Louisiana Mesothelioma Lawyer
Lanier Law Firm’s Louisiana asbestos and mesothelioma lawyers help people who have contracted asbestos-related diseases hold asbestos companies accountable and obtain the compensation they need to access the best treatment and provide for their families.
Legally Reviewed By: Kevin LaMarca
Senior Attorney | Mesothelioma & Asbestos
- Page Last Updated:
- March 7, 2024
Legally Reviewed By: Kevin LaMarca
Senior Attorney | Mesothelioma & Asbestos
- Page Last Updated:
- March 7, 2024
Our Featured Louisiana Mesothelioma Attorneys
When should I contact a Louisiana mesothelioma lawyer?
Do I need a Louisana asbestos lawyer?
The Lanier Law Firm’s Successful Results in Louisiana
Mesothelioma Treatment Options in Louisiana
How was I exposed to asbestos in Louisiana?
How can a Louisiana mesothelioma attorney help me?
Can I file a claim if my loved one died from asbestos exposure in Louisiana?
How much is a Louisiana mesothelioma case worth?
Mesothelioma is one of several deadly illnesses that stem from exposure to asbestos. From 2018 to 2020, 126 Louisianans died from mesothelioma and 203 died from lung cancer caused by external causes such as asbestos.
Many of these casualties were workers whose employers knew asbestos was harmful but failed to provide protective gear or warn their employees about its dangers. By the time the general public knew what the companies had long known, these workers in Louisiana had already experienced significant exposure.
In Louisiana and nationwide, The Lanier Law Firm is committed to getting justice for workers exposed to asbestos and their families.
Our Featured Louisiana Mesothelioma & Asbestos Attorneys
Kevin LaMarca
Kevin LaMarca has won tens of millions of dollars for clients in toxic torts and product liability cases. He is recognized by the National Trial Lawyers’ Association’s Top 40 under 40. He is admitted to the state bars of Louisiana and Texas.
Jonathan Armour
Jonathan Armour is well-known for his exceptional asbestos litigation knowledge and is recognized by the National Trial Lawyers’ Association’s Top 40 under 40. He is also a member of the Christian Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice.
When should I contact a Louisiana mesothelioma lawyer?
The Louisiana statute of limitations is just one year from the date of your diagnosis. A mesothelioma lawyer will need time to investigate and confirm your sources of exposure before your case can be filed. It is crucial to contact an attorney as soon as possible, well ahead of the deadline to ensure you have the strongest case possible.
Do I need a Louisiana asbestos lawyer?
A mesothelioma lawyer specializes in helping clients diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses hold companies accountable that are responsible for their exposure to asbestos. When selecting an attorney to represent you in an asbestos exposure case, it is crucial that you select an attorney with experience handling asbestos exposure and mesothelioma claims.
The responsible parties are large companies that fight aggressively to avoid accountability. Pursuing mesothelioma cases in Louisiana requires specialized knowledge about the exposure, workers, and laws in Louisiana, along with a reputation for being hard to defeat in litigation.
The Lanier Law Firm’s Successful
Results in Louisiana
The Lanier Law Firm has been trying asbestos cases for more than 25 years with remarkable success, including the following results in Louisiana:
- $3,859,000.00 settlement for the Orleans Parish family of a deceased woman exposed to asbestos brought home on the work clothes
of her husband - $2,600,000.00 settlement in Orleans Parish for the family of a career oil field worker
- $2,256,000.00 settlement in the East Baton Rouge Parish for the family of a deceased papermill worker
- $2,100,000.00 settlement for the family of a deceased Orleans Parish seasonal shipyard worker
- $1,895,000.00 settlement for the family of a deceased woman in East Baton Rouge Parish exposed to asbestos on the work clothes of
her husband - $1,785,500.00 settlement for the family of a deceased construction worker in Orleans Parish exposed to asbestos while on the job
- $1,483,000.00 settlement for a Calcasieu Parish woman diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma
- $3,900,000 settlement for the family of a deceased worker in Orleans Parish exposed to asbestos while working at a shipyard
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is cancer of the mesothelia, a rare form of cancer that impacts the membranes surrounding certain vital organs. Mesothelioma is classified based on which mesothelium in the body has become cancerous.
