Mesothelioma: Facts and statistics that can help you

FACT: In the United States, all cases of mesothelioma are linked to asbestos exposure.

FACT: Most cases of mesothelioma are related to occupational asbestos exposure that often occurred decades earlier in industries heavily dependent on asbestos-based products. These industries include construction, automobile repair and shipbuilding.

FACT: Workers, such as yourself, were knowingly exposed to asbestos by the companies for which they worked. 

FACT: You can seek compensation for your illness and hold the company financially accountable.

STATISTIC: Weitz & Luxenberg has helped sufferers of mesothelioma for over twenty years.

STATISTIC: Our law firm has had over $3 billion in successful verdicts and settlements.

As part of weitzlux.com’s ongoing commitment to providing helpful information and resources for people with mesothelioma, we have put together this page of facts and statistics. Should you, or your father, or grandparents decide to pursue legal action against the companies responsible for making you sick, Weitz & Luxenberg can help.

How many of us were exposed?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that between 1940 and 1980, about 27 million Americans had significant occupational exposure to asbestos. Just like you, many of them were industrial workers or served in the military. They helped to build and defend the country, and now they are now at risk of developing mesothelioma, an aggressive asbestos-related cancer.

How common is my illness?

3,000 or more Americans develop mesothelioma each year. 10,000 people develop the disease worldwide.

The EPA states that “approximately two percent of all miners and textile workers who work with asbestos, and 10 percent of all workers who were involved in the manufacture of asbestos-containing gas masks, contract mesothelioma.”

According to the CDC, a death from mesothelioma has occurred in every state in the union.

What is the life expectancy?

There are many factors that influence a person’s life expectancy. Mesothelioma is typically diagnosed in the late stages because it displays no serious symptoms before then. When diagnosed in the late stages, the average life expectancy is 8 months.

There have been people known to outlive this by anywhere from a year to many years. Paul Kraus, author of the book Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers: A Patient's Guide, has lived for over a decade with mesothelioma. Stephan Jay Gould was also able to outlive his prognosis, and wrote an essay called The Median Isn’t the Message where he criticizes people’s pessimistic attitudes when hearing about the life expectancy statistics of mesothelioma.

Where can I find more information?

The following are just a few helpful websites to find information on your illness:

• http://www.epa.gov/asbestos
• http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/mesothelioma
• http://www.ewg.org/asbestos/

Also, please continue to browse this website for further information on treatment and compensation for you or your family member’s mesothelioma. While there is currently no cure for the cancer, one important fact to remember is that you should consult a doctor for treatment as soon as possible. Appropriate treatments options, as diagnosed by a mesothelioma doctor, can help to ease pain and extend lives.

The facts about Weitz & Luxenberg

As one of the nation’s leading law firms, Weitz & Luxenerg has worked in asbestos litigation for over two decades, and won considerable verdicts and settlement for clients. We are dedicated to providing the public with important information regarding asbestos-related diseases and what can be done legally when a family member has developed mesothelioma. A Weitz & Luxenberg lawyer can help you get the compensation you need to help pay for essential medical treatment, travel costs, and general financial stability.

FACT: Anyone suffering from mesothelioma has the right to pursue financial compensation.

FACT: Weitz & Luxenberg can help you in this pursuit. Contact us today filling out the form on this page for a free legal consultation.

Sources:

http://www.epa.gov/region4/air/asbestos/inform.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-146/ch2/ch2-10-2.asp.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5815a3.htm

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/malignantmesothelioma