If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma in St. Petersburg, FL, it’s important to understand your legal rights. You may be entitled to financial compensation due to asbestos exposure.
An experienced St. Petersburg mesothelioma lawyer at Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys can help you prove that you deserve compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering.
Our lawyers have over 25 years of combined experience fighting to protect injured clients and their families. We’ve succeeded in recovering millions of dollars for settlements and verdicts in cases like St. Petersburg product liability, catastrophic injuries, medical malpractice, wrongful death, premises liability, and more.
It only takes a phone call to get the legal advice you deserve. Contact our law offices in St. Petersburg, Florida by calling (727) 933-0015 to schedule your free consultation today.
How Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys Can Help If I Have Been Diagnosed With Mesothelioma in St. Petersburg, FL
Being diagnosed with mesothelioma can be devastating. It can be even more devastating to learn that the parties responsible for your disease knew about the risk and did nothing to stop the danger. You deserve justice.
You’ve probably heard that settlement funds have already been established for victims of asbestos exposure. While that’s true, it doesn’t mean that recovering fair compensation will be easy. The defense attorneys will fight you every step of the way. That makes it extremely important to hire an experienced St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer.
When you hire Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys, you’ll benefit from a team of lawyers with a proven track record of success. Our lawyers have been listed as Top 40 under 40 in Personal Injury Law and America’s Top Attorneys.
Our team can help with your case by:
- Investigating and gathering evidence to prove you were exposed to asbestos
- Hiring experts who can testify on your behalf
- Calculating how much your personal injury case is worth
- Documenting your losses and demanding fair compensation
- Negotiating with the defense lawyers on your behalf
If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, take legal action today. Contact our St. Petersburg personal injury attorneys for a free case evaluation.
What Is Mesothelioma?
Your body’s internal organs are covered by a thin layer of tissue called the mesothelium. Mesothelioma is the name for a rare type of cancer that occurs in the mesothelium. Unfortunately, it is also an aggressive type of cancer, and there is no absolute cure.
Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of the disease. When asbestos is inhaled into the body, a person can develop mesothelioma in the tissue surrounding the lungs, chest, heart, or abdomen.
Although the EPA banned the use of asbestos in the United States decades ago, exposure to asbestos was once extremely common. If you have developed mesothelioma, it’s highly likely that you were exposed to asbestos for a prolonged period of time.
Examples of the types of products that once contained asbestos include:
- Building materials, including drywall and insulation for ceilings, attics, and walls
- Insulation for pipes
- Floor tiles and flooring felt
- Corrugated and commercial paper
- Roofing materials and shingles
- Vehicle brakes and clutches
- Ordinary household items, including crock pots and hair dryers
Typically, dangerous asbestos exposure occurs when the products containing asbestos are moved or disturbed. Many people are exposed during building demolition, remodeling, or even home repairs.
Our Attorneys Handle All Types of Mesothelioma Cases in St. Petersburg, FL
There are three primary types of mesothelioma, depending on which organs are impacted by asbestos exposure.
Our asbestos attorneys at Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys handle claims involving:
- Pleural mesothelioma
- Pericardial mesothelioma
- Peritoneal mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma.
What is Pleural Mesothelioma?
Pleural mesothelioma is caused by asbestos fibers that become trapped between the inner and outer layers of the lung tissue. When the lungs are functioning properly, fluid is produced to lubricate these tissues during breathing.
Cancer causes abnormal cell division. When mesothelioma develops in the lung tissue, that increased cell division causes an excess of fluid to accumulate within these layers. This excess fluid production is called pleural effusion.
The three types of pleural mesothelioma include:
- Epithelioid mesothelioma, which is the most common type
- Sarcomatoid mesothelioma
- Biphasic mesothelioma
Treatment for pleural mesothelioma can increase the patient’s life expectancy. Unfortunately, however, this type of lung cancer is usually not curable.
What is Peritoneal Mesothelioma?
Peritoneal mesothelioma is mesothelioma that occurs in the tissue surrounding the abdomen. The mesothelioma also increases cell development, which, in turn, causes excess fluid to develop between the layers of the mesothelium.
