If you're diagnosed with lung cancer caused by smoking, be aware that there may be a statute of limitations on how long you have to file a lawsuit against a tobacco company. This may vary from one state to another, so don't hesitate to start looking for a lawyer to represent you.

Tobacco companies aren't the only entities you can sue for smoking-related lung cancer. If you're not a smoker yourself and got cancer from inhaling secondhand smoke, the places you have worked and/or frequented may be liable. You should explore your possibilities with your lawyer.

Warning labels have been present on cigarette packets for decades, which makes you at least partly responsible for your lung cancer if you saw the labels and kept smoking. However, you've got a case if you started smoking before the labels were mandatory, or if you were hooked by attractive advertising when you were young.