Mesothelioma Lawyer in Virginia

Have you been diagnosed with mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure?

Asbestos was used in many products and industries for decades despite documented evidence of the health risks. Because of this, companies that used this mineral could be held liable for damages caused by asbestos exposure.

The Virginia mesothelioma lawyers at The Law Offices of Peter T. Nicholl have decades of experience obtaining fair compensation for people diagnosed with asbestos-induced mesothelioma. This includes multiple verdicts worth $5 million or more. Our trusted lawyers can handle every aspect of the legal process, allowing you to focus on your treatment. We can review your situation in a free consultation to determine if you may be entitled to compensation for physical, financial and emotional damages. There will not be any fees or costs for representing you unless we obtain compensation.

Fill out a Free Case Evaluation form or call us at 757-397-6424.

What are the Benefits of Working with a Lawyer?

Our attorneys have the experience, knowledge and resources needed to help build a strong case as we pursue fair compensation for your damages.

Our firm has handled many cases involving asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Our Virginia mesothelioma attorneys have fought large companies and insurance companies with high-priced lawyers to obtain the justice and compensation our clients deserve.

We have extensive knowledge of relevant laws, such as the statute of limitations, laws on the use of asbestos, and laws governing compensation for personal injuries and wrongful death. We also have extensive knowledge about how to find old employers or companies that are out of business and determine if and when they used asbestos.

Mesothelioma cases are some of the most challenging personal injury cases to manage. They involve numerous laws and require an extensive investigation to have a chance of obtaining compensation. This is why having a reputable, experienced attorney at your side is critical.

Contact a Virginia mesothelioma lawyer right now.

When Should I Contact an Attorney?

Like every state, Virginia has statutes of limitations that apply to mesothelioma legal claims. These laws limit the amount of time our attorneys have to file a lawsuit over your mesothelioma diagnosis.

This is why it is always best to contact a Virginia mesothelioma lawyer as soon as you are able. It takes time to investigate a case, draft a complaint and manage the other aspects of these cases. Contacting us right away gives us more time to do all of these things and file your lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs out. Once the statute applying to your case runs out, we are prohibited from filing anything.

If you are living with mesothelioma, your case is governed by Virginia’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims. This statute says that actions must be brought within two years of the date your action accrues. This means you have two years from the date you were diagnosed to file a lawsuit.

If you lost a loved one due to asbestos-induced mesothelioma, you may be able to file a wrongful death action. Virginia’s wrongful death statute of limitations is two years after the death of your loved one.

Schedule a free consultation with a mesothelioma lawyer in Virginia.

Workplaces That May Have Been Exposed to Asbestos

While there are plenty of people who were exposed to asbestos outside of the workplace, a large number were exposed to this harmful mineral on the job. These people either worked directly with materials that contained asbestos or worked in a place where others did, such as a mine or manufacturing plant where asbestos-containing materials were assembled.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a study of the industries with the highest rates of mortality from mesothelioma between 1999 and 2015. These industries include:

Some of the other industries where workers may have had a higher risk of asbestos exposure include:

These industries continued using asbestos for many years, even though the dangers of asbestos had been documented as far back as the 1930s. The dangers of this mineral did not become common knowledge until the mid to late 1970s.

Federal regulation of the use of asbestos did not occur until 1989. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enacted a ban on certain uses of this mineral. Despite this, there is still no federal ban on the use of all asbestos in the U.S.

High-Risk Jobs

While anyone who worked in the above industries could have been exposed, people with certain job titles may have had a higher risk of asbestos exposure, including:

Dangerous Job Sites in Virginia

There are several job sites in Virginia where we know that people were exposed to asbestos, including:

If you worked at any of these places or in the industries mentioned above and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, there is a good chance you have grounds for a case. Contact our Virginia mesothelioma lawyers right now for a free legal consultation.

Call 757-397-6424 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form.

Common Products with Asbestos

Asbestos has a high tensile strength and is resistant to heat and chemical damage. That is why it was so widely used across many industries for decades. If you worked with any of these products or came into contact with those who did, you may have been exposed to asbestos.

Some asbestos-containing products include:

Call 757-397-6424 for a free consultation with a mesothelioma attorney in Virginia.

How Does Asbestos Exposure Cause Health Problems?

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that can easily be broken down into much smaller pieces that can become airborne. Once these fibers get into the air, it is easy for anyone nearby to unknowingly breathe them in. Once this happens, the fibers can get stuck in the lungs where they cannot be expelled.

Your risk of breathing in asbestos fibers is higher if you handled materials that contained asbestos. However, you could have also been exposed if you worked near an area with asbestos-containing products. This is particularly true if the area with the asbestos-containing materials was not sealed off from the rest of the work site.

Some people were exposed because their spouses worked in areas with asbestos. These workers would come home with asbestos fibers stuck to their hair or clothes, which could get into the air inside the home, causing other people in the home to breathe in the fibers.

Unfortunately, there is no safe amount of exposure to asbestos. This means that even being exposed to a small amount could cause health problems decades later. This is part of the reason why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have all classified asbestos as a known human carcinogen.

Our Virginia mesothelioma lawyers know how to use this kind of information along with studies and other research to show that employers should have known about the dangers of using asbestos.

Contact us today for a free legal consultation.

Types of Mesothelioma

When asbestos is lodged in the lungs, it can develop into a cancerous tumor within 30 to 40 years. This often results in a diagnosis of mesothelioma, because the tumors are in the mesothelium, which is the thin layer of tissue covering most of your internal organs.

