Asbestos Litigation
Each asbestos case is unique however, the general procedure for defending claims involving asbestos lawsuit is the same. Your attorney will want to take a deposition of the plaintiff.
A person's exposure to asbestos can come from numerous sources, not only a single employer or company. That's why asbestos cases often involve multiple defendants.
Identifying the source of exposure
In order to file an asbestos claim, it is essential to determine the source of asbestos exposure. Lawyers for victims often use medical records to determine asbestos' source. This can help victims receive compensation from the companies responsible for their asbestos lawsuit exposure.
Mesothelioma victims and their families need compensation to pay for mesothelioma-related treatment. Compensation can also assist families in dealing with the emotional burden of mesothelioma being diagnosed.
Asbestos lawsuits are complex legal proceedings, and the victims need to understand their rights and how the process works. While attorneys can handle a lot of aspects of a case, victims are expected to participate in their case as well. This includes responding promptly to discovery requests and participating in depositions in court.
Be aware that the statutes are restricted in New York, and you should consult an asbestos attorney immediately if you are able to. If you do not submit your claim within the stipulated time frame, you could lose out on financial compensation.
In certain instances, victims were exposed to asbestos-containing products made by several companies. In these instances, lawyers representing the victims be required to identify all asbestos-containing products as well as the employers and contractors who supplied the asbestos-containing products.
Asbestos lawsuits are the longest-running mass tort of American history. It is responsible for numerous bankruptcy filings from asbestos manufacturers. Many of these companies have created trust funds to compensate asbestos victims. But asbestos defendants continue to dispute evidence linking mesothelioma and asbestos exposure lung cancer, or other respiratory illnesses. This is despite research by doctors like Dr. Irving J. Selikoff, Dr. Jacob Churg, and Dr. E. Cuyler Hammond, among others.
The process of creating a Database
A case involving asbestos-related diseases or mesothelioma is distinct from a typical personal injury claim. In many asbestos litigation cases, plaintiffs are represented by the same law firms and same expert witnesses.
To be able to build a successful asbestos defense, lawyers have to be able to access a large database that will help them identify potential exposure sources. This includes reviewing the work site, speaking with coworkers and getting documents from suppliers and employers. This also involves finding and interviewing doctors and nurses who can testify regarding asbestos exposure.
Developing this type of database can be difficult, especially in cases where the data was deleted or lost over time. In these cases, it may be necessary to rebuild the entire insurance program and claims database using multiple sources such as loss runs and claim files internal system and defense counsel records. This could take a number of years or even decades to complete.
Asbestos attorneys must also have access to a software that permits them to identify potential defendants and potential exposure sites. Lawyers can save time and money by having this information at their fingertips.
After the collapse of several asbestos producers, plaintiffs' lawyers sought out new defendants for their lawsuits. In the wake of this, asbestos cases in West Virginia are now defined by triannual consolidated trial groups where volume is the rule and suits naming less than 100 defendants is not common.
Identifying the Defendants
The factual foundation of asbestos cases is usually established through discovery. Many asbestos companies have denied for many years that their products could cause harm to people, but after the lawsuits started, documents from the company came to light and revealed evidence of the dangers. These documents can be used to prove that particular products of the defendant caused injuries. To prevail in a lawsuit, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant's product were used at his workplace, and that he inhaled dust from the product, and that this exposure was a major factor in his injuries.
Since asbestos cases contain multiple defendants, the method of identifying defendants is different than a typical personal injury case. Through interviews with coworkers and family members, examining invoices and work orders, obtaining documents from vendors and suppliers and analyzing asbestos samples from the plaintiff's workplace as well as home it is possible to build an online database that links employers as well as locations and products. It is also possible to identify defendants if one knows the type of asbestos like amosite or chrysotile.
Defendants must carefully review the facts and determine any potential sources of exposure, which could involve a thorough review of more than 40 years of a worker's existence through Social Security, union, tax and other documents. Because of the long time lag of asbestos-related injuries, it's difficult and costly to create an accurate database.
Due to the high volume of asbestos cases, and the limited resources of many defendants in federal courts, a lot of asbestos cases will be referred to a multi-district lawsuit (MDL). This allows defendants to share their resources and avoid the duplication of discovery.
The process of creating a case
Asbestos lawsuits require a lot of research and the examination of numerous documents. This can be a difficult task, since asbestos lawyers exposure is often a long time before the victim becomes ill. To determine the source of asbestos exposure, attorneys must conduct interview and carefully examine thousands of documents including union and employment records tax files, social security files, medical and laboratory reports.
The plaintiffs' attorneys must do all they can to identify other defendants. In many cases, the number defendants can be as high as 30 or 40. To do this, they need to investigate the supply chain to find companies that could have a link to asbestos but who are not named in the lawsuit.
This process can be extremely time-consuming, especially when the claimant suffers from mesothelioma or any other serious illness. In addition, it can be often difficult to locate witnesses and obtain physical evidence.
A mesothelioma lawyer will identify the identity of all defendants who could be implicated, and their relationship to victim's exposure. This can be accomplished by a thorough analysis of over 40 years of the victim's life via interviews and a review of their social security, union, labor and tax records.
A successful asbestos litigation strategy relies on years of experience in a complex area of law. Since our founding back in 1994, McGivney, Kluger, Clark & Intoccia has been at the forefront of asbestos litigation and is a leader in the nation in defending companies in multi-jurisdictional litigation that spans the entire industry. We serve as National Coordinating Counsel and liaison counsel as well as managing the interests of many different defendants including product manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and contractors. We have a wealth of experience creating and implementing key defenses such as expert testimony and jurisdictional Case Management Orders.
Prepare for Trial
Lawyers must meticulously prepare their cases for trial in order to ensure that their clients' arguments and evidence are as strong as they could be. This involves reviewing medical records, preparing all witnesses and identifying exhibits to be used in the case. This process can take a long time in complicated cases.
Before developing mesothelioma asbestos sufferers develop a less severe disease like asbestosis, and pleural plaque. Asbestosis can cause chest pain, coughing, and breathing difficulties.
Asbestos victims' lawyers must also examine the evidence to identify any possible defendants who could be held responsible for the asbestos-related injuries. This may involve interviewing coworkers or family members, asbestos manufacturers, asbestos abatement employees and obtaining a variety of documents.
After a lawyer has identified a possible defendant, they need to determine the liability of the party. The defendants could be individuals, corporations or governmental organizations. They must be held accountable for their actions.
Many legislative solutions to solve asbestos litigation have been proposed in Congress. These efforts haven't been effective due to a myriad of complicated political factors. Asbestos victims and their lawyers are still committed to holding negligent asbestos companies accountable for their actions.
The law firm of Waters Kraus & Paul has handled hundreds of cases in New York state and across the country. Our attorneys have held asbestos producers insurance companies, asbestos manufacturers, and other responsible parties accountable. In Upstate New York asbestos litigation is centralized into five judicial districts where cases are assigned by judges with experience in asbestos matters.
The Asbestos Litigation Group welcomes all AAJ members, including regular, life sustainer, President's Club members. Members network and discuss legal issues and strategies on the Group's only for plaintiffs list server at the annual and winter conventions and participate in educational seminars on asbestos litigation.