Mesothelioma Law

Based in Baltimore, Maryland &
Serving Maryland & all of Washington D.C.

Malignant mesothelioma is a form of cancer in the lining of your lungs, abdomen or heart that is most often caused by exposure to asbestos. Each year in the United States, some 2,500 cases of this cancer are diagnosed.

After a diagnosis
Sadly, there is usually little time left once you are diagnosed with this cancer, as symptoms can take decades to surface. At this point, physicians are often left with few options except to help alleviate physical suffering and help ensure that you or your loved one’s final days spent as most comfortable as possible.

You deserve answers
If you are faced with this heart-breaking news, you deserve to find out why there was no warning about the dangers of asbestos. You have the right to seek damages for your and family or for a loved one who has passed away from mesothelioma or an asbestos-related disease.

Although a legal battle is the last thing you want to engage in once you have received a mesothelioma diagnosis, exercising your legal rights can help you collect the funds necessary to:

• Pay off substantial medical bills
• Finance aggressive treatment
• Provide future financial security for your family 

Washington D.C. law

Because it is our nation’s capitol and home to the United States Supreme Court, Washington D.C. is the site of many mesothelioma cases. However, there have also been a number of less-publicized cases in the district courts.

The District of Columbia determines compensation based on:

• Pure contributory negligence: You may only recover compensation for damages if it is determined that you are completely blameless in causing your injury. This can be both good and bad for a plaintiff.
• Common law joint and several liability: When there is more than one wrongdoer, each defendant is jointly and severally responsible for the amount of damages, regardless of how much their fault contributed to the injury. This is beneficial because it allows an injured plaintiff to recover the entire amount of damages from any one or any combination of defendants.

Statute of limitations
Every state has its own Statute of Limitations, the amount of time that a plaintiff has to file a claim. If you fail to submit the claim in this timeframe, you could relinquish your right to collect compensation.

In Washington D.C., if you are filing a personal injury claim once you or a loved on has been diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer, you have three years from the date of diagnosis to file your claim.

If a loved one has died from mesothelioma or other asbestos-related disease, you have one year from the date of death or within one year from the date that you knew (or should have known) that exposure to asbestos caused or contributed to the death.

However, if you have waited longer than the designated time period, you may still be able to recover compensation. That is why you should contact the experienced mesothelioma lawyers in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. to discuss the details of your case. The asbestos lawyers at Parker, Dumler, and Kiely, LLP can help you understand your options and will work diligently to get you the compensation you deserve.

Learn how the lawyers at PDK can help you obtain a settlement for your asbestos lawsuit.