Benign Mesothelioma San Francisco Asbestos Disease Lawyers

Asbestos, Abdominal Mesothelioma and What are Your legal Options

mesothelium

Abdominal mesothelioma, which is also known as peritoneal mesothelioma, is a rather rare type of cancer. Malignant cells are found in the abdominal lining called the mesothelium. The mesothelium is the protective sac that lines several internal organs.

The peritoneum is the specific mesothelioma of the abdomen. It has two types known as parietal and visceral peritoneum. The latter covers the abdominal cavity while the former is found in the intestinal tract's outer layer and covers the internal organs.

The cells of peritoneum secrete a certain fluid which permits the movement of the organs against one another, often touching the surface of the other tissues. These cells are designed to create the fluid but an abnormal reaction by the uncontrollable cell division of malignant cells builds up unnecessary fluids in the abdominal cavity.

Like other types of mesothelioma cancer, abdominal mesothelioma normally occurs among people aged 50 to 70 years old. Maybe because the latency period of the disease needs some decades from the onset of the disease towards its maturation. Which means that the person having the disease possibly does not know that he is becoming ill already.

Common symptoms of abdominal mesothelioma are the following:

- Loss of appetite and consequent weight loss

- Swelling of the abdomen

- Abdominal weakness

- Abdominal and chest pains,

- Shortness of breath and

- Nausea

While there may not be sufficient information as to why asbestos causes abdominal mesothelioma, there are still some explanations to make things a bit clearer. It is widely known that peritoneal mesothelium is caused by asbestos by two main reasons. First, asbestos fiber could either be inhaled or ingested. When it is ingested, the fiber will obviously go down to the peritoneal and will remain there until the body dies. Second, it could be inhaled and pass down to the lymph node towards the abdomen.

Peritoneal mesothelioma therefore is caused by asbestos fiber that drifts in the air. This could be gathered in workplaces, industrial sites and even homes. Before it begins destroying your body, there are certain degrees of exposure that must be met. Asbestos diseases such as that of abdominal mesothelioma is dose-responsive, meaning with large doses come greater risk of contracting a disease.

Peritoneal mesothelioma and asbestos patients are not only entitled to medical attention, legal help are also available. Because these are considered as occupational diseases, companies are often liable for the diseases of their workmen. In this case, the victim is entitled to some compensation.

Normally, people who were exposed to asbestos due to work file their lawsuits. While many o not reach full trial, still plenty of mesothelioma cases are fairly compensated through settlement.

All victims of asbestos exposure due to the negligence of the company they have worked for often have good chances of establishing a strong case. However, there are a few things that must be observed.

For example, certain courts protect certain company from individual lawsuits. In this case, the best thing one can do is to file a case as a class where many complainants are involved. This will establish the case so strongly and would normally yield better compensation.

Also, each state has its own regulations when filing and handling claims involving asbestos. There are time limits and this varies depending on the law being observed in a certain state. Meaning, the best course of action after the diagnosis of the disease, more specifically peritoneal mesothelium, is to seek legal advice right ahead and file the case according to the victim's personal interests and the advices of the attorney or law firm. As we have said partially a while back, some asbestos lawsuits do not reach trail, most of them end up on settlement.

So even if you want to extend your case for a full trial, there could be some variations along the way. For one, settlement could give a fair compensation but of course not as high as with a full trial, which of course is not always guaranteed. Second, settlement is very convenient for both parties since full trial is a very long process and could be very exhausting. If the trial is cut short, both parties do not have to waste time going mulling over the taxing details of a full trial. But the great disadvantage with settlement is that some people feel that the justice wasn't met for the victim. Well, this view will largely depend on the parties involved. It is best to discuss this issue with your asbestos attorney.

If you think you got your disease from working for a company which made use of asbestos materials without practicing protective measures, it is wise that you seek legal counsel and do the best things you can do.