Mesothelioma, a rare deadly form of cancer, is caused by exposure to asbestos. Workers dealing with asbestos usually get sick with mesothelioma. Moreover, their wives most likely to become mesothelioma patients because they inhale the tiny deadly fibres that have been brought home on the clothing, skin, and hair. This limited amount of asbestos exposure was enough to lead to a mesothelioma diagnosis decades later.
Paul Danziger writes in his article “The Right Way to Deal With Mesothelioma Lawsuits” that if a mesothelioma has been diagnosed, one should immediately proceed with a mesothelioma lawsuit. He claims that because the disease is caused by asbestos, and because the companies that exposed their employees and consumers to asbestos were aware of the risks that they were exposing people to, the victims have a right to file a lawsuit for damages caused be their negligence. A great number of lawsuits have been filed and the awards have been won by victims either as a result of a decision by a jury or as a result of a settlement agreement have been so large that mesothelioma has become one of the largest mass torts in American history.
According to Paul Danziger, many people do not want to file a lawsuit for damages. However, it is important to remember that the medical treatment cost for mesothelioma is extremely high. In addition to that, a person looses the ability to work and it is often necessary for a family member to stay home and take care of the patient.
The following examples, presented by Paul Danziger, show different kinds of awards patients and their families can win when they pursue litigation against a company that exposed them to asbestos:
- In April of 2013, a drywaller who had worked with asbestos from the 1960s through the 1990s was awarded over $26 million dollars by a jury in a case that involved over thirty different companies.
- In March of 2013 a construction worker reached a settlement agreement that provided over $7 million dollars in damages from several companies that manufactured asbestos-laden materials with which he worked.
- The family of a worker in an auto plant who died of pleural mesothelioma after years of removing asbestos-laden gaskets was awarded $3 million dollars by a jury.
- A 68-year old handyman who worked with joint compound and plastic cement that contained asbestos agreed to a settlement of nearly $8.5 million dollars from the manufacturers that provided the products. The settlement was reached in late 2012.
Mesothelioma is a serious disease and almost in all cases a worker has a right to file a lawsuit. If you are not sure whether to file a mesothelioma lawsuit it would be a good idea to meet with a qualified mesothelioma attorney in order to get more information about the whole process.