An Asbestos Attorney Can Help Victims of Asbestos-Related Diseases
A knowledgeable asbestos lawyer can aid victims of asbestos-related illnesses. These include asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Many firms offer free case reviews for mesothelioma sufferers. This allows you to learn about how a firm handles these claims and then decide if they are right for you.
A lawsuit against an asbestos company can result in reimbursement for medical expenses or lost wages, among other costs. However, litigation can be costly.
The History of Asbestos Lawsuits
Asbestos is a dangerous naturally occurring mineral that is used for insulation and fire protection. For a long time, it was used in various manufacturing, industrial, and commercial settings in New York and across the across the country. Workers in many of these facilities, such as power plants, shipyards and textile mills, were regularly exposed to asbestos. Some of these workers developed mesothelioma as well as other lung diseases directly linked to their exposure to asbestos. A New York mesothelioma lawyer can assist those affected to receive the benefits they are entitled to.
Researchers confirmed what many people believed to be true: that exposure to asbestos can cause lung disease and damage. This revelation triggered a flurry of claims that led to dozens of asbestos producers to declare bankruptcy. In bankruptcy proceedings, asbestos manufacturers set up trust funds for the families of victims. The amount that was transferred to these trusts is currently in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Although Congress has attempted to pass legislation in order to settle the asbestos litigation process, these bills have not succeeded due to numerous reasons. They did not address the issues of how to treat patients with mesothelioma that have recurrences or who are deceased.
The asbestos defense industry has also been a stumbling block in its effort to discredit the scientific consensus that asbestos even in low amounts can cause mesothelioma as well as lung cancer. These campaigns have included financing and publishing articles in journals of science that aim to support the asbestos industry's legal arguments in trial.
To accelerate the process, individual cases can be combined into multidistrict litigation. In 1991, a judge joined over 850 asbestos lawsuits filed against power plants to speed up the resolution of these cases. The defendants can appeal a verdict between 30 and 180 days. This could delay any financial award. A defendant could be required to post bond for any monetary awards received, based on the outcome of the appeal.
How to File a Claim
An asbestos lawyer can help families and individuals with filing different types of asbestos claims. These claims could be for compensation for funeral expenses, medical costs, lost income, loss of consortium, and pain and suffering. They can also sue companies that exposed asbestos workers. They may also assist veterans make a claim to the Veteran's Administration for disability compensation.
A lawyer who specializes in asbestos litigation can look over your case for free to determine if there are any legal options. They will be able to answer your questions and explain the various legal procedures. They are able to travel to your workplace, hospital or home to provide a consultation. They are on a contingent basis, meaning that you don't have to pay upfront legal costs.
When a client hires a asbestos lawyer, he/ she must ensure that the lawsuit is filed in accordance with the statute of limitations applicable to. Many states require asbestos sufferers to start a lawsuit within a couple of years after being diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer. It can be difficult to determine if an individual has been exposed to asbestos as the symptoms usually don't show until decades afterward. An experienced asbestos lawyer can assist clients in understanding the specific laws in their state and ensure that the lawsuit is filed on time.
After filing a complaint a mesothelioma attorney will gather evidence in support of your claim. This includes company records and even interviews conducted with your family members. They can also request documents from asbestos companies to demonstrate negligence.
An experienced asbestos lawyer can help you start a lawsuit to claim wrongful death if your loved ones died from mesothelioma, or any other asbestos-related disease. In a wrongful-death lawsuit survivors can seek compensation for emotional distress, funeral costs, and loss of companionship. They may also seek punitive damage against asbestos companies.
A reputable asbestos lawyer has the capacity to quickly access records from different states or asbestos firms and can offer you more legal options than local law firms. A national asbestos law firm's resources could give victims a better chance of receiving a large amount of compensation.
Prepare for trial
Asbestos, a toxic mineral, that was used for decades in industrial settings. waukesha asbestos lawyer exposed to asbestos in shipbuilding, construction and automotive manufacturing industries among others, often suffer from serious diseases such as mesothelioma (lung cancer) as well as asbestosis or Pleural effusion (inflammation of lungs' lining). If you've been diagnosed with an illness that is due to asbestos exposure you're entitled to compensation. An experienced New York asbestos lawyer can help you recover damages.
A mesothelioma attorney can assist you to file a personal injury or wrongful-death lawsuit against the businesses responsible for your exposure. A mesothelioma claim permits you to claim financial compensation for medical expenses as well as lost wages, pain and discomfort, emotional distress, etc.
The statutes of limitation differ in each state for personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. It is essential to have a seasoned mesothelioma attorney by your side to ensure you don't run out of time to file an claim.
Your lawyer will investigate and collect evidence on behalf of you once the legal process has begun. They will interview you and any former landowners, employers, or other individuals involved in your exposure to asbestos. They will also research the details of your situation to determine where, how and when you could have been exposed.
The majority of asbestos cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. This means that your attorney will receive a proportion of any amount you are paid. Your attorney will also cover any expenses associated with your case If you win an award or settlement and they collect their fees from the winner.
If you and your asbestos lawyer are unable to come to an agreement on an hourly fee and you want to hire a different firm. However, the lawyers in the second firm must agree to a contract for sharing the cost of work and fees.
Typically, mesothelioma victims and their families receive compensation if they get a jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff. Many asbestos lawsuits are settled outside of court. On average, asbestos lawsuits that reach the desired conclusion pay between $1 million and $1.4 million to the victims.
Going to Trial
Asbestos lawyers can help their clients receive compensation through either a settlement or successful trial decision. Compensation is based on a number of factors, including the length of exposure to asbestos, as well as the severity and frequency of symptoms. Asbestos lawsuit damages could include damages for pain and suffering, loss of income and future earnings as also medical expenses, childcare, transportation, and housekeeping.
Compensation for claims of wrongful death can also be obtained through an asbestos lawsuit which provides money to pay funeral costs as well as other expenses associated with the death of loved ones. Families may also be entitled to compensation for the emotional trauma that is caused by the death of the loss of a loved one.
Attorneys with experience in asbestos litigation can aid victims of mesothelioma lung cancer, and other asbestos-related illnesses seek compensation from responsible asbestos manufacturers. Mesothelioma lawyers can also assist to file claims using trust funds set up by asbestos-related companies that went bankrupt.
The years between exposure to asbestos and the beginning of illness can make it difficult to determine who were responsible for an asbestos-related illness. Evidence may also disappear or be lost over time, and asbestos-related companies may go out of business. This makes the case more complicated.
In the event of you file an asbestos lawsuit the mesothelioma lawyer representing the plaintiff must determine every possible asbestos manufacturer and asbestos product relevant to the claim. An experienced attorney will conduct an exhaustive investigation of every asbestos product and asbestos manufacturer to ensure that the case contains all the facts.
Belluck and Fox's asbestos lawyers have been holding negligent asbestos producers accountable for the hardworking employees who were exposed to this hazardous material. Over the years they have been able to secure more than one billion dollars in compensation for their clients. The firm has won notable verdicts, including a $22 million award for an Navy veteran who contracted mesothelioma following the repair of boilers aboard ships. Another $8 million verdict for an employee of a construction company who died from exposure to asbestos in joint sealing compounds in the top of a Manhattan high rise.