North Carolina Pericardial Mesothelioma Lawyer

Have your doctors diagnosed you with pericardial mesothelioma? The rare, aggressive disease occurs due to exposure to asbestos and asbestos-containing products. Asbestos manufacturers have known about the substance’s dangers for decades. You may have the right to pursue financial compensation for your medical care and other losses if you developed pericardial mesothelioma after asbestos exposure.

Let a North Carolina pericardial mesothelioma lawyer from Ward Black Law help you seek maximum compensation for your losses. For over 30 years, our firm has represented victims of mesothelioma and lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure. We take pride in being one of only a handful of law firms in North Carolina that handle complex asbestos claims.

After a diagnosis of pericardial mesothelioma, get the legal help you need from our North Carolina asbestos lawyers to pursue financial recovery for your medical bills, lost income, pain, suffering, and more. Contact Ward Black Law for a free case review to discuss how our firm can help you seek compensation and justice for your illness.

What Is Pericardial Mesothelioma and What Causes It?

Pericardial mesothelioma is a type of cancer that forms in the pericardium, or the thin membrane surrounding the heart. The pericardium supports, protects, and lubricates the heart inside the chest cavity. Pericardial mesothelioma ranks as the rarest form of mesothelioma.

Exposure to asbestos or asbestos-containing products causes pericardial mesothelioma. Using asbestos or asbestos-containing products can cause fibers to break off and float in the air, where people can inhale or ingest the fibers. Once inside the body, the fibers may make their way into the tissues of the pericardium and become lodged in the tissue.

Asbestos fibers’ curled, jagged, or needle-like shape can irritate and damage tissues. The resulting scar tissue may damage the DNA in cells, causing the cells to become cancerous and form tumors.

Pericardial Mesothelioma Diagnoses in North Carolina

Thickening of the pericardium due to scar tissue and tumors caused by asbestos fibers can lead to excess fluid build-up between the inner and outer layers of the pericardium. This fluid build-up can cause symptoms such as:

• Chronic chest pain
• Chronic cough
• Difficulty breathing
• Irregular heartbeat or heart palpitations
• Fevers
• Night sweats
• Fatigue or chronic exhaustion
• Unexplained or unintended weight loss

Unfortunately, these symptoms occur in other, more common illnesses like airborne viruses (rhinovirus, influenza, and COVID-19, for example), respiratory infections, or cardiovascular disease. However, as symptoms worsen and other treatments fail to resolve the symptoms, doctors may include pericardial mesothelioma in the differential diagnosis – especially if the patient has a documented history of asbestos exposure.

Doctors may perform diagnostic tests to confirm a pericardial mesothelioma diagnosis, such as X-rays, CT scans, echocardiograms, PET scans, blood tests, and biopsies of the pericardium and pericardial fluid.

Because pericardial mesothelioma is such an uncommon disease, many doctors may not consider it as a potential diagnosis unless they have prior experience treating or specialize in treating mesothelioma. As a result, many cases of pericardial mesothelioma go undiagnosed until the disease reaches a more advanced, harder-to-treat stage where the cancer has metastasized (spread) to other parts of the body.

Treatment Options for NC Pericardial Mesothelioma Patients

Like other types of mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma currently has no known cure. Treatment options for patients diagnosed with pericardial mesothelioma depend on the stage of the disease and the patient’s age and overall health. Treatments typically focus on prolonging the patient’s lifespan and mitigating the symptoms of the disease.

Standard treatment options for pericardial mesothelioma include:

• Pericardiectomy – This surgical procedure removes some or all of the pericardium.
• Surgeries – Doctors may surgically remove other large tumors identified elsewhere in the body.
• Radiation therapy – This treatment uses targeted radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
• Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy can help fight microscopic tumors throughout the body and slow the spread of the cancer.
• Experimental treatments – Patients might join clinical trials to test newly developed treatment options such as immunotherapy and other cancer-killing drugs.
• Holistic care – Holistic care helps patients manage pain and other symptoms of the disease to improve their quality of life.

Legal Options for North Carolina Pericardial Mesothelioma Patients

People diagnosed with pericardial mesothelioma may have several legal options to recover compensation that can help pay for the expensive medical care needed to fight the disease and for other losses.

Individuals who develop pericardial mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure at work may have the option of filing a workers’ compensation claim to obtain medical benefits to pay for treatment, as well as partial wage-replacement benefits and other types of compensation.

Pericardial mesothelioma patients may also have claims against the manufacturers of the asbestos products that caused the disease. Patients can file a product liability claim against the manufacturers responsible for their exposure to the substance, as well as premises owners and distributors.

Many asbestos companies have gone out of business or gone bankrupt. Some of these companies have established multi-billion-dollar bankruptcy trusts to pay mesothelioma claims. Pericardial mesothelioma patients can file administrative claims with these bankruptcy trusts – often a much simpler process than pursuing a lawsuit against a corporation.

Compensation for People with Pericardial Mesothelioma

People suffering from pericardial mesothelioma may have the right to recover compensation and financial benefits to help with their treatment to fight the disease and offset other related losses. A workers’ compensation claim can provide benefits such as payment for all reasonable and necessary medical treatment, partial reimbursement of lost wages when a person cannot work due to cancer, and death benefits for surviving dependents.

Claims against asbestos manufacturers and asbestos trust funds may also offer compensation for financial and personal losses caused by pericardial mesothelioma, including:

• Medical expenses
• Ongoing and future losses of income and earning capacity
• Costs of long-term care and support services, such as home health services or housekeeping assistance
• Physical pain and emotional distress
• Loss of quality of life and reduced life expectancy