The most common type of mesothelioma diagnosis is pleural mesothelioma, which is cancer of the lining surrounding the lungs. The second-most common type is cancer of the stomach lining, known as peritoneal cancer.
This is followed by pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the lining around the heart, and mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis, also known as testicular mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is also categorized according to the types of cells affected, which may be epithelial cells, sarcomatoid cells, or a combination of the two. Epithelial mesothelioma is the most common form and is the most responsive to treatment.
Exposure to asbestos also causes the following illnesses:
- Lung cancer – the most common asbestos-related illness
- Asbestosis – scarring of the lungs
- Ovarian cancer – typically caused by exposure to talc in hygiene products
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that is often diagnosed in the latter stages due to the difficulties in diagnosing this condition. The five-year survival rate of mesothelioma patients is just 12 percent for patients with pleural mesothelioma, even with treatment.
Mesothelioma Treatment Options in Louisiana
Mesothelioma treatment may improve life span and quality of life. When seeking treatment, look for a treatment center with a specialized mesothelioma program. General oncologists typically have limited experience treating mesothelioma due to its rarity, and specialty programs typically have access to clinical trials.
The treatment centers below have mesothelioma programs or physicians on staff with experience in mesothelioma treatment.
- Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans
- Tulane Health System in New Orleans
- Mary Bird Cancer Center in Baton Rouge
- Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center in Baton Rouge
- Lafayette General Medical Center in Lafayette
- Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria
- Willis-Knighton Medical Center in Shreveport
How was I exposed to asbestos in Louisiana?
The latency of asbestos-related illnesses and the secrecy of asbestos companies make identifying sources of asbestos exposure difficult. Our clients are frequently shocked by their diagnosis because they were unaware they had been exposed.
Exposure to asbestos occurs most commonly occurs when asbestos is disturbed and the fibers are released into the air to be inhaled. Asbestos fibers are invisible, and no immediate symptoms occur to alert you that you have ingested them. The body cannot asbestos fibers down or expel them, so they lodge deeply in the tissues until they eventually cause severe illnesses.
Asbestos production peaked between 1930 and 1980. Asbestos-containing products were mined, manufactured, and used by companies in a large array of industries, and these products were widely distributed to the public and used in the construction of homes, schools, and public buildings.
Workers with the highest levels of asbestos exposure include the following:
- Military personnel, especially those serving in the Navy and Coast Guard
- Miners of asbestos or talc
- Factory workers
- Shipyard workers
- Construction workers
- Boiler workers
- Electricians
- Auto Mechanics
- Plumbers
Workers exposed to asbestos also may have brought asbestos fibers home on their clothing, exposing family members to asbestos.
