Mesothelioma Legal Blog

For purposes of this article, the mesothelioma victim in this case will be referred to as N.L. In a recent court ruling, a shipyard’s attempt to claim immunity in a mesothelioma lawsuit was denied, maintaining the company’s accountability for failing to protect workers from asbestos exposure. The case was brought by the plaintiff, N.L., a former employee of Avondale Shipyard, who was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma decades after working there in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Missouri state House of Representatives recently approved legislation that could impact the amount of compensation mesothelioma cancer victims could receive for their claims when filing lawsuits against defendants. With Missouri juries handing down substantial verdicts to plaintiffs harmed by the deadly products developed by asbestos companies, lobbyists for the business and insurance companies have long eyed the state for so-called “tort reform” to limit compensation to plaintiffs.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides compensation for veterans who suffer from a medical condition connected to the veteran’s military service. Quite often, these types of conditions arise as a result of the traumatic injuries on the battlefield. The VA also considers asbestos-related diseases, like mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer, to be conditions that are compensable. VA benefits can provide critical resources to a veteran suffering from the devastating effects of asbestos-related illness.

For purposes of this article, the mesothelioma victim in this case will be referred to as A.F. In a recent court case, a New York County Supreme Court judge denied Burnham LLC’s request to dismiss a punitive damages claim in a mesothelioma lawsuit. A.F., a former worker, was exposed to asbestos through Burnham boilers and other asbestos-contaminated equipment. A.F. and his wife filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for compensatory and punitive damages from Burnham LLC. The defendants filed a motion to dismiss the claim for punitive damages, but that motion was denied.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be considering pursuing compensation for damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. In these cases, time is a critical factor due to the aggressive nature of the disease and poor prognosis. One crucial question you might be asking is whether it is faster to settle a mesothelioma case or go to trial. While both options are available, settling a mesothelioma claim is often quicker than going to trial.

In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to airborne asbestos fibers increases the risk of two other major diseases: asbestosis and lung cancer. Asbestos-related diseases can take decades to develop, often manifesting after retirement from an industrial career that involved asbestos exposure. Governmental regulation of asbestos has tightened significantly since the 1970s, so asbestos exposure has been greatly reduced. Lung Cancer Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths, differs from mesothelioma. Lung cancer causes the growth of abnormal, cancerous cells into a tumor in the lung itself, not in organ lining.