MESOTHELIOMA

Weitz & Luxenberg has nearly 40 years of experience in mesothelioma law, helping families receive justice. For those clients diagnosed with this devastating disease, our experience and results are a tremendous benefit.*

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How We Can Help

A mesothelioma diagnosis can be overwhelming; especially with looming medical expenses and the frustration of knowing the disease could be traced to asbestos exposure from your job, from activities such a washing asbestos-laden clothing or from the use of talcum powder. A trusted and experienced lawyer can help victims of asbestos-related diseases and their loved ones receive the justice they deserve.

Few law firms are more respected in the field of asbestos litigation than Weitz & Luxenberg. Our firm stands behind victims of asbestos exposure, helping them through a confusing and difficult time. We prize personal client relationships and handle the majority of the legal burden, so victims of asbestos exposure can focus on their health and loved ones.

  • With almost 40 years of experience in asbestos litigation, we provide compassionate, skilled representation to victims of asbestos exposure.

  • Our firm has handled more than 33,000 asbestos cases, taking on about 500 cases each year from clients nationwide.

  • A powerful legal engine, we offer a virtual army of nearly 500 dedicated lawyers, paralegals and support professionals, many focused solely on asbestos cases.

  • 55,000

    Families Helped

  • Over 8.5 Billion Dollars

    In Verdicts and Settlements We Have Won for Our Clients

  • Almost 40 Years

    of Experience

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Weitz & Luxenberg has over 100 attorneys — many focused solely on asbestos cases.

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What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that forms on protective linings of the chest, the abdomen, the heart and the testicles.1 Many of the 3,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year can be traced to job-related asbestos exposure.2 3

Mesothelioma usually takes anywhere from 20 to 50 years to develop. Unfortunately, there is no cure for mesothelioma, and the risk of developing the deadly cancer does not diminish over time, even after the exposure to asbestos ends.3

More About Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
3,000 People

Mesothelioma Patients Diagnosed Each Year

10 Years

Minimum Time Period After Asbestos Exposure for Mesothelioma to Appear

75% of Cases

Mesothelioma Cases Start in the Chest

72 Years

Average Age at the Time of Pleural Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Health Effects of Asbestos

Health Effects of Asbestos
  • AsbestosisScarring of lung tissue4
  • Lung CancerMalignant tumor that invades the lungs5
  • MesotheliomaCancer of the lining of the lungs and other organs
Asbestos fibers can affect anyone who inhales them.

Symptoms & Treatment of Mesothelioma

By the time symptoms of mesothelioma surface and an oncologist can make a definitive diagnosis, the disease is often advanced. That’s because people may mistake the early symptoms of mesothelioma, such as pain, weight loss, or fever, for common ailments.6

Mesothelioma can be very hard to treat — regardless of the stage of the cancer. Doctors typically turn to four types of standard treatment: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Clinical trials are testing new types of treatment, such as biologic therapy.7

Types of Mesothelioma

The medical community recognizes four main types of mesothelioma. Each is named for the area of the body where the cancer starts.

  • Pleural Mesothelioma (Lungs)

    Pleural mesothelioma affects the thin lining of the lungs and is the most common type of the disease, accounting for about three out of four — or 75 percent of — diagnoses.1

  • Peritoneal Mesothelioma (Abdomen)

    Peritoneal mesothelioma, the second most common type of mesothelioma, forms on the lining of the abdominal cavity and can result from coughing up and swallowing inhaled asbestos fibers.8

  • Pericardial Mesothelioma (Heart)

    Pericardial mesothelioma begins in the covering around the heart. It is a very rare form of the disease, making up a less than 1% prevalence rate.9

  • Testicular Mesothelioma

    Testicular mesothelioma is a cancer of the membrane lining that covers the testicles. Only about 100 cases have been reported in medical literature, and the disease is difficult to diagnose because of its rarity.10

If you or a family member feel that they may have been affected by Mesothelioma, feel free to contact us, so that we can fight for you.

Who Gets Diagnosed with Mesothelioma

Weitz & Luxenberg attorneys advocate for men and women whose lives were ruined or altered by asbestos. Many of them are spouses of someone with mesothelioma, and sometimes they are veterans who encountered asbestos while serving in the U.S. military. Though asbestos use in the U.S. has dropped dramatically in recent decades, asbestos is still present in older homes and buildings, including some schools. Asbestos is also still used in products such as automobile brakes and roofing materials and is contained in talcum powder products.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has estimated that millions of employees deal with risk in their jobs. Workers in construction and general industries face significant asbestos exposure on the job. People at risk for asbestos exposure in the workplace include some miners, factory workers, insulation manufacturers and installers, railroad and automotive workers, ship builders, gas mask manufacturers, plumbers, firefighters, and construction workers.1 8 11 12 13 14

Tugboat in a PortIn a historic court victory, Weitz & Luxenberg won a verdict of $75 million on behalf of 36 shipbuilders exposed to asbestos at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the 1940s and 50s.

Military Man Inspecting MachineryMany asbestos victims trace their illnesses back to the military. In fact, veterans account for an estimated 30 percent of those diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.

Boiler workerIn two separate asbestos cases, Weitz & Luxenberg won $190 million for a group of five boiler company workers and $49 million for a boilermaker who suffered from mesothelioma.

