Are you looking for information on how to find a mesothelioma lawyer in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota? If you, a family member or a friend have been exposed to asbestos, you are at risk of contracting mesothelioma, a rare cancer that may not begin to show symptoms for 20 or more years after exposure. 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.

Minnesota has the 18th highest incidence of asbestos-related death in the nation.http://www.asbestos.com/states/minnesota/st-paul.php Deaths from mesothelioma specifically didn't start being documented until 1998. However, from the information available, it is estimated that as many as 326 people have died from mesothelioma in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since 1979. Of those, 26 were in Anoka County, 1 in Carver County, 37 in Dakota County, 165 in Hennepin County, 67 in Ramsey County, 4 in Scott County, 2 in Sherburne County, 20 in Washington County and 4 in Wright County. If you include all forms of asbestos-related deaths, as many as 451 people have died from asbestosis or mesothelioma in the Minneapolis-St. Paul 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 Minnesota, the statute of limitations for filing either personal injury or wrongful death suits is two years.http://injury.lawyercentral.com/Time-Limit---Statute-of-Limitations-Answers-and-Information--10-4768-9.html The clock starts running when the problem is first discovered. So, it is very important to consult with a lawyer as soon after your diagnosis as possible.

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.

Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota and the areas surrounding them have a number of potential sources of asbestos exposure. As in many states, asbestos was used in roofing, flooring and insulation materials in most buildings constructed prior to the 1980s when the government began to regulate the use of asbestos products.http://www.asbestosnews.com/asbestos-areas/minnesota.html This construction included houses, schools, hospitals, apartments, offices and many other types of buildings. Because of its superior heat resistance and insulating properties, asbestos was also widely used in power plants, chemical plants, automotive plants and many other manufacturing facilities. At many industrial sites, asbestos was used in the protective clothing worn by workers on a daily basis. Asbestos is extremely heat and fire resistant and undergoes virtually no corrosion when exposed to chemicals. Because of this, it was used at oil refineries and other industrial sites for everything from insulation and protective clothing to bearings and gaskets in process equipment. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, the Ashland Oil Refinery, which was originally built by the Northwestern Refinery Company in the 1930s, is still in operation.http://www.asbestos.com/states/minnesota/st-paul.php Workers may have been exposed to high levels of asbestos prior to the 1980s. Today, workers wear protective clothing and follow specific safety procedures to reduce or eliminate their risk of asbestos exposure.

In some industries, asbestos is still used in products and processes. For example, in the automotive industry, asbestos is still widely used in brakes and clutches. OSHA and the EPA have both issued guidelines for cleaning and handling brakes and clutches. However, because asbestos has never been completely banned in the United States, people who work in the manufacture or installation of brakes and clutches may still be at risk of asbestos exposure.http://www.asbestos.com/states/minnesota/st-paul.php In the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, Ford opened the Twin Cities Assembly Plant in 1924. The plant remained in continuous operation until Ford finally closed it in 2008.

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 Minneapolis-St. Paul area.http://www.asbestosnews.com/asbestos-areas/minnesota.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 or around Minneapolis or St. Paul, Minnesota.

3M Company, Minneapolis, MN; 3M Company, St. Paul, MN; A. H. Bennett Co, Minneapolis, MN Acands, Inc., Minneapolis, MN; Ace Manufacturing, Inc., Minneapolis, MN; Anchor Hospital, Minneapolis, MN; Anchor Hospital, St. Paul, MN; Armstrong Cork Company, Minneapolis, MN; Asbestos Insulation & Supply Co., Minneapolis, MN; Asbestos Products, Inc., St. Paul, MN; Ashland Oil, St. Paul, MN; Breck School, St. Paul, MN; Breeching Boiler Tanks, Minneapolis, MN; Chemical & Industrial Corp. – St. Paul Ammonia Plant, Roseport, MN; Coon Rapids Junior High School, Minneapolis, MN; Douglas County Hospital, St. Paul, MN; E A Prairie Island, St. Paul, MN; Ed H. Anderson Co., St. Paul, MN; Federal Building, Minneapolis, MN; General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, MN; Great Northern Oil Co, Roseport, MN; H. R. Nichols Co., Minneapolis, MN; Hamm Brewery, St. Paul, MN; Hayes Insulation Co., Minneapolis, MN; Hickory Insulation Co., Minneapolis, MN; Jewish Home For The Aged, St. Paul, MN; Koch Industries, Inc., Rosemount, MN; Koch Refinery, Hastings, MN Land O Lakes, Minneapolis, MN; Logan School – Riverview School, St. Paul, MN; Macalester College, St. Paul, MN; Macarthur Company, St. Paul, MN; Mechanical Insulation Contractors, Minneapolis, MN; Minneapolis Court House, Minneapolis, MN; Minnesota Mining Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, MN; Minnesota Transfer, St. Paul, MN; Monticello Nuclear Power Plant, Monticello, MN; Mt Sinai Hospital, Minneapolis, MN; Northern States Power Company, Minneapolis, MN; Northwest Airlines, Minneapolis, MN; Northwest Hospital, Minneapolis, MN; Owens Illinois Glass Company, Minneapolis, MN; Paul W. Abbott Company, Inc., St. Paul, MN; Processed Potatoes Incorporated, Minneapolis, MN; Quality Insulation Service, St. Paul, MN; Randolph M N & S, Minneapolis, MN; Republic Creosoting Company, Minneapolis, MN; Sacred Heart Hospital, St. Paul, MN; Sheraton Ramp, Minneapolis, MN; Smith-Sharpe Company, Minneapolis, MN; Southdale Shopping Center - Penthouse, Minneapolis, MN; St. Barnabas Hospital, Minneapolis, MN; St. Bonifacious, St. Paul, MN; St. Cloud Heating Plant, Minneapolis, MN; St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN; St. Thomas College, Minneapolis, MN; State Capitol, St. Paul, MN; Stroh Brewery Company, St. Paul, MN; Tinker A F B, Minneapolis, MN; University Of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN; University Of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN; Vono Pipe Covering Company, St. Paul, MN; Waldorff Paper, St Paul, MN; Wayzata School, St. Paul, MN; West Hopkins Junior High School, St. Paul, MN; Western Mineral Products Zonolite, Minneapolis, MN; Wold-Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis, MN

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?