Louisiana Employers who exposed workers to asbestos
The following Louisiana employers are known to have exposed their workers to asbestos:
- Allied Chemical in Baton Rouge and Geismar
- AMF Beaird in Shreveport
- American Cyanamid in Avondale
- American Sugar Refining Company in Chalmette and New Orleans
- Amoco Refinery in Shreveport
- Anco Insulation in Baton Rouge
- Avondale Shipyard in Avondale, New Orleans, and Westwego
- BASF Wyandotte Chemicals in Geismar
- Bechtel Corporation in Union St. James and Convent
- Big Cajun in Baton Rouge and New Roads
- Bird and Son in Shreveport
- Bogalusa Paper Mill in Bogalusa
- Boland Machine Shipyard in New Orleans
- Borden Chemical in Addis, Baton Rouge, and Geismar
- Brown Paper Mill in West Monroe
- Canulette Shipbuilding Co. in Slidell
- Central Louisiana Electric Co. in Mansfield, Pineville, and St. Landry
- Chevron Chemical in Belle Chasse and Geismar
- Citgo Refinery in Lake Charles and Westlake
- Cities Service Oil Refinery in Lake Charles and Sulphur
- Columbian Carbon in Franklin and Swartz
- Conoco Refinery in Lake Charles and Westlake
- Continental Can, Hodge
- Crown Zellerbach in Bogalusa and St. Francisville
- Delta Match in Kenner and New Orleans
- Delta Shipyard in New Orleans
- Delta Southern Shipyard in Slidell
- Domino Sugar in Chalmette
- Dow Chemical in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Plaquemine, Sterlington, and Taft
- DuPont in Baton Rouge, Garyville, LaPlace, and New Orleans
- Enjay Chemical in Baton Rouge
- Entergy in Monroe, Sterlington, Thibodaux, and Westlake
- Equitable Shipyard in New Orleans and Madisonville
- Esso in Baton Rouge
- Ethyl Chemical in Baton Rouge
- Exxon Chemical and Exxon Refinery in Baton Rouge
- F. Miller & Sons in Lake Charles
- Firestone in Lake Charles, Sulphur, and Westlake
- Foster Grant in Baton Rouge
- Freeport Sulphur in Harvey, New Orleans, and Port Sulphur
- Georgia Pacific in De Quincy, Plaquemine, and Zachary
- Gulf Oil in Belle Chasse, Donaldsonville, New Orleans, and Venice
- Gulf States Utility in Lake Charles, St. Gabriel, and Westlake
- Hercules in Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and Plaquemine
- Higgins Shipyard, New Orleans
- Hooker Chemical in Taft
- Humble Oil in Baton Rouge
- Hunt Lumber in Dodson and Gretna
- Hunt Shipyard in Harvey
- International Paper Company in Bastrop, Bogalusa, DeRidder, Mansfield, Monroe, Pineville, Springhill, St. Francisville, and West Monroe
- J. Graves Insulation in Shreveport
- Johns-Manville in Marrero
- Kaiser Aluminum in Baton Rouge, Chalmette, and Gramercy
- Lake Charles Chemical in Lake Charles and Westlake
- Lake Charles Refinery in Lake Charles
- Louisiana Power & Light in Good Hope, Laplace, Monroe, Montz, New Orleans, Sterlington, Thibodaux, and Westwego
- Mathieson Chemical in Lake Charles
- McDermott Shipyard in Morgan City and Amelia
- Monsanto in Luling
- Norco Refinery in Norco
- Olin Corporation in Lake Charles
- OlinKraft Paper Mill in West Monroe
- Olin-Mathieson Chemical in Lake Charles, Westlake, and West Monroe
- PPG (Pittsburgh Plate & Glass) Chemical in Lake Charles and Westlake
- Quaker Oats in New Iberia and New Orleans
- Quality Shipyard in Houma
- Riverwood Paper Mill in West Monroe
- Roy O. Martin Lumber in Alexandria
- Rubicon Chemicals in Geismar
- Shell Chemical and Shell Refinery in Baton Rouge, Geismar, New Orleans, and Norco
- Southern Shipyard in Slidell
- St. Francis Hospital in Monroe
- Standard Oil in Baton Rouge
- Superior Shipyards in Slidell
- Texaco Oil Refinery in Paradise
- Texaco in Baton Rouge, Convent, Erath, New Orleans, and Union Station
- Todd Shipyard in Algiers and New Orleans
- Union Carbide in Hahnville and Taft
- Union Pacific in New Orleans and Shreveport
- Uniroyal in Baton Rouge
- W.R. Grace in Lake Charles and New Orleans
- Westinghouse in La Rosen, New Orleans, and Shreveport
Non-Occupational Exposure to Asbestos
If you have ever lived, worked, or gone to school in a building that was built prior to 1980, you may have been exposed to asbestos. Asbestos-containing vermiculite was also used as insulation in homes until as late as 1990. Exposure would have occurred if these materials were disturbed.
