Mesothelioma Asbestos Compensation Claims for Family and Victims
Victims of asbestos exposure, who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, have several different options to seek compensation. The high costs of living with and treating one or more of these illnesses go beyond monetary expenses, medical bills, and lost wages. The costs are also measured in lives and time lost to be with loved ones and to enjoy life in good health.
If you or a loved one is a victim of asbestos exposure, you deserve to be compensated for being harmed. If you spent years on a job that exposed you to asbestos and are now struggling with a serious illness, you may be entitled to compensation. There are multiple options for seeking that funding, and an expert in asbestos law can help you decide what step to take next.
Where the Asbestos Exposure Occurred
The first step in getting compensation is to figure out how and where you were exposed to asbestos. For most people, this means looking to your workplace. Many people who developed mesothelioma worked for years or even decades in a location that was full of asbestos that became airborne and settled on surfaces as dangerous dust.
Some of the jobs that were most likely to put workers at risk of asbestos exposure and illness are in construction, mining, automotive work, shipbuilding, ship repair, and in the U.S. Navy. Ship building from the 1930s through the 1970s used asbestos heavily, which means that anyone in the maritime industry, but especially sailors were highly likely to have been exposed.
The party responsible for your asbestos exposure is something else that needs to be considered when considering compensation for victims. If your employer knew that you were exposed to asbestos and knew some of the risks, that company may be able to provide you with compensation. Your employer may have been as ignorant as its employees, though, and it may be the manufacturer of materials you used on the job that failed to warn of the consequences of asbestos exposure. For veterans, the U.S. military may be to blame.
Asbestos Settlement and Lawsuits Claims
One way to get compensation for victims of asbestos exposure and their families is to file a lawsuit. Many of these lawsuits never make it to court or go before a jury. In most cases both sides agree to settle the suit out of court, awarding the victim a fair monetary settlement.
If you have no other sources of compensation for your asbestos illness, a lawsuit is a valid option. To file a lawsuit you need to first find a lawyer experienced in these kinds of cases. There are plenty of legal teams that specialize in asbestos and mesothelioma and you should be able to find someone to represent you that have the experience and success rate that will give you a good chance to win compensation.
Asbestos Trust Funds Claims
If you worked for a company that went bankrupt, or if you used materials at work that were manufactured by a company now bankrupt or closed, you can check and see if that company set up an asbestos trust fund. A lawyer specializing in asbestos cases can help figure out if a trust fund claim is the right way to seek compensation, and if so how to file a claim.
Many companies that are no longer in existence, but that exposed workers to asbestos, had to set up these trust funds as part of the bankruptcy process. The purpose was to provide ongoing compensation for victims. Because mesothelioma and other asbestos illnesses take decades to develop, these trust funds were designed to compensate future victims for years after the company went bankrupt.
Veterans’ Claims
Veterans of the U.S. military can seek compensation through the U.S. Veterans Affairs Administration, or VA. Many members of the military, especially those that worked on ships, were exposed to asbestos daily on the job and during their service. Many were then diagnosed later with mesothelioma and were eligible to seek compensation through the VA. Options include special compensation, monthly compensation, and health care.
The Value of Compensation for Victims and Family Members
The amount of compensation you can get depends very much on individual factors. No lawyer or expert can guarantee that you will receive any specific amount. Factors that affect compensation include the duration of your exposure, how much of the risk was intentionally hidden from you and other workers, the severity of your illness, the amount left in a trust fund, and how sick you are.
Your lawyer will evaluate these factors when deciding how much to seek in a settlement or lawsuit. You can claim for things like medical expenses, lost wages, future medical costs, the cost of traveling to get treatment, palliative and hospice care, and also intangible costs like pain, suffering, emotional trauma, and loss of companionship for someone filing behalf of a deceased loved one.
Always track all expenses associated with your illness, both direct costs like medical bills and indirect expenses like airfare for visiting a treatment facility. This will help you make a more accurate claim for compensation. It may not be the first thing on your mind, but a loved one can help you keep track of details.
Disability Assistance
In addition to getting special compensation through things like lawsuits, the VA, or trust funds, you may also want to seek assistance in other ways. If you have private health insurance, that may help cover some of your medical costs, for instance. If you qualify, Medicaid or Medicare may also help provide coverage. Long-term disability insurance and social security disability can be good sources of compensation too.
Compensation for victims is the least that companies can do after exposing workers to harmful substances. With an incurable illness, you deserve the compensation that will at least take the stress of money off your shoulders. Compensation is about justice, but also about practicalities. Victims of asbestos exposure need money to pay for a variety of expenses from medical bills to travel costs. If you are in this position, find out the best way to get the compensation that will make your life a little bit easier.
