A lung cancer diagnosis can be devastating. Patients find themselves suddenly facing their own mortality and navigating an entirely new world of medical jargon, dozens of medical tests and treatment protocols, piles of paperwork, and astronomically high medical bills while trying to maintain a sense of hope and resiliency. Moreover, since past exposure to harmful chemicals can result in a cancer diagnosis, patients often struggle with confusion over the exact cause of their cancer — especially if they’re non-smokers.
Vermont lung cancer lawyers understand the trauma you and your loved ones are enduring and can act as your advocate. Our legal team can give you the freedom to fight for your health while we fight for your rights. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 217-6099 for a free consultation. We will review the specifics of your case, assess your case, and walk you through your various legal options.
Asbestos and Radon Exposure
While smoking dramatically increases the risk of lung cancer, non-smokers can still find themselves on the receiving end of the diagnosis — largely as a result of repeated exposure to harmful carcinogens.
Regardless of whether you’re a smoker or not, exposure to asbestos and radon are two of the leading causes of lung cancer and the risk increases dramatically in cases of long-term exposure.
Before regulation and restriction in the 1970s, asbestos was regularly used in Vermont’s power plants, hospitals, and manufacturing facilities. Another harmful carcinogen, radon, is often found in basements of residential and commercial buildings or garden level apartments and can pose an even greater threat than asbestos.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a radioactive gas that is odorless, harmful to breathe, and leads to approximately 21,000 cancer deaths a year.
While both asbestos and radon are naturally occurring, knowledge of their existence and documented correlation to cancer diagnoses is well known. Residential and commercial property owners must execute a reasonable level of due diligence to ensure asbestos and radon levels do not exceed legal limits – especially in schools, homes, and businesses. A Vermont lung cancer lawyer can review assessment levels, file the necessary paperwork, communicate with doctors and insurance companies, and bring your claim to court if necessary.
What You Need to Know About Lung Cancer
While your medical team is best equipped to walk you through an overview of lung cancer types, stages, and treatment options; understanding the basics of cancer can prove beneficial as you decide whether to seek financial compensation.
According to the American Lung Association, lung cancer cases account for more than 25% percent of all cancer-related deaths.
The American Cancer Society explains that there are two types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Additionally, cancers originating in other parts of the body can spread to the lungs if left untreated or treatment is unsuccessful. Your treatment options and individual prognosis will depend largely on the type and stage of your illness.
A Vermont lung cancer lawyer can guide you in determining whether your case is caused by someone else’s negligence and fight to protect your right to the financial compensation you deserve — while you focus your energy on fighting beating cancer and spending time with loved ones.
What to Do After a Lung Cancer Diagnosis
In the immediate aftermath of a cancer diagnosis, everything can feel overwhelming and knowing what the next right action rarely feels as simple as that. Your medical team will explain the unique details of your cancer diagnosis and lay out the next steps for medical intervention, treatment, and prognosis. Emotionally, however, finding the proper resources can be challenging. Locating and involving yourself in support groups, creating a network of trusted allies, and allowing loved ones to share the load can prove life-saving.
For many, the medical bills that start to pile up cause emotional stress that can tax an already suffering body. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by medical bills and believe your cancer may have been caused by preventable exposure, connect with the office of a lung cancer lawyer.
Our team can help you determine whether you have an asbestos or radon exposure case and help you make this determination within the state’s statute of limitations time frame. In Vermont, this timeframe is three years, per Vermont Statutes 12 § 512. Once you reach out to a Vermont lung cancer lawyer, a legal team can work on your behalf to preserve evidence, establish exposure location and time frame, find and hold responsible the liable parties, and represent your case in court if need be.
How a Vermont Lung Cancer Lawyer Can Help
The financial burden of treatment is one no family should be forced to endure without help. If your diagnosis is the result of preventable exposure, you are entitled to financial compensation that covers medical bills, loss of wages, and pain and suffering.
If you’ve been diagnosed with lung cancer as a result of exposure to asbestos or radon but currently do not live in Vermont, you do not need to file a claim in the state in which you live. Our team can work as your ally and protect your rights. Pintas & Mullins Law Firm will work with you on a contingency basis — meaning we don’t collect unless you do. Call (800) 217-6099 to request a free consultation and let us fight for your rights while you fight cancer.