Mesothelioma mortality rate rises 8.9 percent in the United States from 1999 to 2005

The following new information on the nation's mesothelioma mortality rate is brought to you by the personal injury law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg, recognized coast-to-coast for obtaining record-setting verdicts and settlements for clients injured on the job by exposure to asbestos.

May 27, 2009 – In a span of six years, the number of mesothelioma deaths in the United States rose 8.9 percent, from 2,482 in 1999 to 2,704 in 2005, according to the most complete government figures available on the nation’s mesothelioma mortality rate.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) analyzed annual multiple-cause-of-death records for 1999-2005. Notably, the government did not begin tracking mesothelioma as a cause of death until 1999.

U.S. mesothelioma mortality rate

During 1999-2005, a total of 18,068 deaths from mesothelioma were reported in the United States.

Mesothelioma commonly strikes older individuals. For example, there were only 311 deaths in the under-45 age group during the 1999-2005 period, but 8,858 deaths among those 75 and older.

Mesothelioma's long latency period

Mesothelioma is a fatal cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma has no known cure, and most patients die within a year to 18 months after diagnosis. The latency period between exposure and diagnosis is commonly 20 to 40 years, though it can be longer. Most deaths from mesothelioma in the United States derive from exposure decades ago.

Occupations at risk

According to the U.S. Centers For Disease Control, construction work accounts for 15 percent of mesothelioma deaths. Other industries with a high rate of mesothelioma include: ship/boat building and repair, chemical manufacturing, petroleum refining, and the utility industry. Trades or occupations most at risk include: pipe fitters, steamfitters, plumbers, mechanical engineers, electricians and elementary school teachers.

Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. This disease is most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and usually contracted through employers’ blatant preference for profits over the health and safety of their workers. That’s why persons diagnosed with mesothelioma and their family members have strong cases in court.

Seek justice with Weitz & Luxenberg

Weitz & Luxenberg has represented workers diagnosed with an asbestos disease for 25 years – longer than most law firms in the nation. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won more than a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients to help them pay for medical bills, lost wages and damages.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free legal consultation, please notify us through the communication form on this page. We will pursue your claim with vigilance. And because we work on a contingency basis, there is no cost to you at all until we win a settlement or verdict. Provide your medical details today!