For example, asbestos-containing floor tiles could become worn from repeated use and allow fibers to be released into the air. Intact asbestos-containing products do not release asbestos fibers and should be left in place. Removing asbestos can disturb it. This should only be attempted by a licensed abatement contractor.
Several household products also contained asbestos, especially products used for fireproofing and insulation. The Lanier Law Firm maintains an extensive database of asbestos products with pictures to help clients identify their sources of asbestos exposure.
How can a Louisiana mesothelioma
attorney help me?
A mesothelioma lawyer can help you with the following:
- Identifying your sources of exposure
- Determining the types of claims for which you are eligible
- Filing your mesothelioma lawsuit
- Negotiating a settlement
When you hire the Lanier Law Firm to handle your asbestos exposure case and mesothelioma claim, we will spend extensive time with you to develop a life history and ensure we identify as many sources of asbestos exposure as possible. Knowledge of Louisiana exposure is essential to a winning outcome for you and your family. Our team serves clients across Louisiana – from Shreveport, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Houma, Lake Charles and more.
Types of Mesothelioma Claims
You may be eligible to file more than one type of mesothelioma claim, depending on the source of your exposure.
Mesothelioma Lawsuit
If the party responsible for your asbestos exposure has not filed for bankruptcy, you may be eligible to file a civil lawsuit against the company. A civil personal injury lawsuit will allow you to pursue economic damages, non-economic damages, and in limited cases, punitive damages.
Mesothelioma Asbestos Trust Fund Claims
If the company that exposed you to asbestos has gone bankrupt, you may qualify to file an asbestos trust fund claim. Bankrupt companies were required to set up these trust funds as part of their bankruptcy reorganizations. Asbestos trust funds pay economic and non-economic damages without claimants having to file lawsuits.
Mesothelioma VA Claims
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides free medical care and monthly disability compensation to veterans who have contracted asbestos-related illnesses as a result of asbestos exposure while serving in the military. You may also be eligible to file a lawsuit against companies that sold asbestos products to the military.
Workers’ Compensation
If your exposure occurred on the job, you may be covered by workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation provides free medical care and pays monthly disability benefits. If your loved one has passed away due to mesothelioma, you may also qualify for death benefits through workers’ compensation.
Can I file a claim if my loved one died from asbestos exposure in Louisiana?
Family members of asbestos exposure victims who have tragically passed away may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit or a mesothelioma claim through the asbestos trust funds, the VA, or workers’ compensation.
The types of claims for which you qualify will be based on the types of claims for which the deceased would have been eligible had they lived. A qualified mesothelioma attorney in Louisiana can determine this.
How much is a Louisiana mesothelioma case worth?
The value of a case is determined by the following factors:
- The types of claims for which you are eligible
- Your age at the time of diagnosis
- Your projected lifespan
- The severity of illness
- The financial impact of your diagnosis
- The pain and suffering caused by your illness
Why choose the Lanier Law Firm?
The Lanier Law Firm is one of the most experienced mesothelioma law firms in the world. During the past 30+ years, we have built a reputation for being formidable in litigation. We have repeatedly seen that companies do not want to face us in court. As a result, our law firm is successful in procuring generous settlements.
While we aggressively pursue maximized settlements, we prepare every case as if it is going to court. If litigation becomes necessary, you will have the benefit of a strong case combined with the skills of world-class trial lawyers who know how to win.
We approach every case with compassion and offer caring service. You can expect our attorneys to keep you informed of the progress of your case and to be accessible when you need to reach us.
“The Lanier Firm did a wonderful job of representing us in a successful resolution of our case. In particular, Kevin and Sam who kept us updated on a regular basis and were extremely pleasant to work with.” – F. Bolton [Testimonial]
“I lost my husband to Mesothelioma. The Lanier Law Firm was there for me from the moment my husband passed. Their kindness and support during this difficult time of my life helped me to deal with all the issues going on in my life. They were my only friends, and I am glad they were they to support me.” – D. Doyle [Testimonial]
Contact us today for a free consultation with a Louisiana mesothelioma lawyer.
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