Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York Mesothelioma and Personal Injury Attorney

Asbestos is a mineral fiber formerly used among manufacturers and builders because of its resistance to heat, electricity, and chemical damage, as well as its sound absorption properties and durability. When inhaled, microscopic asbestos fibers can bypass the body's natural defenses and work their way deep into the lungs. There, the fibers accumulate and irritate the lung tissue, which often leads to the development of asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma and asbestosis.

At the Locks Law Firm, a Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York mesothelioma and personal injury attorney can help you and your family obtain compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering if you or a family member has this terrible disease. Our personal injury lawyers have obtained multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of clients throughout the tri-state area. If you have been exposed to asbestos, contact a mesothelioma and catastrophic personal injury attorney at Locks Law Firm today.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma

• Asbestos Exposure
• Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Diseases

Asbestos Exposure

People can be exposed to asbestos in their workplace, their communities, and even their homes. Occupational exposure to asbestos is most common in the construction industry, particularly during the removal of asbestos-containing materials during renovation or demolition. Additionally, factory workers and others are frequently exposed to asbestos fibers during the manufacture of asbestos products (such as textiles, friction products, insulation, and other building materials), and mechanics can suffer exposure during automotive brake and clutch repair work.

Additionally, many victims are diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases even though they never directly participated in activities that might have exposed them to asbestos. According to a recent study detailed in Environmental Health Perspectives, people who don't work with asbestos can still suffer asbestos-related lung abnormalities. The Environmental Protection Agency found that asbestos released from mining or manufacturing operations may pose health threats to entire communities. For example, the population of the mining city Libby, Montana had a 6.7 percent chance of having pleural abnormalities – the highest incidence to date among people who don't work with asbestos.

Although most products manufactured today do not contain asbestos, from the beginning of the twentieth century until the 1970s many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes contained the dangerous mineral. These products include steam pipes, boilers, furnace ducts, textured paints and patching compounds, floor tiles, cement roofing, shingles, siding, and walls around wood-burning stoves. Those few products which today still contain asbestos are required to be labeled as such.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey mesothelioma and personal injury attorney today and schedule a free consultation.

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Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Diseases

Asbestos can cause an array of diseases that result in irreversible lung damage and, often, death. The most common diseases linked to asbestos exposure are:

• Malignant Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibers which affects the thin membranes of the abdomen and chest. Malignant mesothelioma is almost always a fatal, and the average time of survival after diagnosis is 11 months.
• Asbestosis. Asbestosis is a non-malignant asbestos-related disease that causes scarring of the lung tissue.
• Asbestos Lung Cancer. Asbestos lung cancer can start in the lining of the bronchi (the tubes into which the trachea divides), the trachea, the bronchioles (small branches of the bronchi), or the alveoli (air sacs of the lungs). Although asbestos lung cancer usually develops slowly, once it occurs, cancer cells can spread quickly to other parts of the body.
• Asbestos Pleural Disease. Asbestos pleural disease is a non-malignant disease that causes functional impairment of the lungs by decreasing the lungs' volume and rate of gas exchange.

Asbestos exposure can also cause cancer of the digestive tract, colon, larynx, esophagus, and kidneys, as well as some types of lymphoma. Typically the symptoms of these diseases do not appear until many years after exposure to the dangerous fibers occurred. If you or a loved one has contracted an asbestos-related disease, contact the Locks Law Firm. With offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, a mesothelioma and personal injury attorney at our firm can help you obtain just compensation.

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Client Story: Lisa

Mike Leh of the Locks Law Firm, working with Steve Nolan of Towson, Maryland, represented Lisa, a 33-year-old mother diagnosed with mesothelioma. Lisa never worked in the asbestos industry; she was exposed as an eight-year-old when watching her father refinish the basement.

Her father was applying Georgia Pacific Ready-Mix joint compound to finish the walls and ceiling of the family rec room. The product contained 3 percent chrysotile asbestos. Despite the short duration of the exposure, Lisa was diagnosed with mesothelioma 25 years later.

After a lengthy trial, the jury awarded Lisa and her family $9,188,000 for lost wages, medical expenses, loss of consortium, and pain and suffering. Georgia Pacific's appeals were unsuccessful and the case was eventually settled. Unfortunately, by that time, Lisa had succumbed to mesothelioma. The settlement was left to her widower and their infant daughter.

Read more client stories.

Contact an Experienced Mesothelioma Attorney

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. At the Locks Law Firm, a Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey mesothelioma and personal injury attorney will fight aggressively to ensure you obtain fair compensation. We have distinguished ourselves as leaders in asbestos litigation and workplace exposure representation.

To schedule a free personal injury or wrongful death consultation, contact the Locks Law Firm. A mesothelioma attorney can help you obtain just compensation for your injuries.

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