First Steps After Injury

Getting injured can turn your life upside down and, depending on the severity of the injury, it can be a struggle to get back to normal. Protecting your legal rights is not usually the first thing you think of in the days following an injury. However, following some simple steps can save a substantial amount of time and effort if you later decide to sue someone for your injuries.

FindLaw's First Steps After an Injury section provides information about what you should do after you have suffered an injury. In this section you can find articles about how to obtain and use a police report, what to expect during your first meeting with an attorney, and what type of evidence to collect depending on your injury.

How Do I Prove My Asbestos Case?

If you're thinking of contacting the mesothelioma trial attorneys at The Williams Law Firm, P.C., in New York City, you might wonder if you have enough information to prove your asbestos exposure.

You shouldn't worry.

The number one way that you can be helpful to our attorneys after your mesothelioma diagnosis is to remember in detail the jobs you had, the places you lived and worked, and the people you've known who may have come into contact with asbestos that settled in their bronchiole passages or lungs.

Then, our asbestos attorneys will dig further into your case to connect the dots between asbestos and your illness.

The video posted here is but one example of how we can build a successful mesothelioma lawsuit after a victim shares his life story.

Asbestos Lawsuit Tips

From narcotic pain medications to accommodations at home that will make life with cancer more manageable, fighting mesothelioma will be costly. But there are resources to help offset those expenses.

Here are three other things to keep in mind as you consider undertaking an asbestos exposure lawsuit after your "meso" diagnosis:

• Number One: You'll need to establish how you were exposed to asbestos.
• Number Two: Determining the cause of your asbestos exposure really just means recalling your life events.
• Number Three: Your life story is memorialized in the form of a deposition, which means the mesothelioma victim may never need to appear in court.

Bankruptcy Law in New York, Nationwide and Asbestos Cases

Despite the fact that many asbestos companies and employers responsible for asbestos exposures have filed for bankruptcy protection, the law in New York and nationwide still enables victims with proven asbestos-related illnesses to seek assistance with medical expenses from those bankruptcy trusts.

Here, New York asbestos lawyer Joseph Williams of The Williams Law Firm, P.C. talks about how to make a claim to an asbestos bankruptcy trust. He explains that all trusts have stipulations for making claims, such as requiring proof that the victim a) is truly sick with an asbestos-related disease, and b) was exposed to asbestos while on the job.

The good news is that bankruptcy law has required asbestos companies in New York and nationwide to set aside $30 billion in trust funds for victims of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

Risk Factors for Developing Mesothelioma

There is only one risk factor for developing mesothelioma and that is exposure to asbestos. However, you needn’t have been exposed to asbestos recently to be at risk for developing mesothelioma. This deadly form of cancer can remain dormant for decades and often only becomes known when untreatable symptoms occur.

Are You at Risk?

There are a number of occupations with asbestos exposure risks including:

• Construction and building trades
• Plumbing
• Oil and gas
• Textile
• Shipyards, ship building, including naval
• Automotive
• Aerospace

If you have worked in one of these industries, even if it was years ago, it is important to bring symptoms of mesothelioma to the immediate attention of your physician.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Symptoms of mesothelioma may include dry cough with or without blood, shortness of breath, chest pain, loss of appetite, and sudden weight loss. There is no cure for mesothelioma, but many treatments can improve comfort and quality of life.

Early detection is important for proper treatment. If you have worked in an occupation with asbestos exposure risks, it is a good idea to visit your physician for regular examinations. If you are diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, it is important that you talk to New York mesothelioma lawyer Joseph Williams right away to learn how you can secure the compensation you deserve.

What’s an Asbestos Trust, and How Could It Affect My Case?

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill this month that could reduce the number of fraudulent asbestos exposure lawsuits, safeguarding funds so only real victims can benefit. If you’re pursuing a case against an employer or company for exposing you to this dangerous industrial mineral, New York asbestos attorney Joseph P. Williams and his team can help you get the compensation you deserve.

