Mesothelioma Settlements and Case Results
A mesothelioma settlement can provide hundreds of thousands or millions in compensation for the financial and emotional toll of asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that can dramatically shorten your life. Although treatment may improve your quality of life, it is unlikely to increase your life expectancy by more than a few months. It is a devastating diagnosis that affects the whole family.
The primary cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. You may be able to file a mesothelioma lawsuit if you have a confirmed mesothelioma diagnosis and you know how you were exposed to asbestos. Our experienced mesothelioma lawyers have recovered over $360 million in compensation, including numerous multimillion-dollar mesothelioma settlements and case results. We can investigate your case, determine how you were exposed to asbestos, and recover the compensation you deserve.
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Mesothelioma Settlements
Most successful mesothelioma lawsuits are resolved in pre-trial settlements. When you hire a mesothelioma lawyer, your lawyer will initiate a case investigation, calculate your damages, and make a written demand for full compensation from the responsible companies. Companies typically deny responsibility and refuse to pay. Your attorney will then file a lawsuit and begin settlement negotiations. Settlement negotiations may begin at any point after the defendants receive the demand letter, even before the lawsuit is filed.
Once the lawsuit is filed, your case will enter the discovery phase, which involves both sides sharing evidence. This phase can take several months. Discovery is important in settlement negotiations because defendants are more likely to settle fairly when they see that the evidence is strong enough to hold up in court.
If the defendants refuse to pay a fair settlement, your case will go to trial, where the attorney will present your evidence to a judge or jury. The outcome of a trial is known as a verdict or judgment. In civil cases, verdicts include two parts: the first part determines whether the defendant is liable, and the second part determines how much compensation the defendant owes.
Key Differences Between Settlements and Verdicts
Our award-winning mesothelioma lawyers are successful trial lawyers who are always prepared to take a case to trial if necessary to win the mesothelioma compensation you deserve. However, it usually serves our clients’ best interests to obtain a settlement if possible. Mesothelioma settlements offer our clients the following benefits:
- A faster resolution, allowing them to receive their compensation sooner.
- A lower likelihood that the client or family members will need to testify.
- A greater certainty of recovering compensation.
When your case goes to trial, you face a winner-takes-all scenario in which you could secure a very high award or nothing at all. Getting to trial can also take significantly longer for a variety of reasons outside your attorney’s control. For example, the trial court in your jurisdiction may have a backlog, resulting in a long wait for your court date.
There are also more steps to complete before trial. You may be required to go through mediation before the trial, and the defense may submit multiple motions to have your claim dismissed.
Jury verdicts are often higher than settlements. However, this comes at the cost of the uncertainty leading up to the verdict and a longer wait for compensation.
Punitive Damages
Many of the companies that manufactured and sold asbestos products were aware that asbestos is dangerous but continued supplying it to the public anyway. Some even colluded to keep this information secret. As a result, you may be eligible for punitive damages in a mesothelioma lawsuit. Punitive damages are generally only available through a trial verdict.
However, when a defendant becomes aware that punitive damages are likely to be awarded if the case goes to trial, they are often willing to pay a higher settlement to avoid a trial. A punitive damages award can be significant.
Our accomplished mesothelioma trial lawyers are well-versed in the activities of asbestos defendants, and we will be able to identify when punitive damages may be available and use this as leverage to increase your settlement and spare you the rigors of a trial.
Average Mesothelioma Settlements
Our mesothelioma settlements have ranged from the hundreds of thousands to over $32 million. Below are a few examples of our successful case results that ended in settlements:
- $5.1 million for a U.S. Navy machinist with mesothelioma.
- $4 million for a sugar mill mechanic with mesothelioma whose case was declined by another asbestos exposure law firm.
- $3.15 million for a construction worker with mesothelioma.
- $2.3 million for a school custodian with mesothelioma.
- $1.2 million for a merchant Marine electrician with asbestos lung cancer.
- $1 million for a crane operator with lung cancer caused by secondary asbestos exposure.
- $1 million for an 89-year-old millwright with lung cancer after another law firm did not accept his case.
- $450,000 for a maintenance worker and auto mechanic with mesothelioma.
These examples are historical case results and do not guarantee the specific amount you may recover. Even so, mesothelioma cases tend to result in high-value settlements and verdicts due to the extreme nature of the disease. We can estimate the value of your claim after reviewing your case. You can get started by contacting us online or calling us at (844) 446-9529 to schedule a free consultation.
