Louisiana Asbestos Exposure Lawyer
This cheap and effective fireproofing and insulation mineral is still legal to use in the United States, although asbestos is widely known as one of the worst carcinogens in nature. A single microscopic fiber could cause mesothelioma, asbestosis, and a number of other serious conditions. Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer which, despite an increased overall cancer survival rate, is almost always fatal. Asbestosis, which is the buildup of scar tissue inside narrow breathing passageways, is often fatal as well. These conditions have very long latency periods, as long as seventy years in many cases.
If a Louisiana asbestos exposure lawyer from Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe connects asbestos exposure to a certain workplace, the victim is usually eligible for no-fault workers’ compensation benefits. These victims don’t have to prove negligence, or a lack of care. They only have to prove work-related exposure. As outlined below, the available benefits are life-changing for victims and survivors. No amount of money could begin to fill the void a wrongful death or a catastrophic work-related injury creates. However, the compensation does help victims and survivors carry on with their lives, which at this point, is the best possible outcome.
Lost Wages
Once asbestos exposure illnesses surface, these victims usually cannot work at all. In many cases, they can never work again. This loss is emotionally crippling to victims and families. It’s financially crippling as well. To reduce some of this financial stress, several types of lost wage replacement benefits are available, including:
- Temporary Total Disability: TTD victims are mostly trauma injury victims who are able to return to work once they recover. In a few cases, asbestos exposure victims are also TTD victims. In either case, workers’ compensation usually pays two-thirds of the victim’s average weekly wage (AWW) for up to 100 weeks.
- Temporary Partial Disability: Many victims “graduate” from TTD to TPD. As they recover, they may return to work on a limited basis. Since the new income is almost always substantially lower than the old income, workers’ compensation usually pays two-thirds of the difference between these two figures.
- Permanent Total Disability: Alas, most asbestos exposure victims are PTD victims. They’ll never be physically capable of working again. Workers’ compensation usually makes lump sum payments in these situations, as well as in catastrophic injury situations.
- Permanent Partial Disability: Many victims “reverse graduate” from TTD or TPD to PPD. Although their injuries mostly heal, some lingering ill effects, such as reduced range of motion in a knee, remain. The Bayou State has very complex laws in this area which a Louisiana asbestos exposure lawyer can interpret and apply.
Because of the aforementioned long latency period, workers’ compensation back pay is often a key issue. Sometimes, this back pay is retroactive to the date of illness. Sometimes, it’s retroactive to the date of diagnosis. Sometimes, it’s retroactive to a different date.
Medical Bills
Mesothelioma and other serious, chronic illness treatments often cost over $10,000 per month. So, these victims badly need compensation for medical bills, like:
- Radiation: Only highly targeted radiation treatments are safe for mesothelioma victims. These tumors form between the heart and lungs. A general radiation treatment causes far too much collateral damage.
- Surgery: Generally, doctors use radiation to shrink tumors, giving surgeons a better chance to remove them. Surgery is extremely costly for mesothelioma patients, largely because these procedures are so delicate.
- Chemotherapy: These drugs kill remaining cancer cells. Today’s chemotherapy drugs are much stronger than ever before. They’re also more expensive than ever before. Additionally, they cause severe side effects that are often physically and financially crippling.
Asbestosis is also very difficult to treat. The affected breathing tubes are usually no bigger than the tip of a pencil. Once scar tissue blocks them, a radical, expensive, and risky lung transplant is usually the only treatment option.
Reach Out to a Diligent Orleans Parish Attorney
Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced Louisiana asbestos exposure lawyer, contact Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe, LLC. We routinely handle matters in Louisiana and Mississippi.
