Asbestos Litigation - Asbestos Lawyers, Asbestos Lawsuit
Asbestos Litigation - Asbestos Lawyers and Filing an Asbestos Lawsuit
Asbestos litigation arose as a result of the widespread and long-term health hazards associated with asbestos exposure. Although people in all walks-of-life are at risk of asbestos exposure, occupational exposure poses the biggest risk.
Asbestos litigation has increased substantially since its inception in the early 1970s. This could be attributed to a variety of factors, including greater awareness of asbestos health hazards, worldwide media attention and the information science revolution.
Estimates suggest that the overall cost of asbestos litigation will eventually exceed $200 billion; thus far, defendant corporations and insurance companies have spent an estimated $70 billion in asbestos litigation costs, $46 billion of which has accounted for gross claimant compensation.
Selecting an Asbestos Attorney
A sharp rise in asbestos litigation gave way to an increase in asbestos attorneys. When selecting an asbestos lawyer, several things should be considered:
- Experience - How long has a given asbestos lawyer been litigating? What is his/her educational background?
- Past success - How successful has a given asbestos lawyer been throughout his/her career?
- Number of asbestos injury claimants - There is strength in numbers; this old adage rings true when talking about asbestos law firms. The firms that represent large numbers of asbestos injury claimants wield more power than smaller firms. This is important when going-up against multi-billion dollar corporations.
Asbestos attorneys are responsible for locating the source of a claimant's exposure to asbestos in addition to determining all liable parties. The latter can be a difficult task because bankruptcies have rendered many liable corporations incapable of providing further asbestos-related compensation.
Filing an Asbestos Lawsuit
Asbestos attorneys are typically responsible for the filing of an asbestos lawsuit. The filing of an asbestos lawsuit has a statutory deadline that falls several months after a positive diagnosis has been verified. Mesothelioma claims are typically filed postmortem by the claimant's executor of estate. The executor of estate must also meet a statutory deadline that falls shortly after the claimant's death. If the statutory deadline is missed, then the asbestos lawsuit cannot be filed.
Mesothelioma claims are types of asbestos lawsuits. People suffering from malignant mesothelioma can employ the services of a specialized mesothelioma attorney to litigate their claim. Malignant mesothelioma is the worst of the asbestos-related diseases, resulting in a post-diagnosis survival time of between one and two years. Mesothelioma settlements provide a common solution for mesothelioma claimants when a liable party does not want the matter to enter into the court system. A mesothelioma settlement can in fact end up saving a liable party a great deal of money on litigation costs, while saving the claimant from a long and trying court battle.
Mesothelioma Info
Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer affecting 2,000 to 3,000 Americans each year. Responsible for an estimated 200,000 deaths worldwide, malignant mesothelioma causes tumor growth in one of three mesothelial membranes:
Pleura - the pleura is the serous membrane lining the lung cavity. Malignant mesothelioma of the pleura is called pleural mesothelioma.
Peritoneum - the peritoneum is the serous membrane lining the abdominal cavity. Malignant mesothelioma of the peritoneum is called peritoneal mesothelioma.
Pericardium - the pericardium is the serous membrane lining the heart sac. Malignant mesothelioma of the pericardium is called pericardial mesothelioma.