Mesothelioma may take decades to develop and its early symptoms can mimic other illnesses, such as pneumonia or chronic bronchitis. As a result, New Orleans residents who have been exposed to asbestos should be aware of the symptoms of mesothelioma. While mesothelioma is very difficult to treat, early diagnosis and treatment may result in additional treatment options being available to combat this deadly disease. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium – the lining that encloses the abdominal and thoracic organs. The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, which occurs in the pleural membranes enclosing the outer surface of the lungs. Pleural mesothelioma usually causes these membranes to thicken and become hard and fibrous, making breathing difficult. It also commonly leads to pleural effusion — the accumulation of excess fluid around the lungs. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include a dry, consistent cough, shortness of breath, pain in the…Read More
While there’s no way to know the full impact of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction when it comes to asbestos exposure, experts believe that the storm almost certainly made significant amounts of asbestos airborne, potentially exposing thousands. To make matters worse, in the months that followed, many badly damaged structures had to be torn down rapidly to ensure public safety. Asbestos remediation protocols were impossible to follow in many instances, and the whole story of Katrina’s impact on the health of the City of New Orleans may not be known for years or decades. The Environmental Protection Agency believes that we won’t know the full scope of Katrina-related asbestos exposure for as long as 50 years, but area residents who worked to clean up and rebuild the Gulf Coast in the months and years after August 2005 may find that mesothelioma is one final legacy of Hurricane Katrina. And because skilled workers came to…Read More
Unfortunately, New Orleans is home to a large number of military veterans who are facing mesothelioma diagnoses. While New Orleans is home to top quality medical care through both the VA and private healthcare institutes, the needs that our veterans have are often much greater than medical care alone can provide. Military Veterans here and across Louisiana deserve much more than life-prolonging medical care. When it comes to getting the compensation that those fighting mesothelioma need, the Gertler Law Firm is home to some of the most accomplished mesothelioma attorneys in the region. When you need resources to take care of your family, your home, and ensure a lasting legacy for your loved ones, our team of experienced, compassionate mesothelioma experts can help. We can also direct you to organizations in the community that help veterans deal with serious illness. Medical Care In Louisiana For Veterans With Mesothelioma America’s veterans…Read More
Helping Mesothelioma Victims and Their Families In Louisiana and Across The Country Wondering what happens if you pass away before your mesothelioma lawsuit is finished is a very common concern. In Louisiana, designated beneficiaries would file a wrongful death and survival action in order to recover damages that the victim could have recovered if he/she had lived, as well as damages suffered by the beneficiaries. Louisiana law sets out the categories of beneficiaries that would be able to recover if the victim passes away. Since we have handled a number of other cases in other states, and get calls related to mesothelioma representation and other lung related diseases on a regular basis, I’ll briefly detail how some other states handle it as well. If you pass away before your lawsuit has been resolved, your family can move ahead with the litigation on your behalf. After your passing, the lead person in the…Read More
Yes, many companies have set up trust funds. Money has been set aside in these trust funds to compensate patients with mesothelioma, as well as other types of asbestos-related cancers. This compensation may cover lost wages, treatment costs, funeral bills, and pain and suffering. Usually settlement is reached with a trust out of court. Bankrupt Trust companies which no longer exist have limited funds, and payment is made based on a payment percentage and level of disease. If you have questions about Mesothelioma, call the Gertler Law Firm in Louisiana at (504) 581-6411 for a free consultation.Read More
While most cases of mesothelioma are related to exposure to the widely-used, fireproof insulation material asbestos, because of the way our city grew and its role as a port, people in New Orleans have some additional avenues of exposure that workers in other cities may not. It’s important to note that the vast majority of mesothelioma sufferers are older, and that their exposure happened many years ago. Exposure under the age of 30 has an especially strong link to mesothelioma later in life. Asbestos was heavily used in construction and shipbuilding, which means that workers in these fields have a higher than usual risk of developing mesothelioma, sometimes decades later. Individuals who worked as insulation installers, especially early in life, should particularly pay attention to symptoms that may indicate early mesothelioma. In addition, railroad and auto workers have also shown a higher risk. The risks aren’t just for those in…Read More
One of the reasons that doctors may struggle to diagnose mesothelioma is the variety of ways that it can present. Much like skin cancer, mesothelioma is a cancer affecting the lining of the body’s internal organs, which means that it can form in various places in the body. Just as skin cancer can develop on the nose, the arm, the leg, or anywhere else where there’s skin, mesothelioma can form around the lungs, the heart, and the abdomen, and each type will present with different symptoms. In pleural mesothelioma, early symptoms are easy to dismiss because they’re so typical for minor ailments. Tightness or pain in the chest, fever, and weight loss are typical early symptoms that you and your doctor may easily ascribe to many other factors. By the time more significant symptoms have developed – including fluid buildup in the lungs leading to difficulty breathing – the cancer…Read More
Asbestos-related cancers can be difficult for doctors to detect, because symptoms can be subtle for a long period of time. For instance, a persistent cough may be indistinguishable from normal allergy symptoms, and a routine doctor’s visit might result in a prescription for a stronger antihistamine drug. If you are experiencing symptoms you believe may be related to asbestos exposure, you should consult your doctor and ask for additional screening. Be prepared to provide a complete medical history, including work experiences that may have exposed you to asbestos. Your doctor will order a series of tests to look for signs of mesothelioma. Imaging of the lungs, from x-rays to MRIs, will be used to look for evidence of abnormalities, thickening of pleural walls, venous irregularities, fluid build up, and more. If doctors find anything unusual through imaging, they will than take a sample of the fluid or tissue. If a…Read More
There is help for people in Louisiana who develop cancer related to asbestos exposure. From outstanding cancer treatment centers to financial support from sources like asbestos trust funds and the Veterans Administration, residents of our state who are diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases have access to a variety of sources of help in their fight against asbestos cancer. Many Louisiana job sites are known to have been contaminated with airborne asbestos fibers for years or decades, exposing countless of thousands of employees to chronic exposure at varying levels. When asbestos fibers are breathed in, they can become lodged deep in the small airways of the lungs, where over the years they can irritate surrounding tissue and ultimately cause cancerous tumors to form. Asbestos cancers like mesothelioma are often extremely hard to treat and claim many lives. Family members of those who worked in asbestos-contaminated sites may also be at risk, as the…Read More
Age does play a role in survival rates for mesothelioma in New Orleans. While no one should draw individual conclusions from statistical data based on large groups, it is true that individuals who are diagnosed with mesothelioma before the age of 50 have a considerably better chance at surviving the first year after diagnosis (approximately 50{d37eae5b8410ed8fb22098597e6ecfa689963c7e8a6548fdf24949bed3e82123}) than those who are older than 75 at diagnosis (approximately 30{d37eae5b8410ed8fb22098597e6ecfa689963c7e8a6548fdf24949bed3e82123}). Again, statistics apply to large groups, so whatever your age, you and your doctors will develop a mesothelioma treatment plan appropriate for you, designed to give you as much good time as possible – which can be many years. There are a variety of reasons for the discrepancy in outcomes across age groups. First, younger people tend to be in better overall health, and are often candidates for a wider selection of therapies than might be advisable for an older person diagnosed at the same stage of…Read More
