Radon is an odorless, invisible gas that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. If you or a loved one received a diagnosis of lung cancer, especially if you are a non-smoker, then consider that radon exposure may be a possible cause of your illness.
If you believe or know that radon exposure has caused your lung cancer, then we can help you pursue any financial compensation you are entitled to receive. Call our team at the Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today at (800) 217-6099 to discuss your case.
Radon Is a Potentially Fatal Killer
The average person connects lung cancer with smoking, but radon, smoking, and lung cancer have a more complicated relationship. The overwhelming notion that cigarettes are the main cause of lung cancer may detract from the second-leading cause of lung cancer: radon.
Radon is responsible for an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year. That makes it a serious threat, and one that is largely preventable. Radon has no odor or taste and results from the breakdown of uranium in water, soil, or rock. People may be exposed to radon for years without being aware, until the adverse health effects of radon start to become apparent.
What are the Signs of Radon Poisoning?
If you or a loved one are experiencing the symptoms of lung cancer potentially caused by radon exposure, it is imperative that you seek medical attention. Symptoms of lung cancer include:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Persistent coughing
- Hoarseness
- Unexplained weight loss
- Coughing up blood
- Headaches
- Bone pain
If you have experienced or are experiencing any of these symptoms, seek medical attention. If you are given a lung cancer diagnosis and believe that radon may be the cause, you may be entitled to financial compensation to help offset the cost of treatment. We can help, so call our team at the Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today at (800) 217-6099 to discuss your case.
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What Our Team Will Do for You
If you believe radon exposure caused you or your loved one’s lung cancer, then we will help you build a legal case against the liable party. Our team’s primary goal is to ensure that you endure no more harm than you already have, and we will:
- Come to you to discuss and document your case
- Speak with medical professionals about your condition and document their testimony that radon exposure could be a cause
- Conduct thorough testing for radon in any place you frequent that has a high potential for exposure
- Initiate legal action and handle all aspects of your legal case from start to finish
- Protect your rights throughout the entirety of the legal process
If you are facing a battle with lung cancer, allow us to handle the path to financial compensation for you.
Awards You Could Be Entitled to Receive in a Radon Exposure Case
Whether it is the fault of your employer, landlord, or other responsible parties, you may be entitled to financial awards if investigations find some party at fault for you or your loved one’s radon exposure. Awards you may be entitled to receive include:
- Past medical expenses
- Present and future medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Wrongful death expenses
These are just a few broadly defined awards, and you could be entitled to additional compensation depending on the circumstances of your case. Our clients pay nothing upfront and nothing unless we secure a settlement or judgment. Call our team at the Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today at (800) 217-6099 to discuss your case.
Lung Cancer Caused by Radon Exposure
Radon gas is the second-leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. A primary difference between these two causes is that while many smokers accept the risk of developing lung cancer, being exposed to radon is almost never a conscious choice. Often someone is liable if you have received a diagnosis of lung cancer caused by radon exposure.
Radon Gas Can Be Deadly
Radon gas is not typically considered a primary cause of cancer. This mistake may be because smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, but radon is a prevalent driver of lung cancer as well.
Radon gas is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that occurs naturally when the element uranium breaks down in soil, water, or rock. When this happens outdoors, then radon is typically of little to no threat. When radon is released indoors and is either undetected or not properly removed, then the results can be deadly.
Unfortunately, those who are being poisoned by radon have no idea that it is occurring until it is too late. While radon is not particularly difficult or expensive to detect, many building owners and managers fail to check their buildings for exposure to potentially deadly radon levels.
If Radon Exposure Caused Your Lung Cancer, We Can Help
If you believe that exposure to radon may have caused your lung cancer, we can help you in your pursuit of compensation. Our team at the Pintas & Mullins Law Firm will:
- Come to you to discuss your case
- Talk to medical professionals to clinically assess radon toxicity and explain why radon exposure is a potential or likely cause of your lung cancer
- Document your medical records and the opinions of medical professionals for use at trial and/or settlement negotiations
- Conduct radon level tests in the sites where exposure to radon is most likely
- Interview your employer, building manager, or other potentially liable parties to ask why they did not conduct proper radon-level tests
- Initiate legal proceedings on your behalf and handle all legal responsibilities from start to finish
- Protect your rights throughout the entirety of the legal process
Awards You May Be Entitled to Receive in a Case of Lung Cancer Caused by Radon Exposure
If investigations find that a liable party, such as an employer or building owner, failed to conduct the necessary tests to detect the presence of radon, then you could be entitled to financial awards. These awards may cover:
- Any surgeries necessitated by your lung cancer
- The cost of past appointments, scans, tests, hospital stays, and other medical costs related to your lung cancer
- The cost of future medical bills stemming from your lung cancer
- Lost wages due to your inability to work
- Diminished earning capacity resulting from the onset of your cancer
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages against the liable party
Do not wait to call a lawyer if you received a diagnosis of lung cancer caused by radon exposure or believe your diagnosis may be radon-related. Every state has a statute of limitations that generally limits your ability to bring a negligence claim. Your state’s statute of limitations typically starts on the discovery date of the cancer. Even if your deadline passed, we want to hear from you, as there are exceptions to these statutes.
