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If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is vital to connect with an attorney whose reputation, experience, and passionate approach to advocacy will put you in the best possible position to receive maximum compensation.

If you and your family are dealing with a mesothelioma diagnosis, you deserve the very best legal representation. You need a law firm with a national reputation for mesothelioma litigation and a firm that has secured more than $1 billion for mesothelioma patients. You need Belluck Law, PLLC.

Many mesothelioma patients are unaware that the very nature of their diagnosis means that they likely have strong grounds to file legal action. Attorney Joseph W. Belluck and the knowledgeable legal team at Belluck Law, PLLC, has extensive experience successfully representing mesothelioma patients. Based on our track record and vast resources, Joe Belluck and his team have earned a reputation as the go-to firm for asbestos litigation.

Although the law offices of Belluck Law, PLLC, are based in New York, rest assured that our firm has a national reputation for excellence and a nationwide reach.

Schedule a confidential, no-cost consultation with the compassionate legal team at Belluck Law, PLLC, today to learn more about your rights and options. We are ready to thoroughly and objectively evaluate your circumstances. You’ll be able to ask any questions that may be weighing on your mind. We’ll then provide you with personalized legal guidance designed to help you make informed choices about pursuing legal action at this time.

What Sets Our Mesothelioma Law Firm Apart from the Rest

When dealing with a serious health issue like mesothelioma, you don’t need to settle for a law firm that lacks the resources and experience to take on complex legal matters. Instead, you can choose Belluck Law, PLLC. Attorney Joe Belluck and his team have the skills, resources, and dedication to aggressively pursue the best possible results for you.

Here are some examples of what makes our firm special:

  • Extensive experience with mesothelioma lawsuits (We don’t just know the laws. We helped write them through our decades of handling mesothelioma cases.)
  • Vast resources necessary to investigate your situation, build a solid case, and fight relentlessly for justice on your behalf
  • A long track record of success that includes more than $1 billion recovered for victims of mesothelioma
  • National recognition for advocacy on behalf of mesothelioma patients
  • More than 35 years of legal experience
  • Empathy and compassion toward our clients
  • Powerful advocacy against our opponents
  • Exceptional accessibility and consistent updates (Clients even get Joe Belluck’s cellphone number.)
  • Vast resources to devote to a thorough investigation, legal research, and case development
  • Connections to respected expert witnesses
  • Extensive recognition for client advocacy, professionalism, and personalized legal service
  • Numerous recommendations from satisfied clients and colleagues in the legal field

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is an umbrella term used to describe six fibrous minerals. Three of these six minerals have been used commercially in the U.S. for decades. More than 90 percent of commercial asbestos is “white” chrysotile, while the remaining kinds of asbestos used minimally are “blue” crocidolite and “brown” amosite.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed that no amount of asbestos exposure is safe. Even minimal exposure to these minerals places individuals at a significant, lifelong risk of developing a potentially fatal disease. Mesothelioma is among the diseases asbestos exposure can cause.

Despite these risks, many veterans, workers, apartment dwellers, and homeowners have been exposed to these toxic substances without being warned.

Where Is Asbestos Found?

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Although regulations have reduced the prevalence of asbestos exposure, these minerals are still used commercially and are still found in many older commercial and residential buildings. A single cloud of dust containing asbestos products may contain billions of fibers. When these fibers enter the body and embed themselves in the lungs, damage begins and worsens over time.

Asbestos minerals are found naturally in the environment. The reason why workers, residents, and veterans experience such a high risk of disease after exposure to asbestos products used in commercial settings is that asbestos minerals become far more harmful to the body once they’ve been altered. For example, when these minerals are scraped, cut, or sanded, their structure changes and becomes more dangerous. As a result, raw asbestos that is altered on a work site causes people near the minerals to inhale or ingest asbestos dust containing particularly dangerous fibers. Once this dust is in the air, it can remain airborne for weeks.

Asbestos has been most commonly altered to produce the following commercial and residential products and materials:

  • Floor tiles
  • Shingles used as siding and as roofing material
  • Insulation
  • Spray-on coating for ceiling tiles
  • Packing
  • Pumps
  • Valves
  • Gaskets
  • Boilers
  • Turbines
  • Plaster
  • Caulk
  • Putty
  • Cement
  • Laboratory equipment
  • Automotive parts, including clutches and brakes
  • Fireproofing material
  • Textile products
  • Electrical products
  • Various building materials

Exposure to the production of these materials and products has proven to be particularly hazardous. However, exposure to some of these materials and products in finished form may also result in enough exposure to cause disease.

