The initial signs of Alex Cesar’s lung cancer appeared in the winter of 2018. His mother noticed that the young man would start to cough and could not stop. A trip to the medical center in Anchorage earlier this year showed that the 20-year-old has mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure. (juneauempire.com)
The mesothelioma diagnosis started a highly stressful time for the family, who had been fighting Cesar’s cancer since he was very young. During a fundraiser last week for the young man at the Juneau, Alaska Arts and Culture Center, his mother talked about the support they have received over the years.
Alexandria Lawrence said it has been incredibly overwhelming how much people care and wish to help financially. She noted this most recent event was not their first large fundraiser, and there have been many over the years where people’s generosity was really on display.
Many community members and local businesses worked together on June 15 for a day-long fundraiser for the 20-year-old. He is now undergoing chemotherapy and will probably have surgery later this summer. He has two more rounds of chemotherapy to go and at the end of July, doctors will determine if it is safe to do surgery on his lung. Ceser could not attend the latest fundraiser because he is continuing his treatment in Seattle.
According to Cesar’s father, Robert, mesothelioma is incurable and cannot be effectively treated with radiation or chemotherapy, and can be best treated only with surgery combined with the other treatments. At this time, doctors are doing chemotherapy on the tumors so they can be removed surgically.
Robert said while they are trying to raise money for his treatments, the major value add in these efforts is community, and having friends, family and community to support them.
Why File Mesothelioma Lawsuit in California?
If you live or worked in California and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, current law allows you to file a lawsuit not just for an employee that was exposed and sickened by asbestos exposure, but also by members of the family who have gotten sick from secondary asbestos exposure. It is common for family members to possibly be exposed to asbestos fibers that are brought into the home by workers on their clothes or tools.
Attorneys in California have successfully argued in court that all employers, who were always aware of the dangers of asbestos exposure, have a duty to offer measures of protection including showers and lockers so workers can change clothes before they go home so their family members are not sickened.
Many years usually pass between the time of exposure to asbestos and the diagnosis of mesothelioma. But exposure to asbestos is the only known way to contract this cancer. Dust from asbestos fibers is often inhaled through the mouth or nose. When inhaled, it can get into the lungs and damage cells in the lung lining. This is the pleural type of mesothelioma. The tiny, sharp asbestos fibers also can damage the lining of the abdominal area and lead to peritoneal mesothelioma, which is more treatable than the pleural type.
Whatever the type of mesothelioma you have, the disease progresses slowly over many years. It is irreversible and is usually fatal eventually. But the recent California State Supreme Court ruling is a solid step forward in securing justice for families who have gotten mesothelioma second hand.
Fast Tracked Mesothelioma Lawsuits in California
Another big advantage of filing a lawsuit for mesothelioma in California is that this state is usually a leader in enacting laws that protect citizens’ health. This can work out very well for getting a mesothelioma lawsuit fast-tracked. Usually, the person with the disease has many medical needs and bills that must be paid. The sooner he or she can get compensation, the better.
Since 2000, some states with many mesothelioma lawsuits started to limit laws to reduce the number of filings. But this is not the case in California. So, some state courts have seen a higher number of these lawsuits that have been filed by in state and out of state victims in recent years.
This is why California has opted to not pass the sorts of laws that can obstruct asbestos cancer lawsuits in many states. Instead, California courts have passed measures to handle a large number of mesothelioma cases so they can expedite claims by patients in desperate need of financial relief. This has allowed a fast-track approach that lets the cases of patients terminally ill with mesothelioma to get to trial in only four months.
Who Can File a Mesothelioma Lawsuit in California?
Some of the restrictions that are placed on asbestos lawsuits in some states are regulations that prevent people from out of state filing asbestos cancer lawsuits. There are not these types of restrictions in this state. This is a major advantage because a mesothelioma lawsuit in California can be often more successful and deliver a terminally ill patient with better compensation. Even if the lawsuit settles before trial, the settlement could be greater in California. Corporations are aware that verdicts in courts here are more likely to go against them. This can enhance their motivation to agree to a larger settlement.
Talk to a California mesothelioma attorney today if you have been exposed to asbestos and were diagnosed with mesothelioma.
References
- Community Raises Money for 20 Year Old With Mesothelioma. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.juneauempire.com/news/community-raises-money-for-20-year-old-with-mesothelioma/
