Pennsylvania Mesothelioma Lawyer

Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, and if you or a loved one is diagnosed with this disease in Pennsylvania, it’s important to hire a mesothelioma lawyer you can trust at your first opportunity. An experienced Pennsylvania mesothelioma lawyer can help you determine your legal options and assist you with claiming compensation for your damages. The team at Kelley Ferraro, LLC is ready to assist with your case.

Representing Mesothelioma Cases in Pennsylvania

The team at Kelley Ferraro, LLC has nearly 30 years of experience helping clients nationwide with mesothelioma cases. We have represented more than 40,000 clients and have secured more than $1 billion in compensation for our clients from employers, property owners, product manufacturers, distributors, and many other defendants. When you hire a mesothelioma lawyer at our firm to represent you, you can approach your case with confidence.

Many attorneys do not accept mesothelioma cases because of their complexity and the volume of work they require. Many people diagnosed with mesothelioma are eligible to claim substantial compensation for their damages through various channels, but these can be difficult to navigate, and accurately determining the source of the victim’s asbestos exposure often requires careful review of decades’ worth of records.

We can help you prove when, where, and how you were most likely exposed to asbestos, determine who is responsible for this diagnosis, and assess your legal options. We are confident we can help you achieve a favorable outcome in your case, but time is a critical factor in any kind of mesothelioma case. It can be very difficult to prove how you were exposed. You must hire a Pennsylvania mesothelioma attorney as soon as possible to assist you.

Understanding Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma

The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. This material was used for decades throughout the US because of its fireproofing and insulating properties. Over many years, thousands of people working in mining, construction, manufacturing, steelwork, and other industries were exposed to asbestos on the job, and many residential buildings were also constructed using asbestos.

Whenever asbestos fibers enter the body, they can become embedded and gradually develop into mesothelioma. The most common way this happens is inhalation. When any asbestos-containing material is damaged, fibers are released into the surrounding area. These fibers are very thin, sharp, and light enough to stay afloat in the air for long periods. Once inhaled, they can cause pleural mesothelioma in the lungs. If they are ingested, they can cause peritoneal mesothelioma.

Only about 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the US each year, so this is not a very common form of cancer. However, despite the fact that the health risks of asbestos are now widely understood, new cases continue appearing because of asbestos exposure that happened many years ago. It can sometimes take decades for noticeable symptoms to appear, making the source of exposure very difficult to trace in some of these cases.

Unfortunately, by the time symptoms of mesothelioma appear, the disease has already reached an advanced stage. The early symptoms are also often mistaken for less serious illnesses, further delaying treatment in some cases. The average five-year survival rate for localized mesothelioma is about 23%, but this drops to only 11% if the disease has spread to distant parts of the body.

Mesothelioma treatment is difficult. This will usually include cancer treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment, all of which can impose various challenging side effects. Receiving a terminal diagnosis with mesothelioma is very difficult for the victim and for their family, and if you find yourself in this situation, it’s vital to speak with a Pennsylvania mesothelioma attorney as soon as possible.

Building Your Mesothelioma Case in Pennsylvania

The first challenge you must overcome with your mesothelioma case is determining when, where, and how you were exposed to asbestos. This will inform you of your legal options. If a specific company is responsible for your exposure, they may have been required to establish a mesothelioma injury trust, and you may be eligible to file a claim.

Many US companies that formerly manufactured asbestos products were compelled to create these trusts to compensate those adversely affected by their products and operations. If you are eligible to file one of these claims, your Pennsylvania mesothelioma attorney at Kelley Ferraro, LLC can guide you through the process and help you secure as much compensation as possible.

If you were exposed to asbestos at your current job and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may qualify to claim workers’ compensation benefits from your employer. If so, you could potentially receive full medical expense coverage for your job-related illness as well as ongoing disability benefits if you are unable to work. This will not fully cover your losses, but it is still worth exploring if available to you.

When you have grounds to file a mesothelioma personal injury case, this offers the greatest chance of obtaining a full recovery. You can claim compensation for the economic and non-economic losses the defendant caused, including projected future losses. You will need to prove the defendant is directly responsible for your mesothelioma diagnosis, and your attorney can assess the potential value of your case.

Claiming Compensation for Mesothelioma in Pennsylvania

If you are eligible to file a mesothelioma personal injury case in Pennsylvania, your attorney can help you prove the full scope of the damages the defendant has caused. Economic damages in most mesothelioma personal injury cases include medical expenses, including the cost of future palliative care, and the plaintiff can claim compensation for lost income if their diagnosis forces them to quit working sooner than expected.

Aside from economic damages, the plaintiff also has the right to claim pain and suffering compensation from the defendant. This may seem difficult to calculate, but a skilled attorney will know how to increase this aspect of your recovery. Mesothelioma causes painful and debilitating symptoms, and treatment is challenging in several ways. This diagnosis also comes with a significant psychological shock as mesothelioma is a terminal cancer.

Economic damages may be straightforward, and your attorney will know how to link your economic losses to the defendant’s actions. However, pain and suffering compensation is more subjective. Your Pennsylvania mesothelioma lawyer can help you obtain an appropriate amount that reflects the overall severity of the harm you have suffered and the terminal nature of your mesothelioma diagnosis.

In some of these cases, defendants are compelled by the court to pay punitive damages in addition to other damages owed to plaintiffs. The court has the discretion to require this in response to illegal misconduct, egregious negligence, or failure to comply with industry safety regulations. Your attorney can explain whether this could come into play for your case and how it might affect your total recovery.

How Your Pennsylvania Mesothelioma Lawyer Can Help

Ultimately, many mesothelioma cases in Pennsylvania are complex, multifaceted, and very difficult to navigate without experienced legal counsel on your side. The attorneys at Kelley Ferraro, LLC have years of experience handling these cases, and we are confident we can address the unique issues you face after your mesothelioma diagnosis.

Our firm will carefully investigate your diagnosis and help you determine the most likely source of your asbestos exposure. Once we have determined the cause, we will explain the steps you must take to recover compensation for all related damages. In every case we accept, our goal is to recover as much compensation as state law allows for our client and to do this as swiftly as possible.

We can also provide compassionate wrongful death counsel if a family member in Pennsylvania has recently died from mesothelioma. We will explain the state’s wrongful death statutes as they apply to your situation and help you pursue accountability and compensation from the party responsible for the victim’s death.

Kelley Ferraro, LLC is a team of trial attorneys. We prepare every case for litigation, even if we believe we can settle for our client. This approach creates a stronger negotiating position during attempts to reach a settlement and prepares us in the event that litigation is unavoidable. You can trust our team to pursue a favorable outcome through settlement or in the courtroom as your case requires.

If you are concerned about the cost of hiring legal representation, this is no cause for alarm with Kelley Ferraro, LLC. We take most mesothelioma cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront attorneys’ fees. We charge a fee only if we win, and it is a percentage of the compensation we recover for you. If, for any reason, we are unable to secure compensation in your case, there is no cost to you.

Time is a crucial concern for any mesothelioma case. It’s vital to hire a mesothelioma lawyer in Pennsylvania with proven experience to help you pursue accountability, as you have limited time in which to build your case. Contact Kelley Ferraro, LLC today to schedule your free consultation with an experienced Pennsylvania mesothelioma lawyer. We are confident we can guide you to a favorable outcome.