Are you looking for information on how to find a mesothelioma lawyer in Baltimore, Maryland? If you, a family member or a friend have been exposed to asbestos, you are at risk of contracting mesothelioma. If you have not done so already, you should see your doctor for a thorough examination and assessment. If you have already received a diagnosis of mesothelioma, it is time to find an attorney.

In Maryland, over 1,000 people died from asbestos-related diseases between 1980 and 2000.http://www.asbestos.net/state-resources/maryland.html Over half of those deaths were in Baltimore and surrounding areas. Deaths from mesothelioma specifically didn't start being documented until 1998. However, from the information available, it is estimated that as many as 275 people in the Baltimore area have died from mesothelioma since 1979. Of those, 49 were in Anne Arundel County, 111 in Baltimore County, 78 in Baltimore City, 8 in Carroll County, 18 in Harford County and 11 in Howard County.http://www.asbestos.com/states/maryland/baltimore.php If you include all forms of asbestos-related deaths, as many as 757 people have died from asbestosis or mesothelioma in the Baltimore area since 1979.

If you or somebody else living has mesothelioma, a lawyer may file a personal injury suit. If a family member has died from mesothelioma, a wrongful death suit may be filed. In the state of Maryland, the statute of limitations for filing either personal injury or wrongful death suits is three years.http://injury.lawyercentral.com/Time-Limit---Statute-of-Limitations-Answers-and-Information--10-4768-9.html In cases of death caused by occupational diseases, the statute of limitations for wrongful death suits is three years from when the cause of death is discovered, or ten years from the date of death, whichever is shorter.http://www.asbestos.net/state-resources/maryland.html It is very important to consult with a lawyer as soon after your diagnosis or the death of a loved one as possible in order to stay within the timeframe allowed by the statute of limitations.

The content on this page is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. Speak with a qualified lawyer to ensure that you get the most accurate information regarding any potential claim that you might have.

Baltimore, Maryland and surrounding areas have a number of potential sources of asbestos exposure. As in many states, asbestos was used in roofing, flooring, wall boards, insulation and countless other materials in most buildings constructed prior to the 1980s when the government began to regulate the use of asbestos products. This construction included houses, schools, hospitals, apartments, offices and many other types of buildings. Asbestos becomes a hazard in older buildings when it is somehow exposed, increasing the possibility of it being released into the air in the form of dust that can be inhaled by those in the area.http://www.asbestos.com/states/maryland/baltimore.php

Because of its superior heat resistance and insulating properties, asbestos was widely used in power plants, chemical plants and many other manufacturing industries. In the Baltimore area, asbestos products were commonly used in the shipbuilding industry to wrap pipes and insulate walls. Asbestos is extremely heat and fire resistant, undergoes virtually no corrosion when exposed to chemicals and does not conduct electricity. Because of this, it was used for everything from insulation and protective clothing to bearings and gaskets in process equipment. Some sites of particular concern in the Baltimore area include American Sugar Plant, Baltimore Shipyard, Baltimore Steam, Bethlehem Naval Shipyard, Conoco Chemical Plant, Crown Cork & Seal, Curtis Bay Shipyard, Dow Chemical, Dupont Chemical, Eastern Stainless Steel and Continental Can Company.http://www.asbestos.com/states/maryland/baltimore.php

If you think that you, a friend or a family member may have been exposed to asbestos at work or in buildings where asbestos has been discovered, see your doctor for a thorough exam. If mesothelioma or asbestosis is diagnosed, find a lawyer. Be prepared to tell your attorney where you think you were exposed to asbestos. He or she will have to be able to prove what caused your exposure to asbestos and which company was responsible for that exposure.

The companies listed below are sites of potential asbestos exposure in and around the Baltimore area.http://www.asbestosnews.com/asbestos-areas/maryland.html If you or someone you know worked at any of these sites, you may have been exposed to asbestos. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of exposure sites. Make sure your lawyer is aware of all areas where you have lived and worked in Pittsburgh.

