An Asbestos Attorney Can Help Victims of Asbestos-Related Diseases

A knowledgeable asbestos lawyer can assist victims of asbestos-related illnesses. These include asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Many companies offer free case reviews for mesothelioma sufferers. This will let you see how a firm responds to these claims and determine if they are the right fit for you.

A lawsuit against a business that produces asbestos could result in compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and other expenses. Legal proceedings can be costly.

The History of Asbestos Lawsuits

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, is used as an insulator and fire-resistant material. For a long time it was used in a variety of manufacturing commercial, industrial, and settings in New York and across the nation. Many of these facilities, like power plants, textile mills and shipyards, exposed workers large amounts of asbestos on a regular basis. A few of them later developed mesothelioma and other lung diseases directly related to their exposure. Anyone affected should consult an experienced New York mesothelioma attorney to ensure they receive the compensation they're due.

When the first lawsuits were filed in the late 1960s, researchers confirmed what many had long believed to be true - that exposure to asbestos causes lung damage and diseases. This revelation triggered a flurry of claims that led to dozens of asbestos producers to declare bankruptcy. In the course of bankruptcy proceedings, these companies established asbestos trust funds to pay victims and their families. The amount of money that was transferred to these trusts is currently in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

While Congress has attempted to pass legislation to end the asbestos litigation issue, the bills have stalled due to many reasons. For example, they did not address the treatment options for mesothelioma victims who are recurrently suffering from their illness or who are deceased.

Another issue has been the asbestos defense industry's efforts to undermine and discredit the scientific consensus that asbestos in all forms even at low levels, are capable of producing mesothelioma and lung cancer as well as other asbestos-related diseases. These campaigns include funding and publishing articles which are designed to strengthen the asbestos industry's arguments in court.

Individual cases can be consolidated into multidistrict litigations to speed the process. In 1991, for example one judge combined 850 power plant asbestos lawsuits to speed up the resolution of these cases. Plaintiffs are permitted to appeal a verdict within 30 to 180 days, which will delay the receipt of any monetary award until after the appeal has been decided. Depending on the outcome of the appeal, the defendant could be required to post a bond for any money awarded.

How to File a Claim

An asbestos lawyer can help families and individuals file various kinds of asbestos claims. These claims may be for compensation for funeral expenses, medical expenses and lost income loss of consortium and pain and suffering. They can also seek restitution from companies which exposed workers to asbestos. They may also aid veterans submit a claim to the Veteran's Administration for disability compensation.

A lawyer who is an expert in asbestos litigation will examine your case at no cost to determine if there are any legal options that are available. They can provide you with information on the various legal procedures and address any questions that you have. They can come to your office, home or hospital to provide a consultation. They are paid on a recurring basis, so you don't need to pay any upfront legal costs.

When a client hires a asbestos lawyer, he or will need to ensure that the lawsuit is filed in accordance to the applicable statute of limitation. Most states require victims to file an asbestos lawsuit within a couple of years of being diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or any other asbestos-related illness. It can be difficult to determine if someone has been exposed to asbestos because the symptoms usually don't show until a long time later. 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 the complaint, mesothelioma lawyers gather evidence to support your claim. This includes company records and interviews with your family members. They can also subpoena older documents from asbestos-related companies that could reveal negligent conduct.

A knowledgeable asbestos lawyer can assist you to make a claim for wrongful death if a loved ones died from mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease. In a case for wrongful death, survivors can seek compensation to cover funeral costs, emotional distress and loss of companionship. They can also demand punitive damages from the asbestos company.

A good asbestos lawyer has the resources to quickly access records from various states or asbestos firms and can offer you more legal options than local law firms. The resources offered by an asbestos law company can provide victims with a better chance at winning significant compensation.

Preparing for Trial

Asbestos is a toxic mineral which was used for many years in the workplace. Workers exposed to asbestos in construction, shipbuilding auto manufacturing, shipbuilding, as well as other industries are often affected by serious diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer asbestosis, or the pleural effusion (inflammation of the lining of the lungs). If you have been diagnosed as having a disease related to asbestos exposure, then you're entitled compensation. An experienced New York asbestos lawyer can help you recover damages.

A mesothelioma lawyer can assist you file a lawsuit for personal injury or wrongful death against the companies that are accountable for your exposure. A mesothelioma lawsuit allows you to seek financial compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages.

The statutes of limitations in each state differ for personal injury and wrongful deaths lawsuits. It is crucial to have a mesothelioma attorney on your side to ensure you don't run out of time to file an action.

Your lawyer will investigate and collect evidence on your behalf once the legal process has started. They will conduct an interview with you and any former landowners, employers or other people involved in your exposure to asbestos. They will also examine the details of your case to determine the extent you were exposed, where, and when you were exposed.

The majority of asbestos cases are dealt with on a contingency basis which means that the attorney takes a percentage of any compensation you receive as a representation. Your attorney will pay for all costs related to your case. If you win you will be paid by the winning party.

If you and your asbestos attorney can't agree on the cost of a contingency then you can choose to work with a different firm. However, the attorneys of the second firm must sign a contract that shares the work and asbestos litigation fees.

In the majority of instances, compensation is paid to mesothelioma patients as well as their family members when a jury is found in their favor. However, many asbestos lawsuits settle outside of court. On average asbestos lawsuits that have a successful outcome pay out between $1 million and $1.4 million to the victims.

Going to Trial

Asbestos lawyers can assist their clients get compensation through settling or winning a trial. Compensation depends on several aspects, including the duration of time and the type of asbestos exposure and severity of the symptoms. Asbestos lawsuit damages could include damages for suffering and pain, lost income and future earnings, as along with medical expenses, childcare, transportation, and housekeeping.

Compensation for wrongful death claims can be secured through an asbestos lawsuit, that includes funds to cover funeral costs and other expenses associated with the loss of loved ones. Families could also be entitled to compensation due to the emotional distress that is caused by the death of the loss of a loved one.

Lawyers with experience in asbestos litigation can assist patients suffering from mesothelioma, lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases to seek compensation from asbestos producers. In addition, mesothelioma lawyers may provide assistance in filing claims with trust funds established by asbestos companies that have gone into bankruptcy.

The time between the time of exposure to asbestos and the onset of disease can make it difficult to determine which defendants were responsible for an asbestos-related illness. In addition, evidence may disappear or be lost in time, and asbestos companies may cease to be in business, thereby complicating the matter even more.

When filing an asbestos lawsuit, the plaintiff's mesothelioma lawyer should determine every possible asbestos manufacturer and asbestos settlement product involved in the claim. A knowledgeable attorney can conduct a thorough investigation of each asbestos manufacturer and product to ensure that all the relevant information is available to the case.

For decades, mesothelioma lawyers at Belluck & Fox have held negligent asbestos producers accountable for the hardworking workers they exposed to this dangerous substance. They have secured more than $1 billion in compensation for their clients over the years. The firm has won significant verdicts, including an award of $22 million for an Navy veteran who contracted mesothelioma from repairing boilers on ships, and an $8 million verdict for a construction worker who died due to asbestos exposure in joint-sealing compounds at a Manhattan high rise.