You are right about legal rights. The reason there is legislation related to mesothelioma is because many persons with mesothelioma are victims of unscrupulous employers who knew about the health risks associated with working around asbestos and asbestos related products but they chose to do nothing to protect their employees.
Mesothelioma takes decades to become obvious and by the time it does, there is little that can be done. The average life span after diagnosis is 242 days but, mortality rates are improving. So, if you have mesothelioma it is a good idea to learn as much as you can and to quickly seek the advice of a qualified mesothelioma attorney because every state has a statute of limitations. What this means is that there is a specifically defined period of time in which a lawsuit has to be filed. If this window of opportunity has passed, you will not be able to seek legal compensation.
If you want to pursue finding out whether you can file a lawsuit, you can look for a mesothelioma attorney in the yellow pages of the phonebook or go on-line and search for mesothelioma attorney. Most of the time the mesothelioma attorney or law firm you contact will gladly share with you the specific limitations for filing in the state in which you reside and you will not be obligated to them.
While you have the mesothelioma attorney on the phone and you found out you are still within the timeframe for your state to file, it would be a good idea to ask a few questions. A good starting question might be to ask about what experience the mesothelioma attorney has had in representing mesothelioma patients.
Even though the phonebook ad and/or internet citation indicates you are contacting a mesothelioma attorney, you may actually find out that the attorney you are talking to does not represent patients but refers contacts to other attorneys for a percentage of the settlement award. Another scenario is that someone in the law firm does have experience representing mesothelioma victims; in which case this is the attorney you need to be talking to.
When you get connected with a practicing mesothelioma attorney, a good second question is about how much he will charge you for investigating your situation to determine whether you have legal case to represent. Most of the time mesothelioma attorneys have no charge for investigating the viability of a possible claim. Typically mesothelioma attorneys work on what is called a contingency fee basis. What this means is that they will only get paid if there is a financial settlement or award.
Another question to be sure to ask the mesothelioma attorney is about the process and the potential length of time before the case reaches completion. You more than likely will hear that the answer to this question is highly dependent on the court where your case will be filed. As an aside, mesothelioma attorneys generally provide services in many states and not just the one in which they reside so, if you are not happy with the local mesothelioma attorney(s), know that you can work with many even those who reside in a state other than yours.
The mesothelioma attorney will be able to tell you where your case could be filed because this depends on where you live and where you were exposed to asbestos. It is not uncommon for persons with mesothelioma to be awarded some settlement monies fairly soon after filing their lawsuit. When deciding where to file, it is important to think about how long it will take for your case to be completely resolved.
At this stage of your inquiry process, responding to the question of where to file is difficult to answer. There are many variables to take into consideration. Some of these include: your age, the type of asbestos disease you have, your medical status, the details of your exposure to asbestos, and the asbestos products you had exposure to.
Be sure and talk with several different mesothelioma attorneys and only select one that you feel you can trust because he has experience and respects your need for resolution.
Source: Tim Dillard
