Mesothelioma Compensation Options
- Mesothelioma compensation for victims and their families can come from several sources, including asbestos trust funds, personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits, and settlements, offering financial relief for various expenses.
- Asbestos trust funds in the U.S. have over $30 billion available for compensation, established by bankrupt companies to pay claims for asbestos-related diseases, with the process being generally quicker and simpler than lawsuits.
- Personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits for mesothelioma can result in significant compensation to help cover medical bills, lost wages, and emotional suffering.
- Settlements allow mesothelioma patients and their families to receive timely financial support without the need for lengthy litigation, with specialized law firms often securing significant compensation through their expertise and negotiation skills.
- Filing a mesothelioma lawsuit involves a consultation with specialized attorneys, with a limited time to file starting from the date of diagnosis. Because of this, it’s important to contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney as soon as possible.
Compensation for Victims of Mesothelioma and Their Families
Mesothelioma financial compensation offers victims and their families relief for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, emotional suffering, and other expenses. Compensation can come from asbestos trust funds, lawsuits, or settlements. There are currently no ongoing class action lawsuits related to mesothelioma. Lawyers handle each case individually, reflecting the unique circumstances of each person. The types of compensation available to asbestos exposure victims and their families includes:
Asbestos Trust Funds
In the United States, asbestos trust funds established by bankrupt companies have over $30 billion set aside to compensate people for asbestos-related diseases.
Companies that manufactured asbestos products faced so many claims that many declared bankruptcy. As part of the bankruptcy process, these companies were required to establish trust funds to pay victims’ claims. Former workers and others sickened by asbestos exposure can request compensation from asbestos trust funds.
The compensation from mesothelioma bankruptcy trust claims can be up to several hundred thousand dollars. The process is generally quicker and simpler than filing a lawsuit. Our firm can tell you what factors will influence the amount of your claim and help gather the evidence you need to file a claim. If more than one company was involved, patients and their families may be entitled to receive funds from multiple asbestos trusts.
Mesothelioma Lawsuits
Mesothelioma compensation often comes from personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits. Compensation from a personal injury lawsuit can help pay for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other expenses.
Families who have lost a loved one to mesothelioma may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Our firm, with specialized knowledge of Pacific Northwest job sites, has successfully obtained multiple jury verdicts over $5 million for mesothelioma victims in Washington and Oregon. These personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits have helped families cope with the financial burden and emotional pain caused by this disease.
Settlements
Settlements occur when a company agrees to pay without going to trial. Our firm’s expertise in the legal landscapes of the pacific northwest has often enabled us to secure significant compensation without lengthy litigation or a trial.
Mesothelioma patients and their families can get timely financial support, allowing them to focus on treatment and healing.
Our experienced mesothelioma lawyers in Oregon or Washington can help patients and their families decide the best compensation option.
We Have Recovered Millions in Asbestos Compensation for Our Clients
Bergman Oslund Udo Little works diligently to defend patients and their families facing the tragic challenges of mesothelioma.
We’ve obtained over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for families in Washington and Oregon. Attorney Matt Bergman has represented over 850 mesothelioma victims.
Our firm’s compassionate, highly professional, client-first, and team-oriented approach has led to numerous notable victories, including:
- $30 million verdict for a 67-year-old mesothelioma patient and family: The client was exposed to crocidolite asbestos fibers while working for Ameron’s Bondstrand factory in Brea, California, for four months in 1974. This monumental verdict reflects the seriousness of the exposure and its lifelong consequences.
- $11.2 million to a man diagnosed with mesothelioma at age 75: This settlement was for a client who worked as a laborer for Zidell Dismantling in the Port Industrial Yard of Tacoma, Washington, where he was exposed to asbestos-containing insulation removed during the dismantling of former Navy ships.
- $10 million verdict for a 79-year-old mesothelioma patient and his wife: This significant verdict was based on World War II-era take-home exposures and was a complex, historic case.
- $8.3 Million for a 79-year-old man diagnosed with mesothelioma: Exposure occurred during his time as an electrician in the U.S. Navy and at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
- $6.8 Million for a 37-year-old woman diagnosed with mesothelioma: She came into contact with asbestos through products associated with her father, who worked in telephone line maintenance at Pacific Northwest Bell (now CenturyLink).
- $6.3 Million for a 61-year-old man diagnosed with mesothelioma: He was exposed to asbestos while working at the Atlas Foundry in Tacoma, Washington, particularly from insulation materials used in metal molds and talc products.
How Long Do I Have to File a Mesothelioma Lawsuit?
Patients or their families in Oregon and Washington must adhere to specific time frames, known as the statute of limitations, when filing mesothelioma lawsuits. These deadlines can vary depending on the state and the type of claim, whether it’s for personal injury or wrongful death.
Washington Mesothelioma Statute of Limitations
Individuals have three years from the point they knew or should have known about their asbestos-related disease to file. Typically, this equates to three years from the diagnosis date for personal injury cases and three years from the date of death in wrongful death cases, as long as the statute of limitations hadn’t already expired by the time of the individual’s passing.
Oregon Mesothelioma Statute of Limitations
The window is slightly shorter, with two years from the discovery of the asbestos-related ailment to file a personal injury suit. For wrongful death cases, families have two years from the date of the loved one’s passing.
Regardless of the state, initiating the lawsuit as soon as possible after the diagnosis or death is advisable. Taking swift action ensures evidence preservation, provides ample time for in-depth investigations, and can expedite the compensation process.
