Friday, April 11, 2008

Where to Find Asbestos Attorneys

Asbestos attorneys help victims of asbestos exposure get a compensation amount to take care of their medical expenditures and rehabilitation. It is imperative that you find the right attorney. Finding the right asbestos attorneys can be difficult because of the large number of attorney advertisements that you see everyday.

Attorneys can be found through bar associations, yellow pages, Internet, and law directories such as the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, available in most public libraries. Many law firms have their own websites. You can find a number of agencies online who can help you locate an experienced and qualified asbestos attorney. They also provide you with lots of current information about asbestos cancer, including its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. There are many online resources that help you find legal information on asbestos cases.

It is advisable that you gather as much information as possible before you select an attorney. Having all of the information available will help you select the best attorney. You can also seek the help of legal helpers to find the best asbestos attorneys. These professionals help you find the best attorney that that you can afford. They often have a long list of attorneys of all types, experience, and cost levels.

There are even statewide and nationwide networks of attorneys who specialize in asbestos lawsuits. Advertisements are even broadcasted through television and radio. These advertisements can often be misleading. Experience of these advertised lawyers are often overstated. Many of these lawyers may not have offices in the state where you live. A reliable approach is to contact a trusted attorney who can give reference to a good asbestos attorney.

Asbestos Attorneys provides detailed information on Asbestos Attorneys, Asbestos Cancer Attorneys, Asbestos Litigation Attourneys, Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys and more. Asbestos Attorneys is affiliated with Asbestos Trial Lawyers.

Labels: , , , ,

Monday, March 17, 2008

Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, commonly linked with prior exposure to asbestos. In this disease, cancerous cells grow in the protective lining (mesothelium) covering the internal organs of the body. This disease is commonly located in the outer lining of the chest cavity and lungs (pleura). It can also be found in the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum), or the sac that envelops the heart (pericardium). People who contract this disease have invariably worked on jobs that put them in close contact with asbestos.

One of the characteristics of mesothelioma is that symptoms can appear very late, sometimes 50 years following first contact with asbestos. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma, the disease?s most common form, include discomfort in the chest and difficulty in breathing. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma, another form of the disease, include weight loss, abdominal swelling and pain. Blood clotting, bowel obstruction and fever are other symptoms of this type of mesothelioma. If the malignancy has spread to other body parts, then symptoms may include pain, face swelling and difficulty in swallowing food. However, it is important to remember that these symptoms are not exclusive to this disease; they can happen with other less severe conditions as well.

Over the past two decades, the rate of mesothelioma cases has gone up. Still, in the larger picture, it is a relatively rare cancer. The percentage of cases largely depends on the populations? exposure to asbestos. In the United States, it has been reported that that frequency may have hit the highest point at 15 per million in 2004. This trend is thought to continue in other parts of the world. Interestingly, mesothelioma is more common in men than women. The risk of this disease augments with age, but a person of any age or gender can be affected. About one-fifth to one-third of all mesothelioma cases are peritoneal.

Mesothelioma Asbestos provides detailed information on Mesothelioma and Asbestos, Mesothelioma Asbestos Diseases, Mesothelioma Asbestos Treatment, Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer and more. Mesothelioma Asbestos is affiliated with Mesothelioma Diagnosis Support

Labels: , , , , ,

Monday, November 26, 2007

The Asbestos Disaster - Who Is To Blame

The ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians were all aware of the health dangers of asbestos. It seems strange that the asbestos industry in many parts of the world chose to ignore the risks.

Even if the ancient wisdom had been lost, insurance companies were refusing to insure asbestos workers, or charging higher premiums for them by the 1920's. 50 Years later some companies in the asbestos industry were still doing nothing to protect their workers.

To be fair, the workers themselves had the same access to information as the companies, so must also take responsibility for their actions in deciding to work in a dangerous industry. In many respects that decision was similar to the decision that many people still take on a daily basis today - to smoke a cigarette. The apparent benefit of taking home a pay check overrode the distant possibility of death for those workers and their families, just as the immediate pleasure of a cigarette does for smokers today.

Having said that, I believe that the employers have a duty to ensure that their workers are in as safe an environment as possible, and that they are aware of the risks, so that if they decide to work there, they are making an informed decision. Clearly this did not always happen, and as a result the industry is going through a series of lawsuits, where people who have become ill are suing for compensation. Many companies around the world have already gone bankrupt as a result of this, and the process appears to be continuing. In the US there is legislation proposed to pay compensation from a central fund, but this proposal seems unlikely to succeed because of the level of agreement that will be required on how the money in the fund will be collected.

Both workers and employers in all types of business would do well to reflect on this sorry saga where no-one with the possible exception of a few lawyers, will ever feel that the decision to either work in, or employ people in a dangerous environment, was justified.

Tony McGlinn

The asbestos site makes it easy to find the information you need if you think you may have been exposed to asbestos. To receive your free 35 page support guide visit the asbestos education website http://www.asbestosabc.com.

Labels: , , , , , , ,