Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is an asbestos-caused cancer of the membranes that surround many of the body’s vital organs. The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, where the cancer attacks the tissue surrounding the lung.

While considered a rare cancer, mesothelioma is not rare among individuals exposed to asbestos. The great tragedy of mesothelioma is that it was preventable. Many of the corporations that manufactured and profited from the sale of asbestos-containing products were aware of the hazards of asbestos.Mesothelioma is a rare cancer in the general population. However, in individuals that were exposed to asbestos, it is not as rare. That’s because the only known, established cause of mesothelioma is asbestos. Each year 2,500 to 4,000 patients in the U.S. are diagnosed with mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases.

This disease was preventable. Many of the corporations that manufactured and profited from the sale of asbestos-containing products were aware of the hazards of asbestos. The manufacturers did not warn workers exposed to the asbestos in their products until, at the earliest, the mid-1960’s and the warnings were terribly inadequate. The result is that many Americans have unnecessarily and tragically contracted asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma.

The large settlements and verdicts associated with mesothelioma cases are not accidental. Jurors who have the opportunity to review the internal documents of these manufacturers and sellers of these products are outraged by the actual knowledge of these corporations and access to knowledge about the hazards of asbestos.