What a Mesothelioma Lawyer Can Do For You

When you or one of your loved ones has just been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the diagnosis takes priority, and it can quickly consume most of your time. It is a scary disease that needs to be managed proactively. That means you’ll be spending long hours in the hospital, and the expenses would hike up exponentially. Sadly, the victims and their families tend to have their hands full because of the hospital visits, and do not get time to look into the financial and legal aspects of this diagnosis. The cost of treating and managing mesothelioma can be enormous. On top of it, the life expectancy is not very promising, which can leave your family in a vulnerable position. This is where a mesothelioma lawyer can help you out. 

Guide to Your Rights

A mesothelioma lawyer is helpful when it comes to figuring out what legal rights you have in this situation. It is common for people to wonder whether they can file a lawsuit. Often, they don’t even know at what stage in their lives they might have been exposed to asbestos in the first place. If they have a history of working in a company or plant where this could have happened, the lawyer can outline their next steps and how they can legally seek compensation for this tragedy. Mesothelioma claims are tricky, but citizens are well within their rights to seek compensation in the US and other countries if they can prove they were affected due to the negligence of a third party. 

Evaluating The Claim

Once it has been established that you will be seeking damages, a mesothelioma lawyer can help you determine the value of your claim. This process can be tricky as it depends on a number of factors, such as the victim’s medical expenses, their household expenses, and their current income that they actively contribute to their household, as well as taking into account non-dollar factors such as the pain and suffering of falling prey to a fatal disease. Lawyers with the specific set of expertise needed to navigate these cases have a strong understanding of how big a settlement they can get for the victim based on the strength of the case. It means hiring an experienced attorney could get you a settlement that actually pays all the bills and takes care of your family. 

Gathering Evidence

This step is where your attorney gets to work and gathers the maximum evidence they can to reflect the severity of the impact. They can help you identify where you might have been exposed to asbestos throughout your work history, or while living in an old rental building that hasn’t been inspected, etc. Then, they focus on collecting medical records that reflect the severity of your disease and other documents to reflect the financially crippling aspect of fighting cancer. These attorneys also have the right connections to gather expert witnesses on your behalf and build a strong and cohesive case.

Navigating The Legal Strategy

It is always difficult for claimants to navigate the legal battles, but when they’re facing a terrible disease like mesothelioma, it becomes even harder. There may be multiple defendants involved in the case and the claim itself will go through several stages. These stages include sharing of discovery, depositions, requests for summary judgments from the defendants and demands for justifying the asbestos exposure. Your attorney can effectively handle all of these legalities on your behalf so you can focus on healing or supporting the healing journey of your loved one.

Dealing With Bankruptcy Claims

It is likely that if you were affected by asbestos at a certain company, other victims have also sued the company in the past for the same claim. This means that most of these mining companies or manufacturers have already dealt with legal battles in the past and gone bankrupt as a result. These companies won’t have any money to pay for your damages because of gone bankrupt and can no longer be sued. But some of these companies may also have established bankruptcy trusts, and your attorney can help prepare the necessary documentation to submit your bankruptcy claims so you can get your expenses paid. 

Conclusion

There has been a surge in the number of mesothelioma cases in recent years due to the low latency of the disease, which makes it very slow to become evident through symptoms as it silently grows under the victim. It would be useful for you to hire an attorney who can navigate this whole process on your behalf while you are caught up with your or your loved one’s diagnosis. 

Related Articles