Other Practice Areas
Asbestos, Traffic Tickets, DUI/DWI and Family Law in St. Louis, Missouri
At The Mathews Law Firm, we assist clients with legal matters not related to personal injury law, including defending clients against traffic tickets or DUI/DWI as well as helping individuals and families with different family law matters. In any case our firm takes on, we strive to provide only the highest quality representation and to fully understand our clients' particular concerns in order to help them reach the outcome they are hoping for.
The victims of asbestos exposure often never worked directly with the products containing asbestos fibers. The law does not require that you actually applied asbestos in order for you or a loved one to obtain compensation. All that is required is that the person who has the disease either worked with the products directly or was exposed to the fibers from work being done by others. Our attorneys have represented both workers who worked hands-on with the material as well as those who only worked in the vicinity of it but were still exposed to the fibers. An experienced asbestos lawyer can help you understand the possibility of exposure.
Asbestos Exposure
Exposure has occurred in countless different ways and many times the person exposed did not know he or she was being exposed at the time. This is where we can help. We track down where the exposure took place and prove what products were used through documents and witnesses. The best way to picture this process is to imagine a jigsaw puzzle. It takes patience and time to put the pieces together, but you can eventually see what happened if you look in the right places. We put the pieces together to prove which product manufacturers caused a person's disease.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma as a result of exposure, you may be entitled to compensation. The Mathews Law Firm is experienced in handling claims on behalf of people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or related diseases such as asbestosis or asbestos related lung cancer. Our firm has represented victims and their families in obtaining settlements and verdicts in exposure lawsuits against product manufacturers throughout the United States.
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung called the "pleura," is almost always caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Every year thousands of workers and retired workers are diagnosed with this disease. The Mathews Law Firm has been helping victims and their families obtain asbestos disease compensation all across the country. If you have been diagnosed, it is important that you speak with a mesothelioma lawyer.
Below we briefly discuss the symptoms, diagnosis and treatments available to those diagnosed with this form of cancer, and how we can help you and your family with a mesothelioma claim.
Symptoms
There are generally two types of mesothelioma. The most common is pleural, and the second is peritoneal. Pleural affects the lining of the lung, and peritoneal mesothelioma affects the abdominal lining.
The most common symptoms are shortness of breath; pain while breathing; chest, back or shoulder pain; difficulty swallowing; frequent coughing and unexplained fever.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include abdominal pain and swelling, nausea, loss of appetite and bowel problems.
Diagnosis
Mesothelioma is usually diagnosed following an x-ray or CT scan which detects fluid around the pleura of the lung or peritoneum of the abdomen. A biopsy may also be used by doctors to obtain tissue which is examined by a pathologist to confirm a diagnosis. The American Lung Association has a mesothelioma fact sheet which provides helpful information on diagnosis.
The National Cancer Institute provides a listing of all the NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers across the country.
Asbestos Exposure Hazards
Many workers may not recall specifically being exposed to asbestos. However, asbestos was used extensively in insulation and construction materials, including in power plants such as Duke Power, Carolina Power and Light, Georgia Power and other utility plants. Paper mills owned by companies such as Weyerhaeuser, Federal Paper, International Paper and Champion, used asbestos extensively in their plants. Other plants such as Dupont, Babcock & Wilcox, shipyards in Wilmington, Norfolk and Newport News and other industrial facilities all used large quantities of asbestos. Individuals who worked as insulators, boilermakers, pipefitters, mechanics, carpenters, electricians and plumbers, as well as other bystanders, may have been exposed to asbestos.
Metropolitan areas see the most incidents of mesothelioma since that is where many of the industrial facilities using asbestos-containing insulation products were located.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with an asbestos disease regardless of the city or state where you live, we can help. The Mathews Law Firm has represented families all across the country , including Missouri (MO), Illinois (IL), Kentucky (KY), Tennessee (TN), Georgia (GA), North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC), Florida (FL), Texas (TX), Ohio (OH), Alabama (AL), Virginia (VA), Illinois , California(CA) and Pennsylvania (PA). You can talk to a attorney for free if you have any questions about an asbestos claim.
If you have received a speeding ticket or citation for any other form of traffic offense, you may be considering whether you should hire an attorney. The truth is that accumulating tickets on your record may result in increased insurance costs and driver's license suspension. Certain more serious violations, such as DWI, may result in criminal penalties as well. A St. Louis traffic ticket lawyer at The Mathews Law Firm can talk to you about your particular case to determine whether you need legal counsel.
DUI/DWI
Arrested for drunk driving? You may face imprisonment, fines and driver's license suspension if you are convicted. A competent DWI lawyer can represent you in criminal court and can protect you from license suspension as well. Our firm takes pride in providing aggressive and personalized representation to clients facing DWI charges in Missouri.
Family Law
Family law is a field which requires handling sensitive, emotionally-charged issues such as divorce, child custody, restraining orders, spousal support, visitation rights, and child support. Are currently dealing with a family law matter and would like skilled legal counsel, we at The Mathews Law Firm can offer you a free consultation regarding your case.
Contact our firm
today if you would like to undergo a free case evaluation regarding your family law matter, traffic ticket, or DWI charges.