have a better prognosis than those with late-stage disease. The five-year survival rate for patients with early-stage mesothelioma is about 50%. The five-year survival rate for patients with late-stage mesothelioma is less than 10%.

Patients with epithelial mesothelioma tend to have a better prognosis than those with other types of mesothelioma. The five-year survival rate for patients with epithelial mesothelioma is about 50%. The five-year survival rate for patients with different types of mesothelioma is less than 10%.

Getting Treatment for Mesothelioma in Illinois

Thankfully, hospitals and medical facilities today offer specialized treatment for malignant mesothelioma.

It is best to seek an experienced treatment center if you need care. Among the most recognized mesothelioma treatment facilities in the Chicago, Il area (Cook County) is the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, located at 1850 Silver Cross Blvd. in New Lenox.

This center has more than twenty-five years of experience treating people with the disease and offers treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Mesothelioma treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The best treatment option for a patient depends on the stage of the disease, the type of mesothelioma, and the age and general health of the patient.

Surgery is the most common treatment for mesothelioma. There are two types of surgery used to treat mesothelioma:

• Pleurodesis – This surgery is used to treat pleural mesothelioma. In this procedure, the surgeon removes the diseased tissue lining the chest cavity and then fills the space with a substance that helps to prevent fluid from building up again.
• Pleurectomy – This surgery is used to treat pleural mesothelioma. In this procedure, the surgeon removes the diseased tissue lining the chest cavity and some of the healthy tissue surrounding it.

Other State Facilities with Experience in Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Treatment

• University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago
  1740 West Taylor St. Chicago, Illinois 60612
• Decatur Memorial Hospital Cancer Care Institute
  James L. Wade III, MD, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Decatur, Illinois 62526
• Ingalls Memorial Hospital
  Mark F. Kozloff, MD One Ingalls Dr., Harvey, Illinois 60426
• Adventist LaGrange Memorial Hospital
  James E. Hannigan, MD 1325 Memorial Dr., LaGrange, Illinois 60525
• Illinois CancerCare
  Paul A.S. Fishkin, M.D., Srinivas Jujjavarapu, M.D. 8940 N. Wood Sage Rd. Peoria, Illinois 61615-7828
• Carle Cancer Center
  Kendrith M. Rowland, MD 509 W. University Ave. Urbana, Illinois 61801
• Loyola University Chicago Medical Center, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center
  Kathy Albain, MD 2160 S. First Ave. Maywood, Illinois 60153

Similarities Between the Asbestos Industry and Big Tobacco

In the same way that the tobacco industry manipulated scientific research to downplay its products' health risks, asbestos manufacturers hid the risks of long-term asbestos exposure to their goods from the public for decades. It is estimated that as many as 15,000 people die yearly due to asbestos-associated illnesses.

A wrongful death lawsuit can help families move on after their loved one's preventable death. Of these, 3,000 die due to mesothelioma. Families might have grounds to file wrongful death lawsuits against the asbestos manufacturer in these mesothelioma cases.

Military Asbestos Use

Its flame-retardant properties prompted the military's use of asbestos, manufacturing nearly every naval vessel produced in the World War II era in shipyards, jeeps, and other military equipment.

As early as 1920, asbestos manufacturers were aware of the links between their products and asbestos-related illness but continued to produce and sell the goods while withholding knowledge from the public.

By 1970, regulators banned many goods containing the substance. However, since it has a long latency period in the human body, mesothelioma victims can take as much as 50 years to develop cancer following exposure.

Many exposed to asbestos have not become ill until now, leading to a growing need for attorneys for mesothelioma and asbestos litigation. Peritoneal mesothelioma lawyers specialize in resolving cases to compensate victims for past medical bills and future medical expenses.

Chicago Mesothelioma Lawyers Dedicated to Protecting the Legal Rights of Mesothelioma Victims

The asbestos industry comprises powerful and influential corporations with well-paid and experienced legal teams.

For this reason, you must rely on only the best mesothelioma lawyers to bring your case to trial. Every pericardial mesothelioma attorney has access to vital resources needed to ensure you have the best chance of survival, including medical specialists.

In addition, our legal team can communicate on your behalf with Medicare and file paperwork for Social Security Disability benefits.

Have you lost a loved one? Consider working with a mesothelioma lawyer in Chicago from our Illinois law firm who will aggressively seek compensation on your behalf.

Asbestos Exposure Mesothelioma Lawyer FAQs

Below are some frequently asked questions related to mesothelioma lawsuits and legal claims. Our mesothelioma attorneys appreciate that you may have additional questions. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer has answered some of those questions below.

Contact a malignant mesothelioma attorney at (888) 424-5757 or use the contact form to connect with our law offices for additional information.

Our Chicago mesothelioma lawyers provide legal advice during a free consultation for injured victims of asbestos exposure.

Hire a Mesothelioma Lawyer from Our Successful Asbestos Law Offices Specializing in Mesothelioma Lawsuits

Our experienced mesothelioma lawyers cost you nothing upfront. Our law offices operate solely on a contingency fee basis to allow people of all financial backgrounds to access top-quality legal services. If our law firm does not successfully win your asbestos-related injury case, you owe your asbestos attorney nothing.

The Chicago asbestos lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC also represent injured individuals in mesothelioma claims throughout the state and nation.

Contact our Illinois asbestos lawyers today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone call) or through the contact form to schedule a free consultation.

All information shared about your mesothelioma claim with our asbestos lawyers remains confidential through an attorney-client relationship.

Resources:

• OHSA – The Hazards of Asbestos
• CDC – Malignant Mesothelioma