There are four main types of mesothelioma:

• Pleural mesothelioma – This is diagnosed when the cancer is in the pleura, or lining of the lungs. This form has a high risk of death because it is often not discovered until it is in the later stages.
• Peritoneal mesothelioma – This cancer starts in the lining of the abdomen, and if it progresses, it can spread to the liver, bowels and spleen.
• Testicular mesothelioma – This disease starts in the lining of the testicles.
• Pericardial mesothelioma – This is extremely rare and starts in the membrane that covers the heart.

Common Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Some of the most common symptoms of mesothelioma include:

If you think you may have come into contact with asbestos and are experiencing these symptoms, you should seek the opinion of a qualified medical professional as soon as possible. The sooner cancer is detected and treated, the better your prognosis might be. In some cases, you could add years to your life.

Fill out a Free Case Evaluation form right now.

Mesothelioma Treatment

There are various treatments for mesothelioma that could prove to be effective in killing cancer cells and saving or prolonging your life. In some cases, doctors may be able to surgically remove cancer cells. Before or after the surgery, doctors may administer chemotherapy to shrink cancer cells or try to kill any cells that were left behind after the surgery. Another post-surgery option is to use radiation to destroy cancer cells.

When you are diagnosed, your doctors will analyze your situation and try to devise the best treatment plan possible. It could involve surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and various other treatments.

Unfortunately, cancer treatment can quickly become extremely expensive, no matter what stage the disease is in.

Side Effects from Treatment

Cancer treatment can also cause many side effects that make it difficult to work or even get out of bed and handle everyday activities. You may experience the following side effects:

You may need prescription medications or other treatments for these side effects so you can eat and simply be able to make it through the day.

Our experienced Virginia mesothelioma attorneys understand the many aspects of cancer treatment and how expensive it can be. That is why we are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to build a strong case so we can try to obtain fair compensation for all the medical expenses you incur because of your mesothelioma diagnosis. This includes all past, current and future treatment of your disease.

Fill out a Free Case Evaluation form right now.

Other Forms of Compensation for Mesothelioma

Medical expenses are not the only form of compensation we can recover in a mesothelioma legal claim. We can also try to obtain compensation for the following damages:

• Pain and suffering – This covers the physical and emotional issues caused by your disease. For instance, you could receive compensation for physical side effects of your treatment, such as pain and discomfort. You could also be entitled to compensation for the emotional effects of your diagnosis, such as depression, anxiety and other emotional problems.
• Lost wages – Cancer could cause you to miss many days of work. For instance, there may be times when you are physically unable to work or have been instructed by doctors not to go to work. You could also miss time when you have appointments scheduled on days that you work. This results in lost income that can make it very difficult to continue supporting yourself and your family. Fortunately, our mesothelioma lawyers in Virginia might be able to obtain compensation for all lost wages caused by your mesothelioma diagnosis.
• Lost earning capacity – If the disease progresses, you could become so debilitated that you are no longer able to work. If you are still able to work, you may have to go into a different field than the one you used to work. Even if you are able to stay at your current employer, you may have to work fewer hours or take on fewer responsibilities. Any of these changes can hurt your future earning capacity. That is why our Virginia mesothelioma attorneys have the option of pursuing compensation for lost earning capacity.

Contact an attorney at our firm today so we can review your claim and determine all the forms of compensation you may be entitled to and an accurate value of them.

Call The Law Offices of Peter T. Nicholl right now: 757-397-6424

Ways to Obtain Compensation for Mesothelioma

Our attorneys have two main options for pursuing compensation for mesothelioma: filing a lawsuit or filing a claim with an asbestos trust fund.

Mesothelioma Lawsuit

Once we determine the company responsible for your asbestos exposure, we may be able to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit to recover compensation for your damages. The company could be a former employer or any of the following entities:

• Product manufacturer
• Parts manufacturer
• Distributor or wholesaler of the product

If we file a lawsuit, we can manage every aspect of the process. We will handle investigating your situation to determine when and where you were exposed. We will also collect research and other evidence to try to prove that the entity responsible for your exposure knew or should have known about the risks of using asbestos.

Sometimes these cases are settled before trial. However, we will not accept a low settlement offer. We will determine an accurate valuation of your claim and will not accept an offer for less compensation than you deserve. If we do not receive a fair offer, we are prepared to go through a trial to achieve the justice you deserve.

Asbestos Trust Fund

Many corporations were hit with so many asbestos lawsuits that they set up trust funds to pay compensation to those who suffered asbestos-related illness. In some cases, these companies were going bankrupt and bankruptcy courts required them to set up trust funds.

As we investigate your case, we may discover that your former employer or the entity responsible for your exposure has set up a trust fund. Our Virginia mesothelioma attorneys can file a claim with the fund and attempt to negotiate a fair offer.

We have many years of experience negotiating with these trust funds and know what it takes to be successful. That is why it is so important to have an experienced attorney on your case.

Even if we file a claim with a trust fund, a lawsuit may still be an option. For instance, there could be multiple entities that are responsible for your exposure to asbestos.

Schedule your free legal consultation.

Contact a Virginia Mesothelioma Lawyer

Mesothelioma is a life-threatening disease that can be very difficult to treat. It can cause extensive physical, financial and emotional damages.

That is why you should contact a mesothelioma lawyer in Virginia for a free legal consultation. Your disease could have been caused by exposure to asbestos, and a company or other entity could be held liable for using asbestos.

Schedule your free consultation right now to determine your legal options. We do not assess any fees or costs unless we obtain fair compensation.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form or call us at 757-397-6424.