Are you looking for information on how to find a mesothelioma lawyer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania? 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.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has the fourth highest incidence of asbestos-related death in the nation.http://www.asbestos.com/states/pennsylvania/pittsburgh.php Deaths from mesothelioma specifically didn't start being documented until 1998. However, from the information available, it is estimated that as many as 428 people in the Pittsburgh area have died from mesothelioma since 1979. Of those, 280 were in Allegheny County, 39 in Beaver County, 21 in Butler County, 61 in Westmoreland County and 27 in Washington County. If you include all forms of asbestos-related deaths, as many as 593 people have died from asbestosis or mesothelioma in the Pittsburgh 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 Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations for filing either personal injury or wrongful death suits is two years.http://www.asbestos.net/state-resources/pennsylvania.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.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the areas surrounding it have a number of potential sources of asbestos exposure. The industry that most readily comes to mind, of course, is the steel industry which dominated the Pittsburgh industrial sector for years. Asbestos is extremely heat and fire resistant and undergoes virtually no corrosion when exposed to chemicals. Because of these properties, it was widely used in factory buildings and equipment, and in the protective clothing worn by steel workers. People who worked in the steel mills prior to the 1980s when the government began to regulate asbestos use may have been exposed to asbestos on the job.http://www.asbestos.com/states/pennsylvania/pittsburgh.php

There are also other industries in the Pittsburgh area where workers were exposed to asbestos prior to the early 1980s. Like the steel industry, Alcoa laboratories used asbestos in many products including protective clothing. Alcoa has been successfully sued by former workers across the country. Power plants also used asbestos to insulate pipes, and for gaskets and other equipment. Even schools, hospitals and other public buildings were built using products containing asbestos. As late as 2008, asbestos was discovered in a school when its roof was being replaced, forcing the school to close until the asbestos could be cleaned up.

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 Pittsburgh area.http://www.asbestosnews.com/asbestos-areas/pennsylvania.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 necessarily a comprehensive list of exposure sites. Make sure your lawyer is aware of all areas where you have lived and worked in Pittsburgh.

Alcoa, McKees Rocks, PA; Atec Building, Pittsburgh, PA; Atomic Power Station, Pittsburgh, PA; Bell Telephone, McKees Rocks, PA; Carnegie Tech, McKees Rocks, PA; Continental Can, Pittsburgh, PA; Coronada Apartments, Pittsburgh, PA; Duquesne Brewing Company of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Duquesne Light Company, Pittsburgh, PA; Elizabeth Steet Magee Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA; Ellis School, Pittsburgh, PA; Equitable Life Assurance Society, Pittsburgh, PA; Federal Office Building, Pittsburgh, PA; General Motors Corporation - W. Mifflin Boro, Pittsburgh, PA; George V. Hamilton, Inc., McKees Rocks, PA; Gulf Oil, Pittsburgh, PA; H. J. Heinz Company, Pittsburgh, PA; Hazelwood Plant, Pittsburgh, PA; Hilton Hotel, McKees Rocks, PA; IBM Office Building, Pittsburgh, PA; Industrial Division Warehouse, Pittsburgh, PA; J & L Steel, Pittsburgh, PA; Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA; Koppers Company, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA; Koppers Company, McKees Rocks, PA; Limbach Company, Pittsburgh, PA; [[]LTV Steel]], Pittsburgh, PA; McGraw Edison Company, Pittsburgh, PA; McKees Rocks Industrial Enterprises, McKees Rocks, PA; Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA; Mesta Machine Company, Homestead, PA; Minotte Brothers Company, Pittsburgh, PA; National Aniline Division - USS Chemicals, McKees Rocks, PA; National Biscuit Company – Cracker Bakery, Pittsburgh, PA; Neville Chemical Company - Neville Island, Pittsburgh, PA; Neville St. Apartments, Pittsburgh, PA; New Duquesne Science Hall, Pittsburgh, PA; New Federal Building, Pittsburgh, PA; Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp., Mckees Rocks, PA; Pittsburgh Coke & Chemical Company, Mckees Rocks, PA; Pittsburgh Corning Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA; Pittsburgh Plate Glass, Pittsburgh, PA; Pittsburgh Powerhouse, Pittsburgh, PA; Pittsburgh Steel Company, Mckees Rocks, PA; Point Marion Powerhouse, Pittsburgh, PA; Rennepamp Supply Company, Pittsburgh, PA; Roosevelt Hotel, Pittsburgh, PA; Shipping Atomic Power Station, Mckees Rocks, PA; Skin & Cancer Clinic, Mckees Rocks, PA; St. Johns General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA; Stanwix Heating Plant, Pittsburgh, PA; U.S. Steel Corporation, Munhall, PA; U.S. Army Reserve Center, Pittsburgh, PA; U.S. Bureau Of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA; U.S. Steel - Homestead Works, Pittsburgh, PA; U.S. Steel - Wheel & Axle Plant, Mckees Rocks, PA; U.S. Steel Chemical Plant - Neville Island, Pittsburgh, PA; U.S. Steel Corporation, Homestead, PA; U.S. Steel Corporation, Mckees Rocks, PA; Veterans Administration Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA; W. G. Balph Company, Pittsburgh, PA; Weirton Steel - Browns Island, Mckees Rocks, PA; Westinghouse Electric Company - Atomic Power Division, Mckees Rocks, PA; Westinghouse Electric Company - Bettis Site, Homestead, PA; Westinghouse Electric Company, Pittsburgh, PA; Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company, Mckees Rocks, PA

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 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?