An Asbestos Defense Attorney Can Help Protect the Financial Security of Those Harmed by Exposure to This Harmful Mineral

An asbestos defense attorney can help protect the financial security of those who have been harmed by exposure to this toxic mineral. Compensation can cover medical costs funeral and burial costs, lost quality of life, and suffering and pain.

Our attorneys serve as local, regional and national counsel in mass toxic tort litigation. As such, we are familiar with the specific issues and the complex science that go along with asbestos cases.

New York Asbestos Lawsuits

Asbestos is a deadly fiber that can cause a variety of severe medical conditions, including mesothelioma. A New York asbestos lawyer is adept at handling asbestos lawsuits that seek financial compensation for victims and their families who have been exposed to this toxic substance. These cases can be complicated and it is crucial to have a reputable mesothelioma lawyer on your side.

New York has a long history of asbestos litigation, and many residents have been exposed to the dangerous material. In recent years, there have been more lawsuits against former asbestos manufacturers than ever before. These cases are the result of the realization that asbestos is linked to illnesses like mesothelioma and lung cancer. The companies were aware of the dangers of the asbestos-containing mineral, yet they did not warn their employees and consumers.

New York City is especially susceptible to diseases caused by asbestos because of its older structures and construction sites. Brooklyn Navy Yard is a notoriously toxic area that continues impact the surrounding community.

Many workers were exposed to asbestos at work. Exposure to asbestos from the outside can cause mesothelioma. This includes spouses of asbestos-exposed workers who wore their husband's work clothes and came into contact with asbestos dust regularly.

The mesothelioma lawsuit can be costly for defendants, especially if they are wrongfully named as a defendant. A study has revealed that more than 3,600 lawsuits have been filed since 2014 in New York courts. This number could rise. This niche litigation is often supported by asbestos law firms that advertise on daytime TV and entice victims to file claims with the promise of huge settlements.

The defendants might be able to reduce the cost of these cases by arguing their policy periods are overdue or that they only have to pay only a small percentage of the claim value. New York law does not have a specific rule for how to divide responsibility when the alleged exposure is part within and part outside of the insurance policies.

Asbestos-related illnesses

Exposure to asbestos can lead to various diseases. The mesothelioma condition is the most serious. Many have died from mesothelioma. Other asbestos-related diseases include lung cancer and asbestosis. Pleural plaques and pleural effusion are also asbestos legal-related.

Mesothelioma is a rare, but fatal illness caused by exposure to asbestos fibers that collect in the lungs, and can cause irritation to the lining of the chest cavity, ribcage and abdominal cavity (the pleura). Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause scarring of the lungs, called asbestosis. It can also cause thickened pleura patches (pleural plaques) or a more extensive fibrosis. Pleural plaques and diffused fibrosis reduce lung capacity, as measured by breathing tests. They can also cause pain and discomfort in breathing, but they are not the cause of cancer or mesothelioma.

The symptoms of asbestos-related diseases typically are not evident until years after exposure. This is because it could take between 20 and 50 years for the exposure to asbestos fibers to cause lung damage. Workers who handled, cleaned, and removed asbestos from their workplaces and their children, spouses, and others exposed to asbestos are at risk for developing mesothelioma.

In addition to mesothelioma other asbestos-related illnesses include laryngeal cancer, lung cancer, peritoneal mesothelioma and mesothelioma ovarian. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest mesothelioma that women suffer from however it is much less prevalent than mesothelioma in general. It is typically diagnosed later than other kinds of mesothelioma since it develops in the tissue of the reproductive organs, and the symptoms can be similar to symptoms of other diseases.

There were many companies that employed asbestos in the 20th century, but they knew that it was hazardous. They exposed thousands of people to asbestos when they didn't remove asbestos from their products. Now, those exposed have the right to sue for financial compensation. Many asbestos-related companies have declared bankruptcy. As a result, the victims can seek the money they are entitled to from trust funds established by the bankruptcy courts.