Acands, Inc; American Oil Co - Wagners Point; American Sugar Refinery; Anchor Fence & Post; Armco Steel; Back River Treatment Plant; Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co; Baltimore City Jail; Baltimore Gas & Electric Co; Baltimore Refinery; Barr Plant; Bethlehem Steel - Key Highway Shipyard; Black & Decker; Black River Sewage Plant; Blaustein Building; Broadway Medical Office Bldg; Carr Lowery Glass; Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone; Children's Center; Coca Cola; Cochran, Hill & Company; Consolidated Electric Light & Power; Consumer's Gas Elec. Light & Power Co; Croker & Stallings, Inc.; Cross Keys - Quadrangle Building; Diamond Shamrock Chemical Company; Eastern Rolling Mill; Eastern Stainless Steel Co.; Exxon; Fairfield Shipyard; Family House Of Aberdeen; First Maryland Building; Fmc - Curtis Bay; Fmc Corporation; Food Machinery & Chemical Corp.; Forest Park Senior High School; Fort Meade; Franklin Square Hospital; General Motors - Fisher Body Plant; Gladfelter Bldg.; Glidden Research Lab; Good Samaritan Hospital; Grace Line - Pier 8 Canton Piers; Greater Baltimore Medical Center; Harbison Walker Refractories; Home For The Aged; Howard Senior High School; Humble Oil Company; Jewish Medical Center; John L Deaton Center; Johns Hopkins Hospital; Johns Hopkins University; Legum Distributors; Lever Brothers; Little Sisters Of The Poor Nursing Home; Martin Company; Maryland Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company; Maryland General Hospital; Mathieson Bldg; Mccloskey Co; Mccormick Asbestos Company; National Brewing Co; New Carlings Brewery; New Gerontology Bldg; Northwest High School; Notre Dame College; Olin Underground; Pigment Plant Curtis Bay; Polytechnic High School; Polywestern Tech; Provident Hospital - Liberty Medical Center; South Baltimore General Hospital; Spring Gardens Plaza; St. Josephs Hospital; Walters Art Gallery; Westinghouse Electric Co Wilmer Institute; Carlings Brewery

Before consulting with a lawyer, make sure you have a firm diagnosis of mesothelioma. Also, learn all you can about the disease from your doctor, current literature and online resources such as the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute and Mayo Clinic. You don't have to become an expert. But, the more you know, the better equipped you will be to assess the knowledge of a prospective attorney.

When looking for an attorney, use all of the resources available to you. Phone books and internet directories can be used as starting points. But, it is important that you find someone experienced in cases involving mesothelioma and with whom you feel comfortable. Ask for referrals from anybody you know who has been through a similar case or who works with or is familiar with the attorneys in your area. Search public records for mesothelioma cases that went to court and note the attorney and the outcome of the trial.

Once you have a short list of prospective attorneys, make a list of questions that you want to ask each one. Some suggestions are listed in the next section on this page. Make sure to write your questions down so that you don't forget to ask any of them. Also, take notes when speaking with each attorney so that you can compare their answers later. When reviewing the answers of each lawyer, consider not only how knowledgeable they were, but how comfortable you felt when speaking with them.

After comparing notes and considering each attorney you spoke to, choose one and make an appointment to get started. Because of the statute of limitations on personal injury and wrongful death cases, it is imperative that you be make a decision and get things moving as quickly as possible after your diagnosis.

When speaking with prospective attorneys for your Mesothelioma case, you'll want to ask a lot of questions. Here are some important ones to get you started. You may also have some of your own to add to the list.

1. How many Mesothelioma or asbestos-related cases have they handled? How many were settled? How many went to trial? What was the outcome?http://www.scambusters.org/mesothelioma-attorney.html
2. Will the attorney handle your case personally?
3. Will they be reasonably available to speak with you when you have questions? How quickly can you expect calls to be returned?http://www.asbestos.net/asbestos-legal-issues/mesothelioma-asbestos-and-other-asbestos-diseases-lawyers-and-attorneys.html
4. What role will you play in your case? Will you always be consulted before any legal decisions are made?http://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma-lawyer/attorney.php
5. Will the lawyer require payment up front or as the case proceeds? Or will they accept the case on a contingency basis and receive payment from the final settlement. If so, what percentage of the final award will they take to cover their fees and expenses?
6. What other resources does the attorney have at their disposal to investigate, build and prove your case?
7. Will your case be handled as a standalone case, or will your claim be part of a larger case with more than one plaintiff?