Mesothelioma diagnosis may require legal diagnosis

Most people in North Carolina are aware that asbestos can cause several serious diseases, including mesothelioma (a deadly form of lung cancer) and asbestosis. Yet people are surprised to learn that asbestos that was installed in buildings many decades ago is still causing these diseases and that people who have been exposed to asbestos may have a viable legal claim for damages for pain and suffering and medical expenses.

Asbestos-related diseases can take as long as 30 to 40 years to cause observable symptoms, such as persistent coughing or shortness of breath. Anyone suffering from these symptoms should obtain a competent medical diagnosis to determine if the symptoms are caused by asbestos. If the diagnosis is affirmative, the person may wish to seek legal advice on whether damages may be recovered.

The key to recovering damages for exposure to asbestos is to first determine the kind of asbestos-containing products to which the victim may have been exposed. Such a determination requires an identification of the kind of work the victim performed and the sites where he (or she) worked. The next step is the hardest: identifying the manufacturers of the asbestos-containing products used in those sites. The most common kinds of asbestos-containing products are pipe insulation, pipe gaskets, brake shoes and shingles and other kinds of construction materials.

The best way to determine whether the visit has a claim for damages to seek the advice of a firm that specializes in such cases. Wallace and Graham, a law firm in Rowan, has successfully handled many such cases in the last twenty years. The firms keeps comprehensive records on all known asbestos-containing products and the manufacturers of those products. Lawyers at the firm can provide a helpful evaluation of a person’s employment history, probable causes of asbestos product exposure and an estimate of the chances of recovering damages from the parties at fault for the exposure.