Mesothelioma Cancer Overview | Experienced Lawyers Here to Help

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Weitz & Luxenberg has 30 years of experience in mesothelioma law, helping families receive justice. For those clients diagnosed with this devastating disease, our experience and results are a tremendous benefit.*

1. How We Can Help 2. Mesothelioma Overview 3. Who Is Affected 4. Why Choose Us

A mesothelioma diagnosis can be overwhelming; especially with looming medical expenses and the frustration of knowing the disease could be traced to asbestos exposure from your job. A trusted and experienced lawyer can help victims of asbestos-related diseases and their loved ones receive the justice they deserve.

Few law firms are more respected in the field of asbestos litigation than Weitz & Luxenberg. Our firm stands behind victims of asbestos exposure, helping them through a confusing and difficult time. We prize personal client relationships and handle the majority of the legal burden, so victims of asbestos exposure can focus on their health and loved ones.

With 30 years experience in asbestos litigation, we provide compassionate, skilled representation to victims of asbestos exposure.

Our firm has handled more than 33,000 asbestos cases, taking on about 500 cases each year from clients nationwide.

A powerful legal engine, we offer a virtual army of nearly 500 dedicated lawyers, paralegals and support professionals, many focused solely on asbestos cases.

In Verdicts and Settlements We Have Won for Our Clients

Charles M. Ferguson, Esq., has been fighting for asbestos victims rights for more than 25 years. He joined Weitz & Luxenberg in 1989 as an associate attorney in our Asbestos Litigation group, and now he helps manage the firms asbestos practice. Get In Contact >

Named a New York Super Lawyer, Jerry Kristal is the managing attorney of our firms New Jersey office, and he plays an active role in our asbestos cases. Some of the verdicts he has obtained are among the highest against U.S. asbestos defendants. Get In Contact >

Need help finding an attorney? Call our 24/7 Confidential hotline now!

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that forms on protective linings of the chest, the abdomen, the heart and the testicles.1 Many of the 3,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year can be traced to job-related asbestos exposure.2 3

Mesothelioma takes anywhere from 10 to 50 years to develop. Unfortunately, there is no cure for mesothelioma, and the risk of developing the deadly cancer does not diminish over time, even after the exposure to asbestos ends.3

Mesothelioma Patients Diagnosed Each Year

Minimum Time Period After Asbestos Exposure for Mesothelioma to Appear

Mesothelioma Cases Start in the Chest

Average Age at the Time of Diagnosis

Asbestos fibers can affect anyone who inhales them.

By the time symptoms of mesothelioma surface and an oncologist can make a definitive diagnosis, the disease is often advanced. Thats because people may mistake the early symptoms of mesothelioma, such as pain, weight loss, or fever, for common ailments.6

Mesothelioma can be very hard to treat regardless of the stage of the cancer. Doctors typically turn to four types of standard treatment: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Clinical trials are testing new types of treatment, such as biologic therapy.7

Pleural mesothelioma affects the thin lining of the lungs and is the most common type of the disease, accounting for about three out of four or 75 percent of diagnoses.1

Peritoneal mesothelioma, the second most common type of mesothelioma, forms on the lining of the abdominal cavity and can result from coughing up and swallowing inhaled asbestos fibers.8

Pericardial mesothelioma begins in the covering around the heart. It is a very rare form of the disease, making up only 2 to 5 percent of newly diagnosed cases each year.9

Testicular mesothelioma is a cancer of the membrane lining that covers the testicles. Only about 100 cases have been reported in medical literature, and the disease is difficult to diagnose because of its rarity.10

If you or a family member feel that they may have been affected by Mesothelioma, feel free to contact us, so that we can fight for you.

Weitz & Luxenberg attorneys advocate for men and women whose lives were ruined or altered by asbestos. Many of them are spouses of someone with mesothelioma, and sometimes they are veterans who encountered asbestos while serving in the U.S. military. Though asbestos use in the U.S. has dropped dramatically in recent decades, asbestos is still present in older homes and buildings, including some schools. Asbestos is also still used in products such as automobile brakes and roofing materials.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has estimated that more than one million employees in construction and general industries face significant asbestos exposure on the job. People at risk for asbestos exposure in the workplace include some miners, factory workers, insulation manufacturers and installers, railroad and automotive workers, ship builders, gas mask manufacturers, plumbers, firefighters, and construction workers.1 8 11 12 13

In a historic court victory, Weitz & Luxenberg won a verdict of $75 million on behalf of 36 shipbuilders exposed to asbestos at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the 1940s and 50s.

Many asbestos victims trace their illnesses back to the military. In fact, veterans account for an estimated 30 percent of those diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.

In two separate asbestos cases, Weitz & Luxenberg won $190 million for a group of five boiler company workers and $49 million for a boilermaker who suffered from mesothelioma.

Many auto parts, including brakes and clutches, can release asbestos fibers when they start to break apart or disintegrate due to wear and tear or when they are removed and replaced.

Weitz & Luxenberg won a $35 million verdict on behalf of an asbestos-removal worker who died from complications related to mesothelioma.

Toxic asbestos fibers can collect on clothing, especially in asbestos-heavy work environments. This contaminated clothing can easily pollute the home, placing children and family members at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases.

Weitz & Luxenberg has represented more than 33,000 individuals and families who have been affected by asbestos exposure, giving our firm a deep knowledge of worksites across the U.S.

Our firm investigates each case, tracking down the source of asbestos contact. Because we have worked on so many asbestos cases, were experts at investigating and determining where people were exposed to asbestos, what products they were exposed to and what company is responsible.

The ability to resist corrosion and high temperatures made asbestos a go-to material for building, repairing, and maintaining ships.

Power and chemical plants were rich with asbestos. Employees wore asbestos clothing for protection from heat and chemicals.

With its heat-resistant qualities, asbestos was viewed as ideal for protecting workers and machinery in the metal works industry.

Both commercial and residential construction relied heavily on asbestos products it was on roofs, in tile, and mixed with cement.

Veterans who served in certain occupations may have been exposed to asbestos, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.14

Workers made an estimated 3,000 products using asbestos, and the industrial uses of the material were virtually endless.

Weve developed winning methods to explain to juries the complicated scientific and medical issues involved in your case. Equipped with our unique insight into asbestos companies and lawyers, weve won $8.5 billion in asbestos settlements and litigation.*

In addition to being a pioneer in asbestos litigation, our firm is in the forefront of asbestos legislation, championing laws that protect the rights of current and future asbestos victims.

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Because someone was careless with asbestos and didnt do anything to keep people like my mom safe, I lost her and I lost my older brother both in the same day.My mom was still alive when Read More

Decades have passed since you were first exposed to asbestos, but youre just now dealing with newly diagnosed mesothelioma. You have legal options to seek compensation, but filing a lawsuit with so much elapsed time is hard. Let us help you.Learn More >

You may be entitled to legal compensation. We would be honored to represent you.

With fourdifferent office locations, we successfully represent clients nationwide, handling about 500 cases each year.

Please contact our office at (877) 516-9192 or fill out a form to speak to one of our mesothelioma attorneys.

* While our past record doesnt guarantee future success, it is something you may want to consider when evaluating our experience.

We would feel privileged to assist you. For a free case review, please contact us today