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An old employer or product manufacturer could potentially be liable
for your mesothelioma diagnosis. You may be able to seek compensation for medical expenses and other damages you have suffered.
Asbestos-related cases are extremely complex, which is why you may benefit from hiring an experienced Milwaukee-based mesothelioma lawyer with a proven track record. The attorneys at PKSD are ready to help and have recovered millions in compensation for injured victims throughout Wisconsin. Partner Jeff Pitman has been selected for Wisconsin Super Lawyers each year between 2006 and 2020.
Call today to find out if you may have a valid case. There is no charge for this consultation and no obligation to file a claim. If you have a case and hire our firm, there are no upfront fees for our services.
Your attorney must review many factors to determine if you may be eligible to seek compensation. You can meet with one of our qualified attorneys for a free consultation to discuss things. Your attorney is likely to want to discuss various issues, including:
These claims are difficult to pursue on your own. Having an attorney who understands these challenges – and how to handle them – may benefit the outcome of your case.
Our mesothelioma lawyers in Milwaukee have extensive knowledge of the laws that may impact your case. We understand this is a difficult situation and are prepared to guide you through the process, managing your case so you can focus on your treatment and being with your loved ones. We have recovered millions on behalf of injury victims and have decades of combined experience.
Your initial case review is free, and if we represent you, there are no upfront costs or fees for us to start. We charge you nothing unless we obtain compensation for you.
Every case is unique, and there are many considerations that can impact the value of your potential claim. Compensation that may be awarded in a case varies, but may include:
If your loved one passes away from an asbestos-related disease before his or her case concludes, you may be able to recover damages on his or her behalf. Wrongful death damages may include:
Mr. Pitman is a member of the Nursing Home Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Iowa Association for Justice and the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Pitman was President of the Wisconsin Association for Justice in 2013 and is a current member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). He lectures extensively on nursing home abuse and neglect and has authored numerous articles in the area of personal injury litigation.
You will likely have to do a bit of research into your work history to determine who may be liable for your damages after being diagnosed with mesothelioma. There could be more than one source of exposure or a singular source where you were exposed for a long period of time. This is something our attorneys are prepared to help you discover.
In general, the following entities are often held liable for exposing workers to asbestos includes:
In Wisconsin, you have three years from the date of your mesothelioma diagnosis to file a lawsuit.
There may certain exceptions in your case that may require you to file sooner or give you more time. That is why it is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible to discuss the situation. If you miss the deadline, you may lose the right to seek compensation.
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It may not be necessary to file a lawsuit to recover compensation. If the business that holds liability for diagnosis was forced into bankruptcy after being sued many times by asbestos victims, it may have set up a trust fund to provide compensation to former employees.
In these situations, we would file a claim with the trust, which would then review it and decide whether to offer compensation. If the trust makes an offer, your attorney may negotiate until the trust makes an offer that provides full compensation.
PKSD’s Milwaukee mesothelioma lawyers can help determine if the party liable for your diagnosis has set up a bankruptcy trust fund.
Mesothelioma is a rare, though aggressive disease that develops in the healthy lining of internal organs – primarily the lungs and chest. Unfortunately, there is no cure and there is a low survival rate once you get past one year.
Victims who are exposed to asbestos may unknowingly inhale or ingest the tiny fibers of this deadly mineral. Once these fibers become embedded in the healthy lining of the victim’s lungs or other internal organs, they may develop into tumors.
Asbestos tumors may take 10, 20, even 50 years to develop after exposure, making it hard to catch this disease early on. For newly diagnosed patients, this unfortunately means that too often they are already in the later stages of mesothelioma and may only have a life expectancy of about 12 months.
Mesothelioma tumors may attack the healthy tissue of multiple organs, including the abdomen, liver, spleen, heart and testicles.
Most commonly, patients are diagnosed with one of these four types of mesothelioma:
By far the most common type, pleural mesothelioma affects the lungs and chest area and accounts for approximately 70 percent of diagnosed cases. Since it is often not caught in an earlier stage, mortality rates tend to be higher.
Those who are diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in Stage 1 may survive 3 years or more with today’s medical treatments. Patients diagnosed at a later stage may not survive 12 months.
Only 20 percent of victims are diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, which can develop in both the liver and spleen. These patients may undergo surgery in combination with a treatment called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), or heated chemotherapy.
Those with peritoneal mesothelioma often have a longer survival rate – up to five years or more when following recommended care.
