Lung cancer is a frightening diagnosis to receive from your doctor. It can mean thousands of dollars in medical bills and months or years of time spent in treatment. Asbestos exposure can cause lung cancer. If that is what caused your lung cancer, and it was not your fault, you could seek compensation.
Asbestos exposure is very dangerous, and it is your employer’s or property owner’s responsibility to be sure that employees and residents are not exposed to it. There are guidelines and procedures in place that they must follow. If they fail to do so, they are negligent, which could make them liable for your damages.
Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today at (800) 217-6099 to speak with a member of our team. We have a North Peoria asbestos lawyer who is ready to help.
You Can Seek Damages
You and your family are dealing with the enormous task of overcoming lung cancer. It is a common but painful and difficult diagnosis. Diagnostic tests take time and money, and the waiting can be agonizing. After diagnosis, treatment can have its own side effects beyond the coughing, chest pain, and shortness of breath of the lung cancer itself.
Treatment side effects can make it difficult to work or enjoy your life. Once treatment is complete, there is the dread of cancer returning. Lung cancer can feel like a lifelong diagnosis, even if you complete successful treatment.
All this to say, lung cancer is costly. It costs a patient time, money, and psychological effects. If asbestos exposure caused your lung cancer, you could seek damages. If someone else negligently exposed you to the asbestos, they are the ones who could be liable.
Your damages could include:
- Diagnostic tests
- Treatment costs
- Follow-up appointments
- Medications
- Medical equipment
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Anxiety
In the case of a wrongful death lawsuit, burial costs, funeral expenses, and other damages can be part of the lawsuit. The surviving family can seek loss of consortium or a loss of the relationship they had with their loved one. A North Peoria asbestos lawyer from the team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can inform you of what damages to include in a case, including an appropriate dollar amount to pursue.
You do not have endless time to file your lawsuit. The statute of limitations, spelled out in 735 Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) §5/13-202, allows for two years to file a personal injury lawsuit in Illinois. A wrongful death lawsuit is also subject to a two-year statute of limitations, according to 735 ILCS §180/1. There are some exceptions to these timeframes, and a lawyer can tell you what those exceptions mean to you.
Lung Cancer and Asbestos
Asbestos can cause mesothelioma, cancer, and other illnesses. One of the common cancers it can cause is lung cancer. Asbestos breaks into particles that are microscopic in size. Those particles can cause damage to the lungs or other organs when inhaled or swallowed. According to a study in BMJ, asbestos is one of the top carcinogens in the workplace. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for the elimination of any kind of asbestos use to help stop lung cancer occurrences.
Asbestos is heavily regulated because of the dangers it poses to human health. Since the 1970s, the government has continued to impose restrictions on products made with asbestos from use in construction, car manufacturing, or any other industry.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as recently as 2019, regulations against asbestos products came out to keep dangerous products out of use. Asbestos was widely used for insulation, car parts, and flooring, among other things, long before any of these regulations, though. That means we could still face exposure to it at work or at home.
There are many measures that employers and property owners should take to reduce the risk of exposure. When employers follow guidelines set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), they can help stop the exposure to asbestos at the workplace. Things like providing protective gear, ensuring proper ventilation, and handling or disposing of asbestos properly are all things employers can do to reduce exposure. It is on the employer to train employees properly and make meaningful and reasonable efforts to keep employees, like yourself, safe.
Lung cancer makes up about 25% of all cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Asbestos exposure is preventable. You should not suffer from lung cancer and all that comes with it because of someone else’s negligence.
Radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery are all possibilities for lung cancer treatment. They are arduous and costly. The person or entity responsible for exposing you to asbestos should be the ones to pay.
A lawsuit is an option to get you back costs and other damages from the people who exposed you to asbestos. Pintas & Mullins Law Firm and our team know the law, and we want to be your teammate as you fight for justice. Let us help you and your family get back to focusing on recovery while we focus on your legal battle.
For a free legal consultation, call (800) 794-0444
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A lawsuit can help you recover the costs you have incurred from your illness. That means medical bills for your lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, lost wages for work you missed while recovering, and emotional distress. If asbestos exposure caused your lung cancer and that exposure was someone else’s fault, you can seek awards for what you have been through.
You have the right to pursue compensation for your damages from the responsible party. A North Peoria asbestos lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can do the legal work on your case for you. Call (800) 217-6099 today to get the process started. We want to fight alongside you and your family. Remember, you have a limited amount of time to file your lawsuit, so do not hesitate to call. The consultation is free.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form