Mesothelioma is painful cancer stemming from prolonged asbestos exposure. This intense disease strikes those who have worked with asbestos-containing products with minimal protection or had asbestos fibers in the insulation of their house. In both cases, you were recklessly endangered by a negligent party and deserve fair compensation, which only a seasoned lawyer can provide. But what makes a lawyer stand out?
While browsing for a credible lawyer, you need to narrow down on experience, transparency, and attention to detail. Once you successfully acquire an attorney, you will be one step away from getting compensated financially, making up for lost income, and finding relief in this emotionally distressing time. Therefore, here are some qualities your lawyers should have:
Knows The Different Types Of Mesothelioma Claims
A skillful lawyer will know the best option for your mesothelioma claim. These professionals will run through the details of your level of exposure, cancer stage, and manufacturers responsible for the asbestos products. Once your lawyer of choice understands the magnitude of your lawsuit, they will suggest a way forward. Most payouts can be worth more than $1 million. Typically, there are three ways to handle a mesothelioma claim. An accomplished and reputable law firm like Sokolove Law will identify, guide, and file for you in one of the following three ways:
Personal Injury Lawsuit: If you have mesothelioma, the most appropriate route for you is a personal injury claim. While most personal injury claims settle out of court, there is still a chance you will go to trial. A successful lawsuit will award you monetary damages, reimburse you for medical expenses and even pay for emotional damages. In some cases, juries may also reward you with punitive damages – a penalty levied on the offending company for not being careful with asbestos. The statute of limitation for a personal injury lawsuit is one to three years after diagnosis, so a timely filing is a must.
Wrongful Death Lawsuits: If you file on behalf of a family member who passed from mesothelioma, this is the most suitable route for your lawsuit. You will have one to three years following a loved one’s death to seek a lawyer. You will be compensated accordingly for the funeral, medical expenses, and any additional support you may have provided, such as hiring an at-home nurse for them.
Trust Fund Claims: Some asbestos companies have a trust fund to handle all mesothelioma lawsuits. This is a form of settlement in which the trust fund will pay for your losses without going to court. An experienced lawyer will help you identify if your suing company has a trust fund. From there, your attorney will inform you about the documents you need to submit, the forms you need to fill out, and the timeline of filing a mesothelioma claim. You can also file on behalf of a loved one. The statute of limitation is anywhere from one to three years after your loved one’s death or your diagnosis.
Success Rate
The lawyer you seek should have a high success rate. About 90% of mesothelioma cases in the US succeed, but the difference lies in the amount awarded. Therefore, you should work with a lawyer that has a consistent success rate and wins you a high compensation. So, to check if your choice of a lawyer is optimal, you should visit their website. Scroll over to the reviews and rating sections and read through all the comments to get an idea of how capable your lawyer is. Some law firms also share the amount they have won for their clients. Make sure you contact a few legal firms and get relevant details on how they can get you compensated.
Charges You On a Contingency Basis
A certified professional will never charge you upfront. Instead, these seasoned experts will charge you a contingency fee. This is a small percentage of the money you will win after a successful trial and ranges from about 30 to 40% of the total amount. Contingent payment works in your favor since you will not owe your attorney anything if your lawsuit falls apart. Therefore, despite knowing this, an exemplary lawyer will be ready to put their time on the line for you and work on building a solid mesothelioma case for you.
At the same time, you will also not have to pay for the cost of the case, including filing fees, charges for obtaining medical records, and paying a medical expert to testify. You should also get a free consultation with no hidden charges with quality lawyers.
Has Significant Experience
Experience is not limited to the number of years your lawyer worked but also includes the number of clients they worked with. This makes a lawyer knowledgeable and adaptable, and they will always put your comfort level above theirs, such as video calling you if they are out of state instead of canceling the meeting. An experienced legal expert will guide you through the process of filing while taking your life situation into account.
These professionals will know how to fast-track your case and get it wrapped up in the shortest possible time frame. If your claim is weak, a good mesothelioma lawyer will not fill you with false hope but suggest alternatives to filing a lawsuit. Experience also helps an attorney stand confidently in court and negotiate a settlement. So, if the offending party tries to push you to settle for a smaller amount or tries stalling the lawsuit, your lawyer knows how to call them out.
A Collection of Resources
A well-established lawyer will have all the necessary resources you will need to file your case. These include contacts in the police department who can verify the legitimacy of the company you worked for and a list of harmful on-site asbestos products. These investigators can also inform the attorney if the company has a history of employee neglect.
Resources also include in-house nurses and medical experts who can walk the juries through your illness and translate your medical report into usable evidence. Your lawyer will also have highly trained paralegals who are well-versed in drafting documents, managing evidence, and ensuring you know how to fill the relevant forms. You need all the help you can get to file a successful case.
You should never fight a severe condition like mesothelioma alone, especially when the contributing factors are negligent companies that use asbestos-containing products. The law is here to help and ensure you get justice in the form of adequate compensation. But, before you get started, you will need to put in some effort to locate proficient lawyers. You should search for legal experts who are well-versed in the types of claims, are consistently successful, and have a transparent payment method. Your attorney should also have significant knowledge about navigating through the complex court system as well as a warehouse of resources at your disposal. It is only through these factors will you successfully conclude your mesothelioma lawsuit.