Individuals who have worked in the following high-risk occupations face a high risk of developing mesothelioma:

  • Construction workers
  • Electricians
  • Engineers
  • Factory Workers
  • Laborers
  • Plumbers
  • Maintenance workers
  • Mechanics
  • Powerhouse workers
  • Merchant seamen
  • Navy veterans
  • Shipyard workers

What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a form of progressive cancer that primarily affects the tissue lining of the chest wall and the lungs. However, it can also significantly impact the function of other organs. The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure.

That is why the very nature of the diagnosis itself serves as grounds for legal action. Current medical research shows you cannot develop mesothelioma by virtue of genetics or chance. Tracking down the source of the asbestos exposure helps to clarify what person, business, or government entity may be held liable for a mesothelioma patient’s disease.

Most mesothelioma patients worked with asbestos products at some time during their lives or were otherwise exposed to inhalation or ingestion of airborne fiber particles. Once these fibers adhere to tissue, they can’t be expelled by normal clean-up processes within the body. As a result, asbestosis, lung cancer, and deadly mesothelioma cancer may develop and worsen over time.

This cancer has an exceptionally long latency period, which is why most patients do not become symptomatic until decades after they’ve been exposed to asbestos fibers. Approximately 3,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma each year. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with this condition, you are certainly not alone.

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Stages of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is usually diagnosed only after it has reached an advanced stage. That is because of how long it takes for patients to show symptoms. Many patients receive a prognosis of less than a year, although some patients whose disease is caught early may survive anywhere from two to five years post-diagnosis.

The Butchart System is the primary methodology used to classify the base stages of the disease. A person’s treatment options and prognosis depend on the stage at which they receive a mesothelioma diagnosis.

The primary mesothelioma stages are:

Stage 1:

Cancer has been found in either the right or left pleura, and may also have been detected in the diaphragm, pericardium, or lung on the same side that it exists in the pleura.

Stage 2:

Cancer has been detected on both sides of the pleura, heart, or esophagus, and may have begun affecting the chest wall and lymph nodes.

Stage 3:

Cancer spread has been detected through both the diaphragm and into the abdominal cavity lining. It may also have spread to lymph nodes outside the chest.

Stage 4:

Cancer has metastasized beyond the organs and tissues noted above to other parts of the body.

Types of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a painful condition that affects the cavity and organ lining known as the mesothelium tissue membrane. When this lining functions correctly, it produces fluid that lubricates organs and allows them to easily shift within the body. Mesothelioma cancer affects one or more of four critical areas lined with mesothelium tissue membrane.

The four kinds of mesothelioma are:

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Pleural mesothelioma

which is the most common kind of mesothelioma cancer. This variation affects the pleura tissue lining that supports the functioning of the lungs and the chest cavity.

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Pericardial mesothelioma

which is much rarer. This variation affects the tissue that lines the heart.

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Peritoneal mesothelioma

This variation affects the lining of the abdominal cavity and the abdominal organs.

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Testicular mesothelioma

This variation is particularly rare and affects the testicles.

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How Can a Mesothelioma Attorney in New York Help?

Regardless of where you live, our firm’s Woodstock, New York, offices have a nationwide reach. We can pursue justice and rightful compensation on your behalf if you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, regardless of where you live. Attorney Joe Belluck and his team will even come to meet with you wherever you are.

Our legal team has extensive experience representing the interests of workers, veterans, and others diagnosed with mesothelioma. Additionally, we frequently represent the interests of family members of workers and veterans who have been exposed to asbestos fibers second-hand. Many individuals have become ill due to “take-home” asbestos fibers that may cling to a worker’s clothing, skin, and hair on a job site.

Once we understand the circumstances that led to your asbestos exposure, we can provide you with personalized legal guidance to help you make informed decisions about taking legal action. You should not be burdened with the financial consequences stemming from your diagnosis. Allow us to hold others accountable so you aren’t forced to struggle with mounting medical bills, the impact of lost income, and the stress of uncertainty accompanying a cancer diagnosis.

Speak with a Knowledgeable New York City Mesothelioma Attorney to Learn More

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related condition, the reputable legal team at Belluck Law, PLLC is here to help. Schedule a free and confidential case evaluation session today to explore your rights and options under the law. The very nature of your condition makes it likely that you have a strong case for considerable compensation.

Allow our team to handle the legal heavy lifting of your situation so you can focus your time, energy, and effort on your loved ones, your passions, and your medical treatment. You don’t have to navigate the legal and financial realities of this situation alone. We’ll put your case first so you can focus on putting yourself first from now on.

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