Weitz & Luxenberg’s Mesothelioma Story Page

Here, Weitz & Luxenberg has put together this collection of actual stories told by people who suffered from mesothelioma themselves, or knew somebody close to them that did. Although what these people suffered is difficult to fathom, it is important to bear in mind that medical professionals are working diligently across the country, as well as in other parts of the world, to find a cure for this devastating illness.  If you have any questions about asbestos related litigation, please do not hesitate to contact Weitz & Luxenberg.

A worker was directly exposed to asbestos…

They told me that the cancer I’ve got, you know, of the outside portion of my lung isn’t curable. ..they as in like the doctors and the surgeons. It’s been like this since August of last year.  I don’t really understand all the medical jargon that they used, you know….but I know that I got this thing, this mesothelioma from asbestos exposure….I used to work as a mechanic, you know… I handled brake linings, brake shoes on vehicles, that kind of thing. That was back in the 1950s to about the 80s or so.  So…that was a really long time to have been exposed to asbestos, but back then, you know, they didn’t really tell us about the dangers of that stuff…

-D.L. Diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in 2002

Her father unintentionally exposed her to asbestos as a child

My first exposure to asbestos happened when I was a young kid. Really young, like six or seven.  In the 1960s, my dad worked as an engineer. I was very much a daddy’s girl and I missed him a lot when he was away. So when he finally got to come home, he didn’t change out of his work clothing or anything. He’d take me into his arms, give me plenty of hugs and kisses, all while being covered in white dust.  It looked a lot like chalk actually….

He had that job for years, and he was so anxious to see me after a long hard day that he’d never change out of his clothes before hugging me.  I don’t blame him you know, for getting me sick with he didn’t know that asbestos was fatal.  I’m sure that if he did, he would have done everything in his power to prevent me from being exposed to it….

…In 1999 or so, I started to feel really fatigued.  My children were young at the time, so I thought that some of the lethargy was due to running around with them. But it turned out to be something more serious. My doctors found some fluid accumulating in my lung and the lung tissue itself was pretty badly damaged…..

 I started chemotherapy immediately….which only made me more miserable. I couldn’t get out of bed to take care of my kids or anything. I felt… like a terrible mother. I knew that I probably didn’t have much time left, but I asked God to at least let me live long enough to ensure that my family would be well taken care of when I died…..

-R.T. Diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in 1999

He was exposed to asbestos while serving in the armed forces..

When I was a young guy, you know, I was a whiz with mechanics. So when I joined the armed forces back in the 1940s, I fought, obviously, but I mostly did a lot of mechanical stuff. Here…this is a brake shoe that’s like the one I handled, except the ones from the war period were lined with asbestos. It has rivets and it is….mounted on a frame.  I used to use a…a…rasp and some sandpaper to sand down the imperfect part of the brake so that it was all nice and even. Come to think of it, that’s probably what set the asbestos into the air….so I probably breathed in a lot of it….

…I took pride in my work, you know. And I was pretty darn good at it if I say so myself.  I didn’t know that asbestos could cause mesothelioma or any disease, really. To me it just looked like dust. Harmless, right? And for years that’s what I believed and it wasn’t until I had my first surgery on my lung that asbestos could cause cancer…

-L.B- Diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in 2000

Mesothelioma robber her of the man she loved and resulted in her own mesothelioma diagnosis

My husband was a Navy Yard worker. And you know those Navy Yards were filled with asbestos. Not just on the ships, but the bases as well.  But my husband and his colleagues…well..they didn’t know that asbestos could cause cancer. They just wanted to do their jobs thoroughly. It was wartime and old naval ships needed to be repaired and new ones built as quickly as possible….

After the war was over, work at the Navy Yard slowed down, so my husband got as a construction worker. He did everything….pipe fitting, boiler making. He said he handled asbestos on a daily basis, often without protection…… And he’d come home to me with his clothes covered in asbestos which I washed by hand…

Mesothelioma ruined what should have been a wonderful retirement. It took my husband from me two years ago. And oh, how he suffered. He was in pain every day. Could barely breathe. I did what I could to ease his burden as much as possible.. I started experiencing chest pains….sometimes stabbing, sometimes dull..but always there. Always…

-E.W- Diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in 1998

Were you exposed to asbestos? Did this result in a mesothelioma diagnosis? Let Weitz & Luxenberg be your legal advocate

Weitz & Luxenberg has been a leader in Mesothelioma and asbestos related litigation for over two decades. We have achieved more favorable verdicts and settlements for people just like you who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer or asbestosis following exposure to asbestos.  Our attorneys have the qualifications and experience necessary to get you the justice and compensation you deserve.

If you would like a free legal review of your mesothelioma case, please fill out the form on this page. All communication will be strictly confidential, and there is no fee unless we secure a monetary verdict or settlement for you.