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What is Mesothelioma? Why are there so many Mesothelioma
commercials on TV?
by John
Quest 5/20/10
I'm sure you have seen commercials on TV about Mesothelioma. They say that it is a
lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos and that they want to offer you some legal
advice and possibly some recipes too! But what exactly is Mesothelioma?
 What is Mesothelioma?
Well it has nothing to do with Mesopotamia, which is the area near the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers, often called the cradle of civilization. The root "Meso" is
in both, which means "middle or intermediate." "Thelial" means a tissue layer
made of a specific type of cell. The "oma" suffix means tumor. So if we
put that all together, we learn that Mesothelioma is a tumor in the middle layer of
cells in a body tissue or membrane. Mesothelioma is defined as a disease that
forms cancer cells in the mesothelium, which is a membrane that lines the inside of
the chest, abdomen or heart. The main cause of Mesothelioma is thought to be
exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a material that was used in making many things
due to its strength, resistance to fire and chemical damage, ability to absorb sound
and insulate electrical wiring. People who work with items made with asbestos
might have health problems if they breathe in asbestos fibers or dust.
You may have seen commercials featuring older men who worked around asbestos, maybe in Naval shipyards, when they were much younger. They may not have been exposed
to asbestos in many years, but they may very well have gotten this disease from the
asbestos exposure because it often takes 15 to 30 years for Mesothelioma to appear.
These commercials mention that family members of people who worked with asbestos may
also be at risk. This is because people who worked with asbestos may have brought
asbestos dust home on their clothes, skin and hair.
Like other cancers, Mesothelioma is diagnosed as being in different stages.
Depending on the stage of the disease and other things unique to each patient such
as age and general health, different courses of treatment are available. Seek
the advice of a medical doctor and get a second opinion if you want to have more choices.
Why are there so many Mesothelioma commercials on TV?
Now that we know a little about what Mesothelioma is, and what might cause it, we
can talk about why there are so many commercials about it on TV. It costs thousands
of dollars to make a TV commercial and it can cost around fifty dollars for each showing
on local TV stations and several hundred dollars or more per showing for ads on national
stations. No one spends this kind of money on TV commercials unless they expect
to make much more than their cost in profits!
It is said that lawyers make more money from Mesothelioma litigation than from most
other cases. It is also said that lawsuits involving Mesothelioma are not difficult
to win. Mesothelioma is mainly caused by asbestos exposure so if a work history
that included exposure to asbestos can be proven, cases can be won. If cases are won,
money can be awarded which is often set aside already by the Navy, auto companies,
power plants and asbestos manufacturers that have not yet been driven into bankruptcy by large legal fees.
Settlements for Mesothelioma lawsuits can be for one million dollars or more, especially
if the patient is still alive. The amounts are high because patients are often
bed-ridden and unable to work. There is also pain and suffering.
Since lawyers often are hired by a contract that gives them a percentage of any settlement
amounts, they are actively looking for new Mesothelioma lawsuits to bring against
companies who may have known of the dangers of asbestos exposure and may have failed
to adequately protect their workers. It is said that as much as 50 million dollars
are spent each year in TV and internet advertising to recruit new people to be plaintiffs (the party who initiates a lawsuit before a court) in Mesothelioma lawsuits. Imagine that a lawyer has a contract to receive 20 percent of the
settlement amount as payment for their services. If the settlement amount is one million dollars, then the lawyer will get 200 thousand dollars. You can understand why a lawyer may be happy to find a person who becomes a plaintiff in a Mesothelioma lawsuit!
"Beware of contacting a lawyer simply because you heard of them on a TV commercial or website ad."
TV commercials about Mesothelioma may be produced by lawyers or by companies who get
a finders fee for referring Mesothelioma patients to lawyers. Lawyers who put
out Meothelioma commercials may distribute cases to other lawyers who are licensed
to practice in the jurisdiction of the potential plaintiff. Imagine if a lawyer expects to get something near 200 thousand dollars as his share of a possible award from a winning Mesothelioma case. That lawyer might be happy to pay a finders fee of three thousand dollars to anyone who can bring a potential plaintiff to them.
If you have Mesothelioma or know a relative or friend who has it, your first concern
should be with getting the best medical care you can find for the patient. After
you have taken steps to deal with your condition medically, you may want to talk with
a qualified lawyer about your case. Make a list of several lawyers that handle
Mesothelioma cases and make a list of questions to ask each of them. Lawyers
may offer a free first consultation. Use that meeting to ask your questions.
You can find many search results at Google on the topic of hiring
a lawyer.
Beware of contacting a lawyer simply because you heard of them on a TV commercial
or website ad. It may be best if you can get a recommendation from a co-worker
or someone you know who has used the services of a lawyer for medical cases in the
past. Mesothelioma is a serious condition and it will require some time and
effort to get the best possible medical treatment and legal representation should
you decide to initiate a lawsuit. Ask for the help of family members and friends
if you need it. They will most likely understand your need and be happy to help.
Things may look bleak but try to retain hope for a successful outcome - hope and faith
are often helpful at times like these. Best wishes!
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