Yes, when an adult develops malignant mesothelioma in Louisiana, it is assumed to be caused by asbestos exposure. There have been cases where young children have developed mesothelioma of unknown origin, but it is well established that the disease course in adults is caused by small fibers of asbestos that have been inhaled or accidentally swallowed, typically as a result of workplace contamination. Over many years, these small fibers can cause irritation to a number of body areas, which can result in cancerous tumors along the linings of organs, or even infiltration of the organs themselves with cancerous cells. Malignancy is when a tumor in the body is cancerous, and has the potential to grow and spread. This can happen several ways, and often occurs via multiple pathways at once. If a mesothelioma tumor is undiagnosed and therefore not treated, it will simply continue to grow. In this case, a tumor that…Read More
Exposure to asbestos has been linked to a variety of a diseases, including a dangerous form of cancer, mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is not the only cancer that asbestos can cause, or contribute to, but mesothelioma is a particularly difficult to treat cancer, and one whose long term prognosis is particularly poor. Because mesothelioma is understood to have just one cause – exposure to asbestos – regulatory changes over the last several decades have made many worksites and industries much safer for employees today. The problem for retired workers from these sites and industries is that mesothelioma has a latency period that can last as long as many decades. It is not unusual for a person whose asbestos exposure happened in their twenties or thirties to develop the disease in their sixties or seventies. While asbestos can contribute to a number of diseases, including lung cancer and a condition known as asbestosis, where inhaled…Read More
Hiring A Lawyer To File A Mesothelioma Claim With The VA The VA serves America’s veterans, providing specialized healthcare and retirement benefits to those who’ve sacrificed so much for the country. One of these benefits is a dedicated monetary benefit for veterans who experienced asbestos exposure while in the service and have developed mesothelioma as a result. The process isn’t a simple one though. As you would expect, the VA requires detailed accounting of the places, duty roles, and time frames where asbestos exposure is likely to have occurred in order to square a claim against its own records. Further, you’ll be asked to describe jobs you held after you left the service, and the VA will use that information to evaluate whether you likely experienced asbestos exposure, or additional asbestos exposure, outside of your service. Creating a thorough and easily approved application claim for VA mesothelioma benefits isn’t a simple task,…Read More
Louisiana first banned texting while driving in 2008 and has since taken additional steps to strengthen that ban. While this may seem a logical step in keeping our roads safer, New Orleans drivers should be aware that a study by the Highway Loss Data Institute calls into question the effectiveness of such bans. The Highway Loss Data Institute is a non-profit organization that conducts scientific studies of insurance data. It compared insurance claims for vehicles damaged in crashes before and after a full texting ban was instituted in four different states, including Louisiana. Data was also collected from nearby states, where the texting law had not changed, for use as a comparison and to control for other factors. The study found that – contrary to the expected result – crashes increased following the implementation of a texting ban for all drivers in three of the four states studied, including Louisiana.…Read More
The outcome of all New Orleans personal injury lawsuits will ultimately be determined by the evidence available, including the evidence of the degree of injury caused by the accident. While you may have been badly hurt, your case will have serious challenges if you do not have the medical evidence needed to corroborate the injury. The truth often does not matter if you cannot prove it to the judge or jury. In personal injury lawsuits, the need for proof can be especially important when it comes to medical treatment. The defense in such a lawsuit often will be looking for holes in the treatment record – such as lapses in treatment or apparent failures to report certain conditions – that could be used to argue that your injuries are not as serious as you claim. As a result, it is extremely important to be truthful with your medical providers and…Read More
Yes, there is a link between veterans of all branches of the armed forces and mesothelioma, here in New Orleans, Louisiana and across the country as well. Because asbestos is so resistant to heat and such an excellent fireproofing material, the military came to rely on it in a wide array of applications – from tanks and trucks to ships and airplanes to housing and offices. Veterans who served prior to approximately 1980 are likely to have had the most exposure during their service, but the problem of asbestos exposure for veterans doesn’t end there. The military excels at training individuals to perform highly skilled work, and when service members left to return to the civilian workforce, they applied those skills to earn their living. There are a number of military jobs that have an especially strong link to mesothelioma because exposure to asbestos continued for many people throughout their civilian career.…Read More
As New Orleans personal injury attorneys, we deal with the impact of car accidents on families on a daily basis. While our job is to pursue financial compensation for our clients in personal injury lawsuits, we understand that in many cases, no monetary reward can compensate for the suffering of the injured or the hardship imposed on loved ones as a result of a serious – or even fatal – car crash. Nonetheless, there are several financial costs associated with automobile accidents that can be measured. Recently, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission released a finding that the costs associated with automobile accidents in Louisiana totaled approximately $5.7 billion in 2009. The expenses used in arriving at this figure included medical treatment, property damage, loss of wages and litigation costs. While those wrongly injured are entitled to full compensation for their personal injuries, this number is truly staggering. It becomes even…Read More
It’s always advisable to talk to an impartial legal expert when you’ve suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident in New Orleans, even if you carry motorcycle insurance. Obviously, insurance companies make their money from your premium payments, and lose money when they have to make a payout. They have huge incentives to minimize any offer they make you, and in a lot of cases, this can leave you without the resources you need to get back on track. An attorney can help you establish effective baselines for things like your out-of-pocket costs, medical bills, future medical expenses related to the accident, lost or damaged property, lost wages, and other elements you may be entitled to collect for. Your insurance company wants you think it’s on your side, but it has extremely divided loyalties when it comes to giving you money. If another driver’s insurance company is in the mix, you can bet…Read More
We advise our clients to never accept a settlement offer in a dog bite case without having an experienced attorney review the offer and help you evaluate whether it suits your needs. Unfortunately, in most cases we find that insurers are attempting to lowball families who’ve been affected by a dog bite, often ensuring that future medical costs, lost wages, and other incidentals that remain to be dealt with be paid for out of pocket. Nationally, it’s believed that fewer than 17% of dog bite cases are ever compensated, and that for those that are, victims receive a small fraction of the money they’re entitled to. In New Orleans, you are eligible to make claims against a dog owner for medical costs, pain and suffering, lost wages, future medical needs related to the bite, which may include expensive interventions like reconstructive surgery, as well as other losses you’ve incurred because of the…Read More
Louisiana, like all states, has a statutory time limit for personal injury claims resulting from a motorcycle accident. In New Orleans, you have one year in which to file a claim to recover damages or you’ll lose your right to sue. You can bet that insurance companies involved in the case will work hard to run out the clock on you, and it’s difficult or impossible to convince a judge to extend the statute of limitations in a personal injury case. In personal injury law, the statute of limitations is often the biggest hurdle in getting a person the compensation they deserve. Individuals may be hesitant to visit with an attorney about their issue, and insurance companies are good at trying to hurry you into signing off on an agreement that won’t match the bills you’ll face down the road. It’s extremely important that you don’t sign on to any insurance company…Read More
