Asbestos Settlement Amounts
Many victims need an extensive settlement amount to pay for medical expenses, travel costs and other financial losses. A mesothelioma lawyer can help determine the possible compensation awards that a client may be eligible for.
Although going to trial may increase mesothelioma payouts, most cases end in the form of a settlement. These agreements are reached by negotiations with asbestos companies.
Thomas Brown's $300 Million Verdict
Thomas Brown worked on oil drilling drills as a "roughneck" in Mississippi, a term used by locals to refer to workers who perform hard manual labor. His job was to pour bags of additives in mud in oil fields to speed the drilling process. These bags that he mixed up unknowingly in the workplace, were asbestos. He was diagnosed with asbestosis at the age of 48 and required oxygen all day long. The jury awarded him $300,000,000 in punitive damages. It was the largest asbestos verdict ever awarded to one plaintiff.
Union Carbide Corp. was affected by the award, as they produce the asbestos-containing product Brown used. The company asked Circuit Judge Eddie Bowen to toss the verdict shortly after the record verdict was handed down. They also demanded to have him resign from the case, claiming he showed bias and prejudice against them in his decisions, remarks before the jury, and in his coaching of Brown's attorneys when they were interviewing witnesses.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiff claimed that the defendants knew of the dangers of the product but did not warn him or any other workers. The jury found that the defendants were negligent in causing plaintiff's illness. Among other things, the jury ruled that he could have suffered less severe consequences had he been warned of the dangers of the contaminated soil.
Asbestos lawyers have plenty of experience arguing on behalf of their clients' rights in court. They are proficient at both the appellate and trial levels, combining judicious advice with forceful advocacy to accomplish the legal goals of their clients. They have handled cases that are complex in many jurisdictions and are highly respected for their success.
The Canadian community has been unable to get any specific answers to the question of the cause of death of their friend. KENS 5 reported previously that the district prosecutor's office did not present the case before a Grand Jury since it was suicide. The attorney general released a total of 249 pages the night before the townhall meeting, stating that no evidence exists to support the claim that Thomas committed suicide.
Roby Whittington's $250 million Verdict
Simmons Hanly Conroy is a national firm that specializes in mesothelioma and asbestos law. Asbestos attorneys from the firm have won a $250-million verdict for Roby Whittington who was an ex-worker at a steel mill. This is the largest verdict in Madison County, Illinois and one of the top mesothelioma verdicts in the country. The mesothelioma lawyers at the firm have handled a variety of asbestos cases, with a large portion of them involving exposure from industrial sources.
The case was centered around Whittington's job at the U.S. Steel Gary Works plant in Indiana. He was employed there from 1950 to 1981. In his lawsuit, he claimed the company failed to warn him about the dangers of working in a workplace that was contaminated by asbestos.
A jury awarded the former steel worker $50 million in compensatory damages as well as $200 million in punitive damages. The retired steel worker also received lifetime medical expenses. Simmons lawyers Hanly Conroy were successful in obtaining this huge verdict due to their experience handling large mesothelioma cases. Lawyers like Randall Bono, Perry Browder and others spend hours building asbestos cases for their clients to ensure that the firm's resources are utilized efficiently to get maximum results.
In the Whittington asbestos case, the asbestos attorneys were allowed to make preemptive challenges against John Crane Inc. when jury selection was taking place. This allowed them to strike prospective jurors who seemed favorable to the defense. In a similar case, Matushek was able to apply the same strategy against a co-defendant, Daimler-Chrysler in a mesothelioma lawsuit against the car manufacturer.
Steel mill workers face a high-risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. They are exposed to asbestos when they work on boilers and machinery. They could be exposed to asbestos while cleaning and repairing machinery.
Anyone diagnosed with mesothelioma are advised to speak with a reputable lawyer right away. The mesothelioma lawyers of Simmons Hanly Conroy are experienced in holding companies accountable for asbestos exposure. They have obtained multi-million-dollar verdicts in asbestos lawsuits against companies such as U.S. Steel and Georgia Pacific, as well as companies that did not manufacture asbestos but used asbestos in their facilities.
Nancy Lopez's $10 million Verdict
Nancy Lopez, who died of mesothelioma in 2010 was a litigator that lasted for decades before reaching its final resolution. Like many plaintiffs diagnosed with mesothelioma and asbestosis-related diseases, she sought compensation from the companies who exposed them to this harmful material.
In her case she was awarded $10 million after a jury concluded that her mesothelioma resulted from her exposure to asbestos during the Jackson County courthouse renovation project in 1983 and 1984. Her heirs sued the county and US Engineering Company (the firm that did the renovation work in 1983 and 1984) to seek compensation.
The decision also established an important precedent in law. Missouri's Supreme Court ruled that workers who have breathed in toxic substances and are now suffering mesothelioma-related illnesses should be compensated for medical expenses they've suffered. This is because asbestos fibers that cause the disease don't break down, and they can hang in the lungs for a long time before symptoms show up.
The award will not bring Lopez back, but it does send an unambiguous message that the courts stand by those who have suffered from asbestosis. The lawsuit opened the doors to other victims seeking financial compensation from the companies that were responsible for their exposure to asbestos.
Your attorney will begin gathering details immediately after you have been diagnosed mesothelioma. This includes your exposure to asbestos and the companies responsible. Once your attorney has all the evidence they need they can file a claim with the defendants. Then, both sides will begin to exchange information throughout the discovery process and work towards the settlement.
Asbestos Trust Funds
Asbestos trusts are the sole method for asbestos victims to get compensation from companies who misrepresented or hid the dangers of asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma. After asbestos-related lawsuits inundated the courts in the 1970s, a lot of these companies declared bankruptcy and established trusts to compensate the victims. These companies' lawsuits are often reduced or even dismissed in favor of asbestos trust payouts.
The trusts are managed not by a judge nor jury however, rather the bankruptcy trustee. Mesothelioma lawyers will work with trust administrators to ensure that your claim meets the requirements. Documentation of your exposure to asbestos, the validation of your diagnosis and an assessment of the company you worked for as the source of your condition are all elements of this procedure. Your attorney will also help resolve any disputes with the amount you should receive based on your life circumstances and unique mesothelioma signs.
Each asbestos bankruptcy trust has its own set of guidelines to compensate asbestos victims. They use a process known as a Trust Distribution Procedure (TDP) to determine the amount the victim will receive based on the type and severity of their condition. These guidelines usually involve levels of disease, which are used to ensure that every victim receives fair treatment. The mesothelioma level of disease will be different for each patient however other asbestos-related diseases may have a different disease level.
Your asbestos lawyers will submit a claim on your behalf if you qualify for an expedited review. The process can be completed in about 90 days. In return, you will receive a set amount in accordance with the asbestos bankruptcy trust's established criteria for your diagnosis. This process is streamlined and can be helpful for people who have a limited time to make a claim in court before the time limit expires.
The asbestos bankruptcy trust will evaluate your case on an individual basis if you're not eligible for the speedy review. The trustees will look over your medical history and evidence of asbestos exposure to determine what you should receive.