An Asbestos Attorney Can Help Victims of Asbestos-Related Diseases
A knowledgeable asbestos lawyer can help victims of asbestos-related ailments. These include mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.
Many firms provide free case reviews for mesothelioma sufferers. This lets you learn about how a firm handles these claims and then decide if they are suitable for you.
A lawsuit against an asbestos firm can result in settlement for medical bills as well as lost wages and other expenses. However, litigation is expensive.
The History of Asbestos Lawsuits
Asbestos is a dangerous, naturally occurring mineral used for fireproofing and insulation. For a long time it was employed in various manufacturing, industrial, and commercial settings in New York and across the across the country. Many of these facilities, such as textile mills, power plants and shipyards, exposed workers massive amounts of asbestos regularly. Some of the workers were diagnosed with mesothelioma and other lung diseases directly linked to their exposure to asbestos. Anyone affected should consult an experienced New York mesothelioma attorney to help them get the compensation they deserve.
When the first lawsuits were filed in the late 1960s, scientists confirmed what they had long believed - that exposure to asbestos causes lung damage and disease. This information triggered a wave of lawsuits that led to dozens of asbestos producers to declare bankruptcy. As part of their bankruptcy proceedings, these companies established asbestos trust funds to pay the victims and their families. The amount of money that was paid to these trusts is currently in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
While Congress has tried to pass legislation that would end the asbestos litigation process these bills have failed for many reasons. For instance, they did not address how to treat mesothelioma patients who have recurrences of their illness or are deceased.
The asbestos defense industry has also been a hindrance in its attempt to discredit the scientific consensus that asbestos, even when it is at a low level can cause mesothelioma and lung cancer. These campaigns include funding and publishing research that are intended to support the asbestos industry's arguments in the courtroom.
Individual cases may be consolidated into multidistrict litigation in order to speed up the process. In 1991, a judge consolidated the asbestos lawsuits of 850 against power plants to speed up resolution of these cases. The defendants can appeal a decision within 30 to 180 days. This will delay the payment of any monetary award until the appeal is concluded. A defendant may be required to provide a an amount of bond for any awards received, based on the outcome of an appeal.
How to File a Claim
An asbestos lawyer can help families and individuals to file various asbestos claims. These claims can include reimbursement for funeral costs, medical expenses and lost income, as well as loss in consortium, pain and suffering, and other damages. They may also sue companies for exposing asbestos workers. They may also help veterans submit a claim to the Veteran's Administration for disability compensation.
A lawyer who is an expert in asbestos litigation will evaluate your case for free to determine if there are any legal options available. They can explain the different legal procedures and answer any questions you might have. They are often able to travel to your hospital or at home to consult and work on a contingency basis which means you won't be held accountable for any upfront legal costs.
If a client employs an asbestos attorney, they must make sure the lawsuit is filed within the appropriate time frame. Most states require asbestos-related victims 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 because symptoms typically don't manifest until a long time later. An asbestos lawyer can help clients navigate the laws of their respective states and ensure that lawsuits are filed in time.
After filing a complaint, an attorney for mesothelioma will seek evidence to support your claim. This includes company records as well as interviews conducted with your family members. They can also subpoena old documents from asbestos companies to prove negligent conduct.
An experienced asbestos lawyer can help you make a claim for wrongful death if your loved one died of mesothelioma, or any other asbestos-related disease. In a wrongful death lawsuit, survivors can seek compensation for emotional grief, funeral expenses, and loss of companionship. They can also seek punitive damages against an asbestos-related company.
A reputable asbestos attorney has the resources to quickly access information from various states and asbestos companies, and will give you more legal options than the local law firm can offer. The resources offered by an asbestos law firm could provide victims with a greater chance of winning substantial compensation.
Preparing for trial
Asbestos, a toxic mineral has been employed in industrial tasks for decades. Workers exposed to asbestos in shipbuilding, construction automotive manufacturing, shipbuilding, and other industries typically suffer from serious diseases like mesothelioma or lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural effusion (inflammation of the lung's lining). If you have been diagnosed with an illness caused by asbestos exposure, you're entitled to compensation. An experienced New York asbestos lawyer can help you recover damages.
A mesothelioma lawyer will help you make a claim for personal injury or wrongful deaths against the companies responsible for your exposure. A mesothelioma suit allows you to pursue financial compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages.
The statutes of limitations differ by state for both personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. You need an experienced mesothelioma lawyer to ensure you don't miss your deadline for filing claims.
Your attorney will investigate and collect evidence on your behalf once the legal process has started. They will question you and any former employers, landowners, or other people involved in your exposure to asbestos. They will also study the details of your case to determine where, how, and when you may have been exposed.
The majority of asbestos cases are dealt with by a contingency-fee system. This means that the attorney will receive a proportion of whatever compensation you receive. Your attorney will also take care of the costs of your case and, if you prevail an award or settlement the attorney will be able to collect their fees from the party that won.
If you and your asbestos attorney can't come to an agreement over the cost of a contingency and you want to hire a different firm. The attorneys of the second law firm will be required to sign a contract for the division of the work and fees.
In most cases, the compensation is given to mesothelioma patients as well as their family members when a jury is found in their favor. Many asbestos lawsuits are settled outside of court. On merced asbestos lawyer that have the desired conclusion pay between $1 million and $1.4 million to the victims.
Going to Trial
Asbestos lawyers can assist their clients recover compensation via either a settlement or a successful trial verdict. Compensation is based on several factors, including the duration of exposure to asbestos and the severity and frequency of symptoms. Asbestos lawsuit compensation can include damages for physical suffering and pain, loss of income and future earnings, medical expenses and household expenses such as childcare transport, housekeeping and transportation.
Compensation for wrongful death claims can also be obtained through an asbestos lawsuit which will pay for funeral costs and other expenses that come with the death of loved ones. Families may also be entitled to compensation for the emotional stress that is caused by the death of the loss of a loved one.
Lawyers who have experience in asbestos litigation may help victims of mesothelioma, lung cancer and other asbestos-related illnesses seek compensation from responsible asbestos manufacturers. In addition, mesothelioma lawyers could provide assistance in filing claims with trust funds created by asbestos companies that went bankrupt.
It is often difficult to determine who is accountable for an asbestos-related disease because of the lengthy time between the first exposure and the onset of symptoms. In addition, evidence may disappear or be destroyed over time, and asbestos-related companies can go out of business, which could complicate the case even further.
In the event of making an asbestos lawsuit, the mesothelioma lawyer for the plaintiff should be aware of every possible asbestos-related asbestos product and asbestos manufacturer that could be involved in the lawsuit. An experienced attorney will conduct an extensive investigation of each asbestos product and asbestos manufacturer to ensure that the case is based on all facts.
Belluck & Fox's asbestos lawyers have been holding negligent asbestos producers accountable for the hardworking workers exposed to the 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 a number of notable verdicts, including a $22 million award to a Navy veteran diagnosed with mesothelioma while repairing boilers on ships. It also secured an $8million verdict for a construction worker who died after being exposed asbestos in joint sealing compounds at a Manhattan skyscraper.