Causes of Lung Cancer Lawsuits
Lung cancer has a wide variety of causes, including everything from smoking cigarettes to air pollution. However, to have a valid claim, your lung cancer diagnosis must have a direct connection to exposure to a known carcinogen. Recently, two primary causes of lung cancer lawsuits have been:
- Asbestos Exposure – If you worked somewhere that exposed you to asbestos, such as in a manufacturing plant, the construction industry, the military, or even a building with asbestos in it, you may meet the direct exposure criteria. Asbestos is a highly toxic substance that can cause various types of lung cancer, including mesothelioma. Additionally, if you lived in a building where you were exposed to asbestos, you may have a valid lawsuit, as well.
- Camp Lejeune Exposure – If you were at the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base between 1953 and 1987, you may have been exposed to a toxic water supply that caused your lung cancer. The toxic water at Camp Lejeune caused various medical conditions in those exposed to it, and lung cancer is one of them. Even if you were at Camp Lejeune for a short period, even a few months, you could be eligible to file.
What Makes Lung Cancer so Dangerous?
According to the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR), the primary reason lung cancer is so deadly is that only 16 percent of cases are identified at an early stage.
Lung cancer can be difficult to identify before it spreads to other parts of the body. And once the cancer spreads, there aren’t many treatment options available. Chemotherapy is the primary option at later stages, but if the cancer was identified earlier, doctors would have other, better options.
Unfortunately, many individuals exposed to asbestos or toxic water weren’t aware of their exposure until years or even decades later. This delay in diagnosis gives the cancer time to grow and spread, making it more deadly and harder to treat.
If you developed lung cancer after exposure to a toxic material, complete our questionnaire to learn more about your eligibility for a lawsuit. You may be able to recover various types of compensation.
Evidence Necessary for a Successful Lung Cancer Claim
To successfully recover compensation through a lawsuit for lung cancer, you’ll need to provide a few critical pieces of evidence. This evidence includes:
First, you must establish that you were exposed to a carcinogen, such as asbestos or the toxic water at Camp Lejeune. For asbestos-related cases, you typically need to show a prolonged exposure period or pattern of exposure, not a one-time exposure to the substance. Your work or military records can serve as key evidence for this.
Second, you must have a diagnosis of some kind of lung cancer. For example, if you were exposed to asbestos, you may have a mesothelioma diagnosis. This diagnosis is typically in your medical records; however, your treating doctor can also provide a separate, written diagnosis.
Third, you must have medical records that document the treatment you underwent for your cancer. In most cases of lung cancer, this treatment will be chemotherapy. But if you underwent other treatments, you should also provide evidence of them.
Finally, you must show that you suffered financial losses because of your diagnosis. These financial losses may take the form of medical bills, lost wages, or other documented expenses related to your cancer.
If you don’t have access to this evidence or are unsure how to acquire it, your personal injury attorney can help. Injury attorneys have extensive experience gathering evidence and can handle that part of your case for you.
Compensation Available to Lung Cancer Victims
People diagnosed with lung cancer after exposure to a harmful substance can seek various types of compensation through their lawsuits. They can pursue money for:
Compensation for surgeries, hospital stays, medical treatments, medical devices, physical therapy, and prescription medications.
Compensation for the income you lost while undergoing treatment for your condition.
Compensation for the income you will lose due to your condition’s impact on your ability to work. Even those who successfully beat their lung cancer can suffer from lasting effects of the disease that make it challenging to work at full capacity.
Compensation for the physical pain and suffering you experience due to your condition.
Compensation for the emotional distress you experience due to your condition. A lung cancer diagnosis can be traumatic for many people and their families.
If your cancer diagnosis and treatment impacted your relationship with your spouse, they can seek compensation for their loss of consortium.
Contact a Lung Cancer Attorney
If you developed lung cancer after being exposed to a toxic substance like asbestos or contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, you may be eligible to seek compensation for your injuries by filing a lung cancer claim.
Complete our questionnaire to learn whether you’re eligible to file a lawsuit to pursue compensation for the exposure that caused your lung cancer. The lawyers of Ron Bell Law are willing to help with your injury case.