What is the Process for Filing a Mesothelioma Lawsuit?
- Consultation: Initially, you’ll meet with a mesothelioma lawyer to discuss the case details, including exposure history and medical records. At Bergman Oslund Udo Little, our clients work closely with a small team that takes the time to understand the impact of their diagnosis and build a personalized strategy to hold those responsible for the illness accountable.
- Investigation: The law firm investigates the case, identifying responsible parties and gathering evidence, such as medical records, transportation costs, and documentation of other expenses.
- Filing the complaint: A formal legal document, the complaint, will be filed in the appropriate court by an Oregon or Washington mesothelioma lawyer, outlining the claims against the defendants.
- Discovery phase: Both sides will exchange information and evidence, including depositions and document requests.
- Negotiation or trial: The company may resolve the case through negotiation or settlement. You’ll have to decide if you want to accept a settlement offer. Your attorney can advise you on whether it’s a good offer. Otherwise, the case may go to trial, where a judge or jury will decide the outcome.
- Considerations for veterans: Veterans with service related asbestos exposure might have additional options and considerations. A specialized attorney can guide veterans through the process, ensuring compliance with specific regulations. Veterans who receive compensation through the VA may also be eligible for compensation from asbestos trusts or lawsuits.
Common Questions About Asbestos Compensation
Why Should I File a Mesothelioma Claim?
- While no amount of compensation can make up for the diagnosis of a devastating illness, filing a lawsuit in a timely manner makes sense for many reasons. Mesothelioma is almost always caused by asbestos exposure. That means your illness is not your fault and you may be owed compensation.
- Filing a claim can be life-changing and it won’t cost you a thing unless we win.
What Can I Expect When I Hire a Mesothelioma Lawyer?
- Every mesothelioma case is unique. Some cases settle relatively quickly; others will take time to work their way through trials and appeals. But here’s a brief overview of what to expect during mesothelioma litigation.
- Case evaluation: When you contact our firm, you will speak to an experienced mesothelioma lawyer who will talk to you about your illness, your work history, your family, and the places you’ve lived. We will collect medical and Social Security records from the course of your entire lifetime. The time we spend with you, your family members, and any available coworkers you can recall will help us create a record of the events that caused your mesothelioma and the impact it has had on your family. After gathering this information, we will be in a position to decide whether we may be able to help you by filing a lawsuit on your behalf.
- Case filing: A case begins with the filing of a complaint. In your complaint, our firm will choose the proper court to file your claim and the proper companies to sue. The complaint will briefly set out the facts of your case, explain the nature of the defendants’ wrongful conduct, and describe how you and your family have been harmed.
- Discovery: During discovery, your Bergman Oslund Udo Little lawyer and the lawyers who represent the defendants will trade information. The two sides work to “discover” all the facts that will be relevant should the case to go to trial. Discovery is helpful for lawyers in two ways. Obviously, it helps them to prepare for a trial. But the information gathered during discovery may be more useful in helping the defendants’ lawyers to determine whether a case should be settled, and if so, for how much.
- Settlement and trial: After a case is filed and the discovery phase is underway, the judge will set your case for trial. Now is also when asbestos defendants have a real incentive to settle your case. For this reason, your lawyer from Bergman Oslund Udo Little will work to have your case set for trial as soon as possible. If the defendants in your case do make a settlement offer, we will communicate those offers to you and share our opinion about whether you should accept or reject them. If a settlement cannot be reached, then your case will proceed to trial. The jury will make the final determination about the defendant’s responsibility for your injuries and the amount of compensation that would be fair in your case.
- Appeal: If your case goes to trial and we are successful, the defendant has the right to appeal the decision. If it does so, it will ask a higher court (usually called the court of appeals) to review the case to see whether mistakes were made at trial that were so serious that the jury’s verdict should be disregarded and a new trial granted.
How Do I Choose the Right Mesothelioma Lawyer?
- The lawyer-client relationship is a partnership, and the client must be comfortable with his or her lawyers for the relationship to succeed. Clients should always talk to several different law firms before making a final selection. Below are suggested questions to ask and issues to consider:
- Where are you located? Would your lawyers be willing to meet me at my home so that personal communication is not costly or difficult?
- How many years have you handled mesothelioma cases?
- What percentage of the firm’s lawyers work on mesothelioma cases?
- Are your lawyers licensed to practice in and familiar with the courts and the law in the state where I live?
- Does your law firm do the actual legal work on mesothelioma cases, or do you refer them to other law firms? If you do work on mesothelioma cases, will you work on all aspects of my case? If my case, or any portion of it, will be referred to another law firm, which firm?
- Do your lawyers have a proven track record in winning mesothelioma cases at trial, should my case not settle out of court?
- Do your lawyers have a successful record in the appellate courts, should my case be taken up on appeal?
We're Committed to Getting the Compensation You Deserve
If you or a loved one has been impacted by mesothelioma, it’s time to seek the compensation you deserve. Our team of experienced mesothelioma and asbestos exposure attorneys stand up to corporations that choose profits over people’s well-being. Let us help share your story and fight for your rights. Contact us now for a free, no-obligation consultation.
520 Pike St. #1125
Seattle, WA 98101
206-957-9510
1355 NW Everett St.
Suite 100
Portland, OR 97204
503-447-6230