What Types of Lung Cancer Are Caused by Radon?
Radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that is harmless to breathe in most instances. However, when radon accumulates in an indoor space and occupants of that space breathe it in unsafe amounts over time, it has been shown to cause lung cancer.
There are three general types of lung cancer that could be caused by breathing unsafe levels of radon. They are:
- Non-small cell lung cancer
- Small-cell lung cancer
- Lung carcinoid tumor(s)
Non-small cell lung cancer is the most prevalent form of lung cancer according to Mayo Clinic and is the most likely to be caused by breathing in carcinogens like cigarette smoke, radon, and asbestos. Lung cancer caused by radon can also take other forms.
An estimated 20,000 deaths each year can be traced back to the connection between radon and cancer. It is important to pay attention to signs that you may have a radon-caused lung condition and to seek medical attention if warning signs arise.
Who Is at Risk of Getting Lung Cancer from Radon Exposure?
Breathing radon, which is radioactive, in small amounts is considered relatively harmless, but radon poisoning can result in lung cancer that commonly develops between 5 and 25 years after radon exposure.
Uranium—a commonly-found metal—breaking down in the water, soil, or rock creates radon. This means that radon is also unfortunately common. The problem arises when radon is released in a confined area and property owners fail to fumigate. For this reason, certain populations may be at a higher risk of radon poisoning and lung cancer. These groups include:
- Those who work, live, or spend time in buildings that are not tested regularly for radon
- Those who work underground, especially if their job involves harvesting radon
- Those who live in garden-level apartments or work in garden-level offices
- Those who spend significant time in basement-level rooms
- Anyone who lives in a region with elevated uranium levels or other conditions that could lead to abnormal levels of radon
- Anybody who spends time in a building where radon detection steps are foregone
Even with these groups in mind, anyone can fall victim to radon poisoning if they do not check for radon levels on a consistent schedule. The ultimate consequence of breathing radon can be fatal, often after suffering from lung cancer.
What Are the Chances of Getting Lung Cancer from Radon?
Each case of radon exposure is different and, even if exposed, you may not develop cancer or radon poisoning. You may be wondering what the actual chances are of getting lung cancer from radon. While this is impossible to predict, ultimately, radon tests not conducted regularly on any building could expose you to dangerous levels of radon and, potentially, lung cancer.
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How Long Does Radon Stay in Your Body?
When you breathe a non-dangerous amount of radon, it typically stays in your body for a couple days. After that time, you breathe the particles out with little to no harm inflicted on your body. You can visit the Center for Disease Control to find out how you can protect yourself and your family from radon. For radon to cause lung cancer, it must be breathed regularly, and thus stay in the body for a longer period, changing the cells, and ultimately resulting in cancer. If you live, work, or spend substantial time in an indoor space where radon is present, then you will likely maintain an unsafe level of radioactive radon particles in your body, specifically your lungs.
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How Long Does Radon Exposure Take to Cause Cancer?
How long does radon exposure take to cause cancer? Though each case is unique, the general consensus is that lung cancer can develop anywhere from five to 25 years after exposure to carcinogenic levels of radon, with most cases occurring between 15 and 25 years after exposure.
Can Radon Exposure Lung Cancer Be Cured?
There Are Cures for Radon-Induced Lung Cancer. A lung cancer diagnosis is frightening and can be all the more stunning if you have never smoked. Breathing radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. You should know that there are paths whereby radon exposure lung cancer can be cured.
The most common treatment options for those diagnosed with lung cancer are:
- Targeted therapy
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
What Is the Average Settlement for Lung Cancer Caused by Radon Exposure?
If you would like to know what is the average settlement for lung cancer caused by radon exposure, we can offer some guidance. Figures for radon exposure-related lawsuits are few and far between, but the law is clear: if you developed lung cancer due to exposure to unsafe levels of radon, and someone else failed to test for and/or remove the gas, then you could be entitled to receive financial compensation. Most states have a statute of limitations, or deadline, that generally restricts the time victims have to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim against a liable party. In most cases, the deadline begins the moment you discover the injury, in this case, cancer. Even if your deadline has expired, you may still be able to act. A lung cancer attorney can help you understand your options.
If you or a loved one has been given a diagnosis of lung cancer, then your attending physician will go over your options and the best course of action. For those who have not been diagnosed with lung cancer, it is important to know the symptoms of radon poisoning, which is often only realized once it has become lung cancer.
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