Mechanic Working on CarMany auto parts, including brakes and clutches, can release asbestos fibers when they start to break apart or disintegrate due to wear and tear or when they are removed and replaced.

Man Removing AbestosWeitz & Luxenberg won a $35 million verdict on behalf of an asbestos-removal worker who died from complications related to mesothelioma.

Mom, dad and two baby sons on a couchToxic asbestos fibers can collect on clothing, especially in asbestos-heavy work environments. This contaminated clothing can easily pollute the home, placing children and family members at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases.

Jobsite Exposure & Asbestos Discovery

Weitz & Luxenberg has represented more than 33,000 individuals and families who have been affected by asbestos exposure, giving our firm a deep knowledge of worksites across the U.S.

Our firm investigates each case, in an effort to track down the source of asbestos contact. Because we have worked on so many asbestos cases, we’re experts at investigating and determining where people were exposed to asbestos, what products they were exposed to and what company is responsible.

  • Shipyards

    The ability to resist corrosion and high temperatures made asbestos a go-to material for building, repairing, and maintaining ships.

  • Power & Chemical Plants

    Power and chemical plants were rich with asbestos. Employees wore asbestos clothing for protection from heat and chemicals.

  • Metal Works

    With its heat-resistant qualities, asbestos was viewed as ideal for protecting workers and machinery in the metal works industry.

  • Construction Sites

    Both commercial and residential construction relied heavily on asbestos products — it was on roofs, in tile, and mixed with cement.

  • Military

    Veterans who served in certain occupations may have been exposed to asbestos, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.15

  • Industrial Sites

    Workers made an estimated 3,000 products using asbestos, and the industrial uses of the material were virtually endless.

Why Choose Us

We’ve developed winning methods to explain to juries the complicated scientific and medical issues involved in your case. Equipped with our unique insight into asbestos companies and lawyers, we’ve won more than $8.5 billion in asbestos settlements and litigation.*

  • We have honed our experience in more than 33,000 asbestos cases.
  • We serve on 25 corporate bankruptcy Trust Advisory Committees.
  • We are leaders in numerous bar associations and significant charities.

In addition to being a pioneer in asbestos litigation, our firm is in the forefront of asbestos legislation, championing laws that protect the rights of current and future asbestos victims.

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Weitz & Luxenberg AttorneysWeitz & Luxenberg Building in New York, NY

Recent Verdicts

Weitz & Luxenberg is responsible for some of the most significant asbestos verdicts in history — verdicts that bring justice to victims and send a powerful message to companies that ignored the effects of asbestos.

* While our past record doesn’t guarantee future success, it is something you may want to consider when evaluating our experience.

  1. American Cancer Society. (2018, November 16). What Is Malignant Mesothelioma? Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/malignant-mesothelioma/about/malignant-mesothelioma.html
  2. American Cancer Society. (2019, January 9). Key Statistics About Malignant Mesothelioma. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/malignant-mesothelioma/about/key-statistics.html
  3. American Cancer Society. (2018, November 16). Risk Factors for Malignant Mesothelioma. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/malignant-mesothelioma/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html
  4. American Lung Association. (n.d.). Asbestosis. Retrieved from http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asbestosis/
  5. UMMC Health Care. (n.d.). Lung Cancers and Mesothelioma. Retrieved from https://www.umc.edu/Healthcare/Cancer/Cancer_Types/Lung%20Cancers%20and%20Mesothelioma.html
  6. American Cancer Society. (2018, November 16). Signs and Symptoms of Mesothelioma. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/malignant-mesothelioma/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms.html
  7. National Cancer Institute. (2021, May 21). Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment (Adult) (PDQ®)–Patient Version. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.gov/types/mesothelioma/patient/mesothelioma-treatment-pdq#section/_50
  8. American Cancer Society. (2023, January 18). Asbestos and Cancer Risk. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/chemicals/asbestos.html
  9. Savarrakhsh, A., et al. (2021). Malignant primary pericardial mesothelioma presenting as effusive constrictive pericarditis: a case report study. Retrieved from https://cardiothoracicsurgery.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13019-021-01684-8
  10. Candura, S.M. et al. (n.d.). Malignant Mesothelioma of the Tunica Vaginalis Testis in a Petrochemical Worker Exposed to Asbestos. Anticancer Research, 28, 1365-1368. Retrieved from http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/28/2B/1365.full.pdf
  11. Penn Medicine. Abramson Cancer Center. (n.d.). Exposure to Asbestos. Retrieved from https://www.pennmedicine.org/cancer/types-of-cancer/mesothelioma/asbestos-cancer/exposure-to-asbestos
  12. OSHA. (n.d.). Asbestos. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/asbestos
  13. World Health Organization. (2014). Chrysotile Asbestos. Retrieved from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/143649/9789241564816_eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
  14. Moffitt Cancer Center. (n.d.). What Are the Most Common Occupations at Risk for Mesothelioma? Retrieved from https://moffitt.org/cancers/mesothelioma/faqs/what-are-the-most-common-occupations-at-risk-for-mesothelioma/
  15. U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. (2023, April 18). Asbestos. Retrieved from http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/asbestos/index.asp

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