Asbestos Litigation
In courts all over the country, asbestos litigation has been a significant issue. Asbestos exposure has been shown to cause lung damage and lung disease through research.
An attorney should be able identify asbestos in every case. This can be accomplished by speaking with colleagues, obtaining records, and analyzing samples from homes or work sites.
Liability
You may be entitled to compensation when you or someone you care about is diagnosed with a condition related to asbestos. Compensation can help with lost wages, medical expenses and other costs related to mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illness. You may choose to make a claim or offer a settlement to the defendants.
There are typically many defendants in a case involving asbestos due to the numerous mining companies that made asbestos and also the manufacture of products that contain asbestos. These businesses may also own or have control of asbestos-contaminated properties. Furthermore, companies who provided services to mines, or manufacturers that made use of asbestos Law or acted as employers could be held accountable for injuries suffered by victims.
Asbestos lawsuits usually fall under the legal category of product liability law, which is built on state and common laws that allow damages to be recovered against manufacturers of products if the products cause injury to. In a product liability suit, asbestos Law it is alleged the injuries resulted from defective design or manufacturing and that the person injured was not adequately informed about the dangers associated with products.
In asbestos cases, defendants usually claim that they were not negligent and that their products are safe. This is despite the fact that doctors have long known that asbestos-containing items are linked to a wide range of ailments. Companies that concealed asbestos risks to increase profits were accused of a cover-up. They tried to block claims and keep workers from seeking financial compensation for their injuries.
If more than one defendant is found to be liable for asbestos-related injuries suffered by a victim, a jury or judge may determine how to divide the responsibility between them in a process called apportionment. The apportionment of liability will not affect the total amount of money a plaintiff may receive as compensation from the defendants in the case.
Damages
A lawsuit filed against a company who manufactured or sold asbestos-related products could help victims receive compensation for their losses. This includes the cost of medical treatment and lost wages as a result of being unable to perform their job. Victims can also receive compensation and punitive damages.
The lawsuit claims that the defendant acted negligently. This means that it didn’t take reasonable steps to ensure the product was safe for the intended use. It also is alleged that the defendant knew asbestos was a risk and failed to warn workers and consumers of this risk.
An asbestos lawsuit could be filed by a victim or estate of a person who died from an asbestos-related condition like mesothelioma. An individual can bring a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation for economic and non-economic damages, including emotional distress as well as loss of enjoyment life, and pain and suffering. In addition, the survivors of a family of someone who died from an asbestos-related illness can make a claim for wrongful death.
After an asbestos lawsuit is filed, both sides exchange information during a process known as discovery. This can last several months and may include lengthy interviews with coworkers or relatives, abatement employees and others to discover potential defendants as well as their asbestos-related products.
It is important that plaintiffs have an experienced attorney to handle their case due of the complexity of asbestos litigation. The law firm a victim or their family chooses must be aware of the unique challenges of asbestos litigation. They should also be recognized by insurance companies and defendants for their experience.
Lawyers from LK have years of experience representing victims and their families in asbestos lawsuits. We are renowned for our ability to obtain maximum compensation for our clients.
If you have any questions regarding filing an asbestos lawsuit, contact us for a no-cost consultation. We are committed to fighting for justice on behalf of our clients. Our offices are in Salt Lake City, Utah and Houston, Texas. We represent clients nationwide. Contact us now to begin.
Settlements
When victims win their asbestos lawsuits, they receive compensation from companies that knowingly exposed them to dangerous substances. The money is meant to pay the victim and his or her family members for the financial losses resulting from asbestos exposure. Compensation can cover the pain and suffering.
Asbestos cases are often settled rather than going to trial. This is due to the fact that it’s less expensive and easier for the defendant companies to settle the case this way. Settlements can also help avoid the negative publicity that can come with a verdict at trial. It is important to hire an experienced mesothelioma attorney that has experience obtaining maximum damages for their clients.
Mesothelioma cases are complicated and lawyers must conduct extensive research about the medical records of their clients, work history and asbestos exposure. They can assist clients in identifying possible asbestos-producing companies that could be responsible for their illness. The lawyers can then collect evidence and Asbestos Law use it in a mesothelioma-related case that is a solid one.
During pre-trial discovery, depositions and pre-trial depositions mesothelioma lawyers may uncover evidence of asbestos companies negligence. The evidence typically is found in the form internal memos, corporate documents, and testimony from former employees who worked with asbestos lawyer-containing products. These documents usually show that asbestos producers knew about the dangers of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses but did not inform their workers or the general public.
A number of states have set a limitation, also known as a statute of limitations, on how long asbestos-related victims can sue. These time periods vary between states, however, they are usually between one and two years. If the statute of limitations runs out before a mesothelioma lawsuit is filed, victims lose their right to receive compensation.
The amount of money victims can receive is based on the severity of their illness the diagnosis, as well as other factors. Attorneys consider the cost of treatment and other expenses when negotiating to ensure that patients have enough money to pay for medical expenses. Asbestos victims may also file claims using trust funds that were established to pay compensation to those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
Some of these trusts have been wiped out, but others continue to pay out large prizes. In 2018 the federal court gave $70 million to the relatives of an U.S. Navy machinist diagnosed with mesothelioma due to working with gaskets produced by John Crane Inc.
Trials
asbestos case victims who go to trial have a better chance of receiving compensation than those who accept a settlement offer. Trials can also help resolve issues that aren’t resolved through settlement negotiations, such as differences in how to calculate damages and if the victim’s condition resulted from specific exposures.
In a court of law, plaintiffs be required to prove that they have a right to damages, including future and past medical expenses loss of wages, damages to property as well as discomfort and pain and loss in consortium. In addition, the defendant has to prove that it is liable for the asbestos-related injuries. The trial process can be lengthy. In the past decade mesothelioma jury awards cases have risen significantly and have far outstripped the amount given to settlement cases by judges.
A mesothelioma lawyer can help patients understand how to proceed in the trial process and also explain their legal rights in an open courtroom. A licensed lawyer can assist in identifying potential defendants. Asbestos litigation can be more complex than litigation involving car accidents, where it is generally easy to identify the responsible parties. This is especially true when the person has been exposed to asbestos in multiple places and at different dates. A mesothelioma lawyer with experience can interview witnesses, such as coworkers, relatives, abatement workers and suppliers to compile an extensive database of the companies as well as the locations of their products and.
The cost of resolving asbestos claims eats up funds that could have been used to fund future cases. Some claimants are also of the opinion that settlements don’t reflect the actual damage and that they should be compensated more.
In asbestos cases, defendants can fight to have claims dismissed by summary judgment or a determination of no exposure. These motions, however, require a thorough examination of the evidence as well as an expert’s opinion on whether the asbestos doses that were measured by the plaintiff were not sufficient to cause mesothelioma. A mesothelioma lawyer can help speed up the process and stop the case from becoming a backlog in the courts.