Glossary
Mesothelioma
A rare, aggressive cancer of the thin lining around the lungs, abdomen, or heart. Most cases are caused by asbestos exposure, often decades earlier.
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium, the thin membrane that lines the chest cavity (pleural mesothelioma), the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma), or, rarely, the sac around the heart. Symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, a persistent cough, or belly swelling often appear only at a late stage, and the disease is hard to treat.
Its link to asbestos is unusually strong. The National Cancer Institute states that most mesotheliomas are thought to be due to asbestos exposure, and that it can take from 10 to 40 years or more for symptoms of an asbestos-related condition to appear. People were exposed in shipyards, construction, auto brake work, power plants, and the military, and family members have been exposed through dust carried home on workers' clothing. Talc products contaminated with asbestos are another alleged source.
Because the cause is so well established, mesothelioma claims are among the strongest in toxic tort law. Many asbestos makers went bankrupt and set up trust funds to pay current and future victims, so a person may file claims against several trusts and also sue companies that are still in business. Veterans may also be eligible for VA benefits. Talc lawsuits against Johnson and Johnson include mesothelioma claims alongside ovarian cancer claims. Each state sets its own filing deadline, usually running from diagnosis.
A detailed work and home history is the most valuable evidence. See our pages on mesothelioma lawsuits and asbestos trust funds, talc cancer lawsuits, and the J&J talc settlement, plus the asbestos entry.
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Sources.
Statutes, court rules, appellate opinions, and bar publications we relied on. See our editorial standards.