Mesothelioma is a chronic disease linked to exposure to asbestos, most often affecting the lungs but also the stomach lining, heart, and in rare cases, testicles. If your exposure to asbestos led to a mesothelioma diagnosis resulting from documented exposure in a work environment or to asbestos products, you may be eligible for mesothelioma compensation. The next step is to determine your eligibility.
Determining eligibility is not straightforward, and individuals often become discouraged before the process is complete. It takes knowledge of the legal system, time to gather the documentation, and persistence to ensure your case does not fall through the cracks. When you work with Shelly Leeke Law Firm, a trusted mesothelioma attorney in South Carolina, you can be assured that your injury claim is researched to ensure the most successful outcome.
Determining Your Exposure
A mesothelioma diagnosis will often occur decades after exposure, so determining the extent of your exposure will take great recollection of your work history or products that you may have used that increased your risk of coming in contact with asbestos. When a diagnosis occurs, and you decide to pursue compensation, you must dig through your past and begin the excavation or discovery process. A South Carolina mesothelioma lawyer will have vast experience in documenting these cases.
Because of the extended dormancy period that mesothelioma can have, you may have been exposed to asbestos at multiple points throughout your life. It can take mesothelioma an average of 30 to 50 years to begin presenting symptoms, so you may not initially connect the diagnosis to asbestos exposure. And this type of diagnosis can leave you unsure of where to turn.
Particular work environments may have led to your exposure. And this exposure can occur anywhere. Recognizing these sources can better help you determine if you were exposed to asbestos and how long the exposure occurred.
Eligibility for Compensation
The use of asbestos did not even begin to slow until the 1970s, so the diagnosis of many mesothelioma cases from that exposure is happening now. To make matters worse, many companies and manufacturers started becoming aware of the dangers that asbestos caused but continued to allow its use, never informing their employees of the risks. Anyone that develops mesothelioma from documented asbestos exposure is eligible for compensation.
Unfortunately, some individuals received a mesothelioma diagnosis and died from the disease without ever benefiting from the financial help they could have received. When this happens, family members are eligible for that compensation. There may be multiple sources of compensation for a victim and their family, but it has to be determined when, where, and to what extent the exposure took place to attribute the diagnosis to that exposure and what forms of compensation you or the victim’s family qualifies for.
Exposure Increasing the Potential for Mesothelioma Compensation
South Carolina has had many industries that extensively use asbestos. What jobs or trades could have increased your potential for exposure?
Military Veterans
Veterans serving from the 1930s to the 1980s have a higher risk of asbestos exposure. Because of its resistance to fire and heat, availability, and affordability, asbestos was the perfect mineral for military applications. South Carolina is home to multiple branches of the military, with their use of asbestos being particular to their work and need.
Your service may have been performed at a location out of state, but a South Carolina mesothelioma attorney can still assist you with your claim.
- Air Force: The construction materials for planes were a source of asbestos exposure, particularly in their insulations, engines, and brakes, especially to mechanics
- Army: Barracks, vehicles, and planes contained asbestos products
- Marines: Ships, barracks, and vehicles used by the Marines contained asbestos
- Navy: The Navy used asbestos in multiple applications for shipbuilding, such as turbines, pipes, and boilers
Service members cannot sue the government for compensation for their injuries by law. Multiple trusts, VA assistance funds, and governmental programs provide options for veterans, particularly if their service led to the development of mesothelioma or other forms of cancer. The dedicated practice of Shelly Leeke Law Firm gladly assists veterans and military families.
Shipyard Workers
The construction, maintenance, and repair of ships, including the boilers, posed an asbestos risk. Even employees involved in the handling of shipping materials risk exposure, as some packing materials and crates contain asbestos.
Auto Mechanics
Regulation of asbestos use in automobile parts was not adequately addressed until the 1980s, and asbestos components continued to be used by some companies until the early 1990s. Hood liners, brakes, clutches, seals, gaskets, and valves all were points of asbestos exposure and may still be found in aftermarket parts.
Power Plant Workers
Workers in power plants from the 1930s to the 1980s have an increased risk of exposure, leading to the possible development of an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma. Products such as coatings on wires and cables, sealants, paints, glues, and fireproofing materials commonly contain asbestos.
Construction Workers
Handling materials like flooring, roofing materials, and vinyl products increases the risk of developing disease. Flame retardants in these products were a source of exposure that can lead to a mesothelioma diagnosis.
Product Manufacturers
If you have worked in the manufacturing industry, your chances of exposure increase. This service industry covers a tremendous amount of the labor force, with the CDC noting approximately 70% of asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, are a direct result of work environments.
Lesser-Known Causes of Exposure
The list of potential exposure points to asbestos is monumental. However, other sources may not come to mind as quickly. It bears repeating that anyone that has developed mesothelioma should speak with a mesothelioma lawyer in South Carolina to discuss compensation. A diagnosis stemming from confirmed exposure makes you eligible for mesothelioma compensation, and client testimonials will show that our firm will work tirelessly to present that documentation as evidence of your right to compensation.
Older Homes
Older homes are a source of beauty and history. But their components may have asbestos lurking in them. Insulations, sidings, and roofing shingles are just a few of the products that contain asbestos because of its fire-deterring properties. Living in a home exposed to these materials for years, particularly when they become damaged or worn, can increase your chances of developing an asbestos-related disease.
Second-Hand Exposure
Small asbestos particles can cling to clothing and the human body, transferring to the places they are carried. Laundry hampers, washing machines, and areas where soiled work clothes are kept raise disease risk. Commercial laundering services providing uniform pickup and cleaning are also a means of asbestos exposure.
Household Items
Everyday household items may have presented or still present a risk of exposure. Wallpapers, carpeting, curtains, and upholsteries have been documented as containing asbestos.
South Carolina Mesothelioma Compensation Support
It can be staggering to think of the many ways we have all been exposed to asbestos products linked to dire health diagnoses such as mesothelioma. Incurable diseases require maintenance and treatment for the remainder of your life, which can produce insurmountable medical debt.
It can be comforting to work with a team like the Shelly Leeke Law Firm that has witnessed the devastation of mesothelioma and worked relentlessly with respect and compassion to assist mesothelioma victims and their families in securing financial assistance. We want you to thrive and enjoy life, even after a mesothelioma diagnosis. Let us help you finalize a plan to beat the industry that has injured dedicated workers through negligence.
