Mesothelioma lawyers are attorneys who specialize in tirt litigation of asbestos cases and related personal injury areas.
Asbestos is a natural mineral that was used heavily in industrial insulation and other compounds throughout the 20th century .
As bestostos was used in thousands of these products that men and women engaged withand used daily .
Unfortunately , for as useful as asbestos proved to ,be it was equally as dangerous. Asbestos products could be found nearly anywhere, but were most common in naval shipyards, power plants, metal works factories, and other heavy industries.
Begining in the later 1970's documents began to surface among asbestos manufacturers indicating that these corporations were fully awarw of the hazards of asbestos exposure. And yet,they continued to produce the materials, endangering hundreds of thousands of people who worked with and unknowingly inhaled the material on a daily basis.
Mesothelioma in a rare from of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and abdomen . Mesothelioma is known only to be caused by asbestos exposure, the fibers of which cause a harmful inflamation in the internal tissue of the body, which eventually can be life threatening. Mesothelioma has a great deal of latency associated with it ,meaning symptoms of the disease may not surface until up to 60 years after exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is an aggressive malignancy, for which there is no known cure at this time.
Mesothelioma lawyears assist victims of asbestos exposure and their families obtain financial damages from asbestos manufacturers for their exposure and related injuries . Asbestos has been known to cause mesothelioma but also is associated with the development of respiratory disorders like asbestosis and other breathing difficulty.
Thouse who suffer from asbestos related injuries or mesothelioma deserve these damages, as their lives have been forever changed by the asbestos companies who profited from their labor.
Given the amount of affected individuals , many asbestos manufactures have either gone into bankruptcy or formed trust funds to pay out asbestos injury damages. Mesothelioma lawers will help you determine where you were exposed and which manufacturer or manufacturers of asbestos products was potentially involved .Attorneys will then advise their clients on the guidelines of filing a case within her state of residence and work closely with the victim and ther family until they obtain the damages.
If you or loved one has been affected by asbestos exposure and would like the help of a mesothelioma lawyear in obtaining the compensation you deserve, please fill out the brief from on this page to receive a comprehensive mesothelioma and asbestos exposure information packet , delivered to your door free of charge.
TYPICAL CASE PROCESS
Though all lawsuits are different , most asbestos case progress in a similar .Once you've decided to proceed with an attempt to obtain compensation for your asbestos -related injuries, the process should be similar to the one outlined below .
Filing -The first step in your asbestos lawsuit -after you've met with your attoney and he/shes determine that you indeed have a viable case-is thefiling of a petition or complaint with the court.
This is done by the attorney . thecomplaint outlines the case, identifies all defendats, and alleges the wrongful actions of each defendant and how those actions affeced you -the plaintiff. Filing just takes a few minutes but preparing the complaint may tale several weelks or even months .
Responses -After the petition is filed , each defendant typically has about 30days to respond to the complaint and present an answer to the court. Typical responses bydefendants might include allegations that the statute oflimitations has expired.
discovery -As the name suggests, discovery is the process by which each side learns facts about the other side. For example, the defendants' attorneys may ask to interview the plaintiff in an affempt to discern their liability.
Setting of a Trial Date-How quickly your case comes to trial will largely depend upon the availability of the court. It may be several months before a date is chousen. However , a growing number of jurisdictions are putting a "rush"on mesothelioma cases that involve a plaintiff who is still living .
Settlement offers- Sometimes, defendantsdecide that it is not in ther best interest to allow a case to go to trial. In those instances, the plaintiff may be offered a monetary "settlement " .Any settlements will be presented to your lawyer who will, in turn , present them to you -the plaintiff-and advise you on whether he/she believes it is in your best interest to accept the settlement or wait for the trial. A large percentage of asbestos cases are settled before they go to trial.
Trial -if you can not reach a settlement with the defendant (s),the case will proceed to trial . Trials typically take one to two weeks , depending on the number of defendants, witnesses,etc..
You may or may not take the stand to testify on your own behalf.
In all, a typical case can take months to years,depending on its complexity. An experienced mesothelioma attorney can probably give you a fair ides if just how long your particular case may take to come to setlement.