Quality of Life

Quality of life describes a person's overall well-being: their physical comfort, ability to do daily activities, emotional state, and independence. In medicine it guides treatment goals, especially when a cure is not possible. In law it underlies claims for non-economic damages like pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Origin

The concept entered clinical medicine in the mid-20th century as treatments extended survival and doctors began measuring outcomes beyond simply staying alive. "Health-related quality of life" tools were later developed to score symptoms, function, and well-being.

Significance in Asbestos Context

For a mesothelioma patient, quality of life sits at the center of both care and compensation. Medically, many decisions, such as whether to pursue aggressive surgery or focus on symptom relief, turn on preserving comfort and function rather than only extending time. Legally, the loss of your ability to work, enjoy hobbies, travel, and care for family is compensable as non-economic damages, and your own testimony about these losses is powerful evidence. Keeping a personal record of how the disease changes your daily life can help both your medical team and your case.

Example Sentence

The jury heard how the disease destroyed her quality of life, ending the gardening and travel she had planned for retirement.

Related Terms

Non-Economic Damages, Pain and Suffering, Loss of Consortium, Palliative Care, Activities of Daily Living

Notes

• Consider keeping a dated journal or short videos documenting symptoms and lost activities; contemporaneous records strengthen both care planning and damages testimony.
• Ask your care team about palliative care early; it is about improving quality of life and can run alongside active treatment.
• Loved ones may have their own claim for the loss of your companionship (loss of consortium); mention affected relationships to your attorney.