If you or a loved one is a victim of asbestos exposure, you deserve to be compensated for being harmed. If you spent years on a job that exposed you to asbestos and are now struggling with a serious illness, you may be entitled to compensation. There are multiple options for seeking that funding, and an expert in asbestos law can help you decide what step to take next.
Where the Asbestos Exposure Occurred
The first step in getting compensation is to figure out how and where you were exposed to asbestos. For most people, this means looking to your workplace. Many people who developed mesothelioma worked for years or even decades in a location that was full of asbestos that became airborne and settled on surfaces as dangerous dust.
Some of the jobs that were most likely to put workers at risk of asbestos exposure and illness are in construction, mining, automotive work, shipbuilding, ship repair, and in the U.S. Navy. Ship building from the 1930s through the 1970s used asbestos heavily, which means that anyone in the maritime industry, but especially sailors were highly likely to have been exposed.
The party responsible for your asbestos exposure is something else that needs to be considered when considering compensation for victims. If your employer knew that you were exposed to asbestos and knew some of the risks, that company may be able to provide you with compensation. Your employer may have been as ignorant as its employees, though, and it may be the manufacturer of materials you used on the job that failed to warn of the consequences of asbestos exposure. For veterans, the U.S. military may be to blame.
Asbestos Settlement and Lawsuits Claims
One way to get compensation for victims of asbestos exposure and their families is to file a lawsuit. Many of these lawsuits never make it to court or go before a jury. In most cases both sides agree to settle the suit out of court, awarding the victim a fair monetary settlement.
If you have no other sources of compensation for your asbestos illness, a lawsuit is a valid option. To file a lawsuit you need to first find a lawyer experienced in these kinds of cases. There are plenty of legal teams that specialize in asbestos and mesothelioma and you should be able to find someone to represent you that have the experience and success rate that will give you a good chance to win compensation.
Asbestos Trust Funds Claims
If you worked for a company that went bankrupt, or if you used materials at work that were manufactured by a company now bankrupt or closed, you can check and see if that company set up an asbestos trust fund. A lawyer specializing in asbestos cases can help figure out if a trust fund claim is the right way to seek compensation, and if so how to file a claim.
Many companies that are no longer in existence, but that exposed workers to asbestos, had to set up these trust funds as part of the bankruptcy process. The purpose was to provide ongoing compensation for victims. Because mesothelioma and other asbestos illnesses take decades to develop, these trust funds were designed to compensate future victims for years after the company went bankrupt.
Veterans’ Claims
Veterans of the U.S. military can seek compensation through the U.S. Veterans Affairs Administration, or VA. Many members of the military, especially those that worked on ships, were exposed to asbestos daily on the job and during their service. Many were then diagnosed later with mesothelioma and were eligible to seek compensation through the VA. Options include special compensation, monthly compensation, and health care.
The Value of Compensation for Victims and Family Members
The amount of compensation you can get depends very much on individual factors. No lawyer or expert can guarantee that you will receive any specific amount. Factors that affect compensation include the duration of your exposure, how much of the risk was intentionally hidden from you and other workers, the severity of your illness, the amount left in a trust fund, and how sick you are.
Your lawyer will evaluate these factors when deciding how much to seek in a settlement or lawsuit. You can claim for things like medical expenses, lost wages, future medical costs, the cost of traveling to get treatment, palliative and hospice care, and also intangible costs like pain, suffering, emotional trauma, and loss of companionship for someone filing behalf of a deceased loved one.
Always track all expenses associated with your illness, both direct costs like medical bills and indirect expenses like airfare for visiting a treatment facility. This will help you make a more accurate claim for compensation. It may not be the first thing on your mind, but a loved one can help you keep track of details.
Disability Assistance
In addition to getting special compensation through things like lawsuits, the VA, or trust funds, you may also want to seek assistance in other ways. If you have private health insurance, that may help cover some of your medical costs, for instance. If you qualify, Medicaid or Medicare may also help provide coverage. Long-term disability insurance and social security disability can be good sources of compensation too.
Compensation for victims is the least that companies can do after exposing workers to harmful substances. With an incurable illness, you deserve the compensation that will at least take the stress of money off your shoulders. Compensation is about justice, but also about practicalities. Victims of asbestos exposure need money to pay for a variety of expenses from medical bills to travel costs. If you are in this position, find out the best way to get the compensation that will make your life a little bit easier.
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