Companies establish asbestos trusts to compensate employees who have been diagnosed with conditions tied to asbestos exposure, such as mesothelioma. If the company you name in your case has one of these trust funds set up, your New York asbestos attorney will help you collect the information you need to substantiate your claim, such as: 

• Details about your medical history, specifically diagnosis of conditions tied to asbestos
• Treatment you’ve undergone for asbestos-linked conditions
• Employment history establishing that you worked for the company named in your case and your job exposed you to asbestos

You can still pursue a case against a company whether it’s operational or not. Companies create asbestos trusts for past, present and future victims of mesothelioma and other asbestos-linked conditions, meaning you and your family can seek compensation even if your former employer has closed, merged with another corporation or gone bankrupt.

How Doctors Diagnose Mesothelioma

Few things are more traumatic than a cancer diagnosis, especially when the illness is a result of unhealthy, dangerous working conditions. If you live in or around New York and work with materials containing asbestos, it’s important to consult a mesothelioma attorney, like those at The Williams Law Firm, P.C., as soon as your health will allow.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium, a protective lining that surrounds internal organs in the chest and abdomen. The only way to develop mesothelioma is through exposure to asbestos, a durable, inexpensive fiber-like mineral used in many industries despite the health risks posed to workers.

To determine whether or not you have mesothelioma, your doctor will conduct a variety of tests, including:

•  A physical exam
• Asking you questions about your medical history, especially any risk factors you have for exposure to asbestos
• Chest X-ray
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a full body scan that produces detailed images of soft tissue
• Drawing blood, fluid and/or tissue samples
•  A surgical biopsy, if your doctor finds evidence of a tumor

Mesothelioma Survival Rates Higher Among Women

 review of 14,228 cases of mesothelioma conducted by researchers from Mount Sinai Health System and Hofstra School of Medicine in New York found that the average five-year survival rate for women with mesothelioma was more than twice as high for women as for men. This proved true even after factors such as race, age, and stage of mesothelioma development were taken into account.

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have discovered the gender-specific genetic mutations that seem to give women with mesothelioma a higher chance of survival. It is the hope of these researchers that this new understanding could point towards treatments that will help men diagnosed with mesothelioma live a longer and more satisfying life.

To develop treatments, researchers are now looking at gender-specific gene mutations at the molecular level. Measuring healthy tissue against the genome sequencing profile of mesothelioma tumors from the same patients, this most recent study identified some of the gender and histology mechanisms that drive mesothelioma including:

• Female mesothelioma patients have twice as many mutations of the TP53 gene
• CDKN2A protein coding gene mutations are more frequent in men with non-epithelioid subtypes of mesothelioma
• BAP1 gene expression in non-epithelioid tumors is higher in women with mesothelioma

These specific mutations are valuable to researchers due to their potential for the development of more effectivemesothelioma treatments.

Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma Treatment

After mesothelioma diagnosis, your oncologist will determine the stage of the cancer and recommend amesothelioma treatment plan, which is important to review with your family and caregivers. Like other cancers, mesothelioma is generally categorized by stages ranging from I to IV; stage I is localized to a single part of the body, while stage IV is considered advanced and extensively spread.

Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, there are treatments that can extend and improve patients’ lives. The best treatment for you will depend on a number of factors, including the stage of mesothelioma, your age and your general health. Treatment may include a combination of the surgical removal of tumors, chemotherapy, radiation and medication.

Diagnosing Mesothelioma

Actual diagnosis of mesothelioma is determined with a tissue biopsy, although doctors employ various techniques to rule out other medical conditions and determine the location and extent of the cancer when mesothelioma is present.

Assessment for mesothelioma typically begins much like standard medical evaluations. Your general physician or oncologist will review your medical history, discuss your occupational exposure or second-hand exposure to asbestos, and conduct a thorough physical examination.

This will be followed with other diagnostic procedures that may include a blood test to check your levels of osteopontin and soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRPs). Osteopontin is a type of protein that is most prominent in bones and teeth, and SMRPs are types of molecules that can bond to amino acids; elevated levels of osteopontin and SMRPs are common among mesothelioma victims.

Your doctor may also conduct pulmonary testing to evaluate your lung function, as well as employ X-rays, computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) to pinpoint the presence of tumors and fluid accumulation. Depending on the type of physician who conducted your diagnosis, you may be referred to an oncologist who specializes in mesothelioma for further testing and treatment.