Factors Affecting Mesothelioma Settlement Value
Every mesothelioma claim is unique, and your settlement may be influenced by a number of factors, including:
- Your age when you were diagnosed
- The companies responsible for your asbestos exposure
- The number of liable parties
- The severity of your illness
- How you were exposed to asbestos
- Whether you have mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness
- The experience and skill of your lawyer
How to Maximize Your Mesothelioma Settlement
The most important step you can take to maximize your settlement is to choose a lawyer with a successful track record handling mesothelioma cases as soon as possible after you have been diagnosed. Your attorney will identify the sources of your asbestos exposure, gather evidence to prove how you were exposed, and analyze your medical records to prove your mesothelioma diagnosis. You can also help maximize your compensation by:
- Diligently attending your medical appointments.
- Providing your complete medical and employment history to ensure your lawyer can identify all potential sources of asbestos exposure.
- Giving your attorney a complete picture of how your diagnosis has affected you and your family emotionally and financially.
- Following your attorney’s guidance in the event you need to testify in a deposition or at trial.
We are a nationally recognized mesothelioma law firm with decades of combined experience handling asbestos exposure claims. We have won numerous trial victories in asbestos exposure cases, giving us a valuable intimidation factor in settlement negotiations. If your case must go to trial, we have the skills, experience, and resources to stand toe-to-toe against asbestos manufacturers and their legal teams.
Testimonials from Our Mesothelioma Clients
“Choosing Sam and Dan to represent us in my father’s Mesothelioma case is one of the best decisions we could have made as a family. Their honesty, integrity, and compassion are unsurpassed. After interviewing with other law firms they were a clear and unanimous choice for my family. While no amount of money can compensate us for the loss of our dad, Sam and Dan have fought hard on our behalf which has helped us greatly in caring for our mom and her future needs. I highly recommend Sam and Dan and all the kind, compassionate members of their team.” – Angelo M.
“We are so fortunate that we met Samuel Merowitz. My husband was diagnosed with Mesothelioma four years ago because of asbestos exposure. We met Sam and his coworkers and they took the case with such compassion and dedication. They provided professional, accurate, efficient legal advice and more. Because of them, our lives are much better now. We are so thankful for having them by our side.” – Felicia M.
“Tragically, my husband was diagnosed with mesothelioma. He passed away from this terrible cancer about one year after he was diagnosed. The first law firm we hired was one of those big firms and they were unable to do anything for us. After they told us they couldn’t help us with our asbestos case, someone recommended that I contact Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP. I am so glad I did. Daniel Wasserberg has been so supportive from start to finish. He has always taken the time to explain things to me. He has done everything he said he would do and more. He has handled some difficult people involved with this asbestos case in a way that benefitted the case. I can’t say enough good things about Mr. Wasserberg and his law firm. If you or a loved one has a mesothelioma diagnosis or a potential asbestos-related lung cancer case, I would recommend this law firm without any reservations. They are great people!” – Pam C.
Considerations for Mesothelioma Patients and Families
Whether or not you recover the settlement you deserve often comes down to the skills, experience, and tenacity of your mesothelioma lawyer. When choosing a mesothelioma lawyer, look for one who is unafraid to take on the most challenging cases and has a successful history of securing high-value settlements and verdicts. Lawyers who always settle may not have the same leverage in settlement negotiations as those who take asbestos defendants to trial and win.
Why Choose Our Mesothelioma Law Firm
We are nationally recognized for our outstanding case results in asbestos exposure claims. The National Trial Lawyers has recognized co-founder Daniel Wasserberg as a Top 10 Asbestos Mesothelioma Trial Lawyer in acknowledgment of his notable success in asbestos exposure cases.
In 2016, co-founder Samuel Meirowitz won a historic $3.8 million verdict against a boiler manufacturer that attempted to shift blame to the U.S. Navy. It was the first multi-million dollar asbestos verdict in over twenty years in a New York federal court. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the verdict.
When you have a reputable asbestos exposure lawyer on your side, you will be able to focus on medical treatment and your family while your attorneys do the legal work and fight for the full and fair compensation you deserve.
If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness, we are ready to fight for you. Contact us online or call (844) 446-9529 to schedule your free, zero-obligation consultation.
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