About 3000 new Mesothelioma cases are diagnosed each year in US.
How To Go About Mesothelioma Case With An Attorney
Mesothelioma is a rare, incurable, and deadly cancer caused by the inhalation or swallowing of asbestos fibers over an extended amount of time. Symptoms can go unnoticed for up to 50 years, which can lead to diagnoses in people aged 65 years and up. Early diagnosis can help to give patients more treatment options, but the average five-year relative survival rate is about 10%.
Around 2,500 to 3,500 Americans are diagnosed with Mesothelioma every year. Such discoveries are often found through blood tests, biopsies, and imaging scans, but once a person is diagnosed, they must continue to be monitored for developing stages to determine how aggressive their treatment plan should be.
People diagnosed with Mesothelioma should contact an attorney who has experience in Asbestos exposure litigations to discuss pursuing a case against the companies responsible for products contaminated with Asbestos. Mesothelioma lawyers and their staff members are experts in their field and know how to track down what is needed to bring about a case against such companies.
Mesothelioma Cases Are Based On Contingency:
In the majority of Mesothelioma cases, lawyers will take on a case based on a contingency basis. Contingency fees do not apply if the attorney does not win the claimant’s case, but if the case is won, the legal fees will be taken as a percentage of the awarded compensation to the claimant.
Once a claimant chooses a Mesothelioma attorney that they feel clearly answers their questions and that they feel comfortable working with, the lawyer will prepare a Mesothelioma case by gathering information from the claimant about the Asbestos exposure.
The dangers of Asbestos are known in the United States; several factors can impact a Mesothelioma case significantly, such as a claimant’s work history, types of Asbestos products they were exposed to, and more.
Common questions that claimants may be asked include: “What were your job responsibilities at the time of exposure?”, “What type of Asbestos products did you come in contact with throughout your career?”, “What were the working conditions?”, and “Did your employer provide protective safety gear for when you came in contact with such products?”
During this time, a claimant may be asked to identify individuals who can support their claims, such as co-workers, the doctor who diagnosed the disease, friends, and family members.
The lawyer will then file a written complaint with the court to start the legal process within the statute of limitations. Each defendant mentioned in the complaint will have a certain amount of time to respond to the claim filed against them, and the attorney will review all responses. Both the plaintiff and the defendant(s)’ attorneys will gather information about the allegation. The amount of time that this could take varies from case to case.
Before trial, the defendant may choose to offer the claimant a settlement amount that the attorney will bring to the claimant. If a settlement cannot be reached, the next step is to head to trial.
Mesothelioma cases are complex and unique, so it is vitally important to obtain counsel who has years of experience and the resources needed to tackle such a challenging issue.
Attorney Pat Jacobs has over 40 years of experience successfully representing injured and disabled individuals throughout the state of West Virginia. Each case gets personal and individual attention to ensure that it is fully investigated and prepared to win.
Schedule to sit down with Pat for a free consultation by contacting 800-966-6593 to speak with one of our staff members or fill out our form, and an experienced Jacobs Law Office staff member will be in touch with you as soon as possible.