Although very rare, patients may suffer from pericardial mesothelioma, which attacks the lining around the heart. Currently there are only 200 known cases. Patients treated surgically may live for years, surpassing the estimated survival rate of six weeks to a year after receiving a diagnosis.
Testicular mesothelioma is extremely uncommon. In fact, there are less than 100 documented cases to date. Patients have a life expectancy of about two years after a diagnosis when being treated with both chemotherapy and surgical interventions.
Unfortunately, while research is constantly improving in care and detection of mesothelioma, it is often difficult to detect this disease at an earlier stage. That is why so many people are diagnosed at a later stage.
Some of the earliest signs of the disease, such as unexplained weight loss, extreme fatigue or shortness of breath, are often detected when the disease has already reached stage 3 or 4.
That said, you can watch for a combination of some of these common symptoms associated with mesothelioma:
I started my career defending insurance companies, but quickly realized my heart was in helping real people – not corporations. Now, I’m proud to fight for the little guy every day.
Typically, doctors start by doing a physical exam to look for lumps in the lungs. This may be followed by an imaging test, such as a chest X-ray or PET scan. Doctors may do more testing to confirm their diagnosis, such as biopsy. This involves tissue being removed and sent to a lab for analysis.
It is important to be examined by a doctor who regularly works with mesothelioma patients. Other doctors may not know how to identify the signs of mesothelioma.
Despite what some people may think, these are different diseases. Mesothelioma tumors are harder to spot because they mix in with healthy cells. However, tumors in lung cancer patients are often separate from healthy cells. Another key difference is lung cancer affects the lung, while mesothelioma usually affects the lining of the lungs.
Workers in certain high-risk occupations were regularly exposed to asbestos, especially those working for companies that manufactured the thousands of products containing this dangerous mineral. Asbestos was very popular in many of these products for its heat-resistant and insulating properties.
While those who worked in these high-risk industries in the 1970s or earlier may have been exposed to asbestos daily, some workers are still at risk today.
Some of the high-risk industries/jobs/job titles for asbestos exposure include:
There were many products employees in these industries worked with that may have contained asbestos. Here are just a few:
There are three ways workers and others might be exposed to asbestos fibers:
If you are experiencing any of the known symptoms or warning signs of mesothelioma and have a work history that put you at risk, you should see your doctor immediately. After receiving a diagnosis, we also recommend that you speak with an attorney to determine what legal options you may have for holding the at-fault party or parties financially accountable.
After receiving a diagnosis, you may feel overwhelmed and unsure what steps to take next. Especially early on while you are physically able to do so, it is important that you take some immediate steps to help you gain a better understanding of your condition and the latest treatment options that are available to you.
Some recommended first steps include:
At PKSD, we are ready to help connect you with additional resources to assist you with managing this disease.
Treatment and support in Wisconsin includes:
Receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis is devastating for most people and trying to determine what to do can be overwhelming. Dealing with mesothelioma, its treatment and pursuing compensation to help you pay for your continued care are necessary actions, but not ones that you should have to manage alone.
At PKSD, our attorneys have extensive experience advocating for injured victims throughout Wisconsin. We have the resources to investigate your claim and gather evidence to build a strong case.
If we represent you, our qualified legal team is ready to fully manage your case and protect your best interests throughout the legal process. We will keep you well informed about your case so that you can focus on what is important – your health and your family.
Call our firm today to set up your completely free, no-obligation case review. If we represent you, there is nothing to pay up front or while we work on your case. You pay us nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Client Reviews
PKSD was great to work with after I had been in a car accident. They were incredibly thorough, patient, and understanding through the whole process! Sam Killian handled my case and kept me up to date every step of the way. He worked to negotiate my final settlement and was transparent about timelines and total amounts. Great, clear communication! Definitely would recommend! They make it a breeze.
Excellent service! They handled my case with care and importance. They kept me updated every step of the way. They fought for me to get a higher payout and succeeded! I am grateful for their help!
I have use PKSD 3 times. They took very good care of me. They walked me through the process and answered all my questions. I recomend them to everybody I know.
Outstanding Legal Representation – Highly Recommend! I had an incredible experience working with PKSD. They fought hard for me and made sure I got the money I truly deserved. From start to finish, they were professional, responsive, and genuinely cared about my case. Their expertise and dedication made the process smooth and stress-free. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome and would highly recommend them to anyone in need of legal help. Thank you for everything!
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney Jeffery A. Pitman, who has more than 28 years of legal experience and handled thousands of personal injury cases while obtaining millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and New Mexico.