Asbestos Litigation in New York

Asbestos companies have put profit before the safety of their workers and customers for a long time, producing hazardous products without warning of the dangers. These companies are now facing the consequences of their negligence. People whose lives have been disrupted by mesothelioma, lung cancer and other asbestos-related illnesses are seeking fair and full compensation.

The lawyers at Belluck & Fox are dedicated to assisting families and individuals receive the justice they need. With more than 25 years of experience in the field, we have secured a million of dollars in compensation for our clients. Our New York mesothelioma lawyers work to hold responsible large corporations accountable and to obtain the highest amount of compensation for our clients.

A number of states have established special asbestos courts where claims can be filed and resolved more efficiently. In addition judges have created special procedures for evaluating and resolving such cases.

New York is one such state with its own asbestos court, known as NYCAL. As asbestos victims continue to seek compensation from solvent asbestos defendants that have gone bankrupt the number of cases that have come through the court has been steadily increasing. The New York Supreme Court created a special judicial board to supervise NYCAL in order to keep the justice system from becoming overwhelmed.

A panel comprised of six Supreme Court Judges will review each case to determine if it should be accepted or not. Judges will also evaluate the merits of each claim to determine how much a plaintiff should be awarded.

The panel is currently looking into more than 3500 lawsuits. The panel is expected to issue its final ruling at the end of this year.

New York asbestos lawsuits are often complex and include allegations of multiple defendants. Belluck & Fox's lawyers have extensive experience in defending these complicated cases. They are well-versed in the asbestos attorney courts of New York, including their rules and regulations in addition to other jurisdictions in which they have handled multi-district litigation.

The firm also has vast experience as National Coordinating Counsel in asbestos litigation, representing clients nationwide in multi-district, complex litigation. In this capacity lawyers devise strategies, manage local and regional counsel and ensure that they are able to provide consistent and efficient defenses for clients. They have worked closely with trial judges, coordination judges and special masters of litigation from different jurisdictions.

Representation of Plaintiffs

A Tulsa asbestos lawyer will decide which strategy is the best way to defend the client against a personal injury claim involving asbestos. The Bowles Rice Asbestos Team advises suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, contractors, and premises owners on matters involving mesothelioma claims, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related illnesses. The firm collaborates with clients to develop internal programs to determine and resolve potential liability and safety concerns.

In addition to its asbestos practice in the national level, Bowles Rice serves as the national Coordinating Counsel in multi-state asbestos litigation. In this role, Bowles Rice develops litigation strategies and manages local and region counsel to ensure a uniform and cost-effective defense in accordance with the client's goals. It also plays a significant role in the administration and management of asbestos attorney dockets as well as negotiations with plaintiffs' lawyers and leading discovery for its clients.

The firm's attorneys are experienced in defending clients against mesothelioma claims and other asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos defense lawyers are acquainted with complex science involved in these cases, as and unique legal issues that arise while defending companies before federal and state courts across the United States.

Catherine has represented numerous manufacturers as lead counsel in asbestos and product liability personal injury lawsuits, and in consolidated cases involving multiple plaintiffs. She has substantial experience litigating asbestos-related cases in federal and state courts, as well as before various supreme and appellate court bodies.

While at Brobeck, Vogel worked on asbestos cases, including those for respondents to the Asbestos Claims Facility in Northern California. The cases files included SEAR forms (Short Evaluative Reports Encapsulated) which contained confidential information about the plaintiffs. These included medical reports as well as work histories and an inventory of asbestos-related products that plaintiffs used or worked near. Vogel was required to use a password to access these files and could look over the SEAR forms of any case at her current employer.

The Bowles Rice Asbestos Team, in addition to its vast experience in trial and appellate work, is widely acclaimed for its ability to negotiate settlements for clients. The firm has worked closely with plaintiffs' lawyers to create and implement settlement agreements. It also has extensive experience in defending businesses from appeals.