Asbestos Settlement Amounts

Many patients require a substantial settlement to cover medical costs as well as travel expenses and other financial losses. A mesothelioma lawyer can help determine the compensation amounts that a patient may be eligible for.

Although going to court could increase the payouts for mesothelioma, most cases settle with an agreement. These agreements are reached through negotiations with asbestos companies.

Thomas Brown's $300 million verdict

Thomas Brown used to work on oil drilling rigs in Mississippi as a "roughneck" The term locals use for workers who perform manual labor that is tough. His job was to pour bags of additives on the oil field to speed up drilling. Those bags, which he had no idea mixed in the workplace, contained asbestos. When he reached 48, he was suffering from asbestosis and required oxygen 24-hours all day. The jury gave him $300 million in punitive damages. It was the largest asbestos verdict awarded to any single plaintiff in the history of asbestos.

Union Carbide Corp. was affected by the award, as they produce the asbestos-containing product Brown used. The company asked Circuit Judge Eddie Bowen to toss the verdict not long after the record verdict was announced. They also demanded to have him resign from the case, claiming he showed bias and prejudice against them in his decisions, remarks before the jury, and in his coaching of Brown's attorneys in questioning witnesses.

In the lawsuit, plaintiff claimed that defendants were aware about the risks of the product but failed to warn him or other workers. The jury found that the plaintiff contracted illness because of the defendants' negligence. The jury ruled that the plaintiff would have suffered fewer consequences when the mud that was contaminated had warning labels.

Asbestos lawyers are adept at advocating for the rights of their clients in court. They are proficient at both the trial and appellate levels by combining a intelligent counsel with a ferocious advocacy to achieve their clients legal goals. They have handled many complicated cases across different jurisdictions and are highly regarded for their achievements.

The Canadian community has not been able to obtain any specific answers to the question of the cause of death of their friend. KENS 5 reported previously that the district prosecutor's office did not present the case before a Grand Jury since it was a suicide. The attorney general released 249 pages of documents the night prior to the town hall and stated that there is no evidence to prove Thomas killed himself.

Roby Whittington's $250 million Verdict

Simmons Hanly Conroy is a national firm that is a specialist in asbestos and mesothelioma law. asbestos attorneys from the firm have won a $250-million verdict for Roby Whittington who was former steel mill worker. This is the largest verdict in Madison County, Illinois and one of the top mesothelioma verdicts nationwide. The mesothelioma attorneys of the firm have handled hundreds of asbestos cases, with a significant part of them involving exposure to industrial chemicals.

The case revolved around Whittington's work at the U.S. Steel Gary Works plant in Indiana. He worked there from 1950 until 1981. In his lawsuit, he claimed that the company failed to inform him of the dangers of working with asbestos.

A jury awarded the former worker in the steel industry with $50 million in compensatory damage and $200 million in punitive damages. He also was awarded a lifetime of medical expenses. Simmons lawyers Hanly Conroy were successful in obtaining this huge award due to their experience in handling large mesothelioma cases. Roswell asbestos attorney like Randall Bono and Perry Browder work for hours on asbestos cases for clients and ensure that the firm's use their resources effectively to yield the highest results.

In the Whittington case, the asbestos lawyers were able make peremptory challenges to John Crane Inc. during the jury selection. This allowed them strike potential jurors who appeared to be favorable to the defense. In a mesothelioma trial against Daimler-Chrysler in a similar situation, Matushek used the same method to strike prospective jurors that seemed favorable to the defense.

Steel mill workers are at a higher risk of developing mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. They are exposed to asbestos when working on boilers and machinery. They could be exposed to asbestos when cleaning up and fixing the machinery.

Anyone diagnosed with mesothelioma is encouraged to contact an experienced lawyer immediately. The mesothelioma attorneys at Simmons Hanly Conroy have experience holding companies accountable for exposure to asbestos. They have won multimillion dollar settlements in asbestos lawsuits against U.S. Steel, Georgia Pacific and other companies that didn't manufacture asbestos, but employed it in their facilities.

Nancy Lopez's $10 million Verdict

Nancy Lopez, a mesothelioma victim who died in 2010, fought for decades to resolve her legal case. Like many other plaintiffs who were diagnosed with asbestosis and other mesothelioma-related illnesses, she fought for compensation from the companies who exposed them deadly material.

In her case, a jury awarded her $10 million after finding that her mesothelioma was caused by her exposure to asbestos while working on the Jackson County Courthouse renovation project between 1983 between 1983 and 1984. Her heirs filed a lawsuit against the county and the US Engineering Company (the firm that did the renovation work in 1983 and 1984) for compensation.

The verdict also established an important precedent in law. Missouri's Supreme Court ruled that workers who breathed in harmful substances and suffer mesothelioma-related illnesses should be compensated for medical expenses they've incurred. The asbestos fibers that cause these diseases don't disintegrate and can remain in the lungs for years before symptoms appear.


The award won't bring Lopez back, but it sends a strong message that the courts are standing with those who have suffered asbestosis. The lawsuit opened the door to other victims seeking financial compensation from the companies that were responsible for their asbestos exposure.

If you're diagnosed with mesothelioma, your attorney will immediately begin gathering details regarding your exposure to asbestos as well as the companies at fault. When your lawyer has all the evidence required and information, they can file a claim with the defendants. After that, both sides can begin to exchange information throughout the discovery process and work towards a settlement.

Asbestos Trust Funds

Asbestos trust funds are the only way asbestos victims can secure compensation from companies that hid or downplayed the dangers of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. In the 1970s asbestos-related lawsuits were flooding the courts. Many of these companies filed bankruptcy and set up trusts to pay the victims. Lawsuits against these companies are typically shortened or dismissed in favor of a payout from an asbestos trust.

The trusts are administered by the bankruptcy trustee not a judge or jury. Mesothelioma attorneys will work with trust administrators to ensure that your claim meets all of the requirements. This includes documentation of your exposure, a confirmation of your diagnosis and the determination that your condition was caused by the company which you worked for. An attorney can also assist to resolve any disagreements regarding the amount of compensation you'll be entitled to depending on your particular life circumstances and mesothelioma related symptoms.

Each asbestos bankruptcy trust has its own guidelines for remunerating victims of asbestos. The Trust Distribution Procedure (TDP) is a method, referred to as Trust Distribution Procedure, is used to determine the amount of money that a victim receives depending on their type and severity. These guidelines are based on the severity of disease and are used to ensure everyone is treated fairly. The mesothelioma level of disease will always differ and other asbestos-related illnesses could have a different level of disease.

Your asbestos lawyers will submit a claim on your behalf if you qualify for an expedited review. You can expect to receive a fixed amount in accordance with the asbestos bankruptcy trustee's guidelines for your medical condition. This process is streamlined for those with limited time to file a legal claim before the statute runs out.

If you aren't qualified for an expedited review the asbestos bankruptcy trust will conduct an individual review of your case. This may take longer however, the trustees will carefully review the evidence of asbestos exposure and your medical history to determine what you will be awarded based on your diagnosis.