The excess fluid creates abnormal pressure on the internal organs.
What is Pericardial Mesothelioma?
Pericardial mesothelioma is mesothelioma that occurs in the thin membrane surrounding the heart. Pericardial mesothelioma is very rare and difficult to diagnose.
Because it is often caught so late, the patient’s prognosis is often much worse than those who suffer from more common types of the disease.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Mesothelioma?
Catching mesothelioma early is the key to maximizing the patient’s life expectancy. The symptoms of the disease will depend on the area of the body that is impacted.
Common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma in the lungs include:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- A dry cough
- Lumps in the chest
- Night sweats
- Coughing up blood
Common signs of peritoneal mesothelioma in the abdomen include:
- Lumps in the abdominal region
- Ongoing pain in the abdomen
- An enlarged or tender abdomen
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Unexplained loss of appetite and weight loss
- Changes in bowel movements
Signs and symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma include:
- Chest pain
- Irregular heartbeat
- Chest palpitations
- Dry cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Heart murmurs
Seeking medical attention is the only way to know for sure whether you are experiencing symptoms of mesothelioma. After you receive the medical care you need, contact our lawyers in St. Petersburg to explore your legal options.
How Do I Prove That My Mesothelioma Was Caused By Asbestos Exposure?
Asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma. Unfortunately, it’s now clear that companies that used and profited from asbestos knew of the risk. It’s also been established that asbestos is a dangerous carcinogen.
That means you won’t have to prove negligence to recover compensation from the companies that allowed your asbestos exposure to occur. Instead, our lawyers will carefully evaluate your history to prove that you were exposed to asbestos for a prolonged period of time.
Many people were exposed to asbestos at school, work, or while living in apartment complexes.
Our lawyers will gather evidence about:
- The specific location where the asbestos exposure occurred
- The time frame you were present at the location
- The business owner that was responsible for the exposure
Mesothelioma can take decades to develop. That can make establishing liability challenging. Businesses may have been transferred to third parties over time. Most business owners have taken steps to remove any asbestos from the premises.
Our St. Petersburg mesothelioma attorneys are well-equipped to handle these challenging cases. We’ll interview witnesses, review your medical records, and carefully evaluate the business in question. Just call our personal injury law firm to schedule your free case review to get started.
What Types of Damages Can I Recover By Filing a Mesothelioma Lawsuit?
Like any car accident victim, you can recover damages for your economic and non-economic losses.
In a successful mesothelioma lawsuit, you may seek compensation for:
- Past medical expenses
- The cost of future medical care
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning potential
- Specialized therapies
- Nursing care
- In-home assistance
- Reduced life expectancy
- Pain and suffering
- Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Damages for wrongful death
Although it’s been proven that asbestos exposure can lead to lung disease, you’ll still have to document and prove the specific losses you’ve suffered. Major corporations that used asbestos now have teams of lawyers working to diminish their financial exposure. That can make it difficult to recover fair compensation even if you can clearly prove that they were responsible.
An experienced attorney can help. For help fighting for the fair compensation you deserve, call Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys today. Our lawyers in St. Petersburg are always available to discuss your case.
How Long Do I Have To File a Lawsuit If I Contracted Mesothelioma in Florida?
Under Florida law, you typically have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (as of March 24, 2023 — prior to that date, you had four years to take legal action).
In your typical personal injury case, the two-year clock starts to run on the date an accident and injury occurs. In cases involving mesothelioma and asbestos exposure, however, the clock begins to run on the date you were diagnosed or reasonably should have discovered your diagnosis.
If you wait too long, you could lose your right to seek compensation. That means it’s always a good idea to speak with an experienced attorney quickly after your diagnosis.
Call a St. Petersburg Mesothelioma Lawyer for a Free Initial Consultation
Most victims of asbestos exposure have questions about their legal options. If you have recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys today. An experienced St. Petersburg mesothelioma lawyer can help you fight to recover full financial compensation.