Tuberculosis Lawyers

Tuberculosis Is the 7th Leading Cause of Death Worldwide

According to CDC, 9,105 cases of tuberculosis have been diagnosed in the United States in the year 2017. The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis being diagnosed along with asbestosis ranges from 3.8%-36%, thus establishing an association between the two lung disorders. The patients with asbestosis show poor immune response and reduced defensive capacity of the lung, which makes them prone to infections including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. If you have a tuberculosis diagnosis and a history of asbestos exposure, the fibers will show up on the X-rays even if there are no symptoms yet. If this is the case, you are eligible for compensation.

Tuberculosis Misdiagnosis and Asbestos Exposure Work History

Misdiagnosis is widespread among asbestos exposure victims. As the symptoms of asbestos-related lung diseases are almost similar to other lung conditions, we strongly advise individuals with a history of asbestos exposure – particularly smokers – to undergo a biannual medical examination, which will help prevent late detection of any unfortunate condition that has developed. Most commonly, tuberculosis causes acute pleuritis, which may lead to diffuse pleural thickening that mimics asbestos-related pleural thickening. Therefore, an asbestos-related thickening of the pleura may be misinterpreted as tuberculosis. Differentiating between tuberculosis and asbestos-related lung diseases may be challenging, even for experts. For this reason, we encourage you to always seek a second opinion, preferably from a specialist in asbestos-related diseases.

The most effective tests for detecting asbestos-related lung diseases include spirometry (a pulmonary function test which helps your specialist observe the volume and flow of air), X-rays, and computed tomography (CT scans). Blood tests may also be ordered to measure oxygen levels.

Tuberculosis misdiagnosis will not only affect your treatment and prognosis, but you may also end up recovering less amount of compensation than that you are entitled to. The financial compensation is mainly decided on the basis of the severity of your disease.

If You Lost a Family Member Due to Tuberculosis See Eligibility Requirements

Several victims of asbestos exposure may not seek legal assistance when they are alive due to many reasons including the fear of going through a long process to receive compensation. In the case of tuberculosis, people are generally reluctant to file a claim because they think their illness is not severe enough to deserve financial compensation. However, a lawyer specialized in handling asbestos exposure cases would have been helpful in recovering the rightful compensation from one or multiple asbestos trust funds if the chest X-rays show embedded asbestos fibers in the lungs.

With more than three decades of experience in handling asbestos litigations, our attorneys will evaluate your case and try to recover as much compensation your departed family member was entitled to receive. The only documents you will need to provide us are the victim’s work history and medical records. We will completely handle major aspects of the legal process and your involvement will be quite minimal.

If the products manufactured by the company at which your family member worked were responsible for their diagnosis, then you will be eligible to receive money from the asbestos trust fund that was set up by the employer. However, it is important to file a wrongful death claim within the statute of limitation period, which is 1-3 years and depends on the state you belong to. Therefore, it is necessary to seek legal assistance as early as possible for a successful outcome. We have represented over 230,000 asbestos victims and we are willing to help you, too.