An Asbestos Defense Attorney Can Help Protect the Financial Security of Those Harmed by Exposure to This Harmful Mineral
A defense attorney for asbestos can help protect those whose financial security has been affected by exposure to the harmful mineral. Compensation can cover medical expenses, funeral and burial expenses as well as pain and suffering and lost quality of life.
Our lawyers serve as national, regional and local counsel in massive toxic tort litigation. As a result, we are knowledgeable about the specific issues and complex scientific aspects of asbestos cases.
New York Asbestos Lawsuits
Asbestos fibers are dangerous and can trigger serious medical conditions, such as mesothelioma. A New York asbestos lawyer attorney is skilled in handling lawsuits seeking financial compensation for those who have suffered from asbestos exposure and their families. These cases can be complex and therefore it is essential to have an experienced mesothelioma law firm by your side.
New York has a long history of asbestos litigation, and many residents have been exposed to this dangerous material. In recent years there have been more lawsuits filed against asbestos settlement producers in the past than ever before. These cases are a result of the recognition of a connection between asbestos and diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. The companies were aware of asbestos' dangers, but failed to warn their employees and customers.
The New York City area is particularly susceptible to asbestos-related illnesses because of its older structures and a myriad of construction sites. Brooklyn Navy Yard is a notoriously toxic area that continues to impact the surrounding community.
Many workers were exposed to asbestos in the workplace. 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 in contact with asbestos dust on a regular basis.
Mesothelioma-related litigation can be expensive for defendants. This is especially relevant if they've been wrongly identified as defendants. A study has revealed that more than 3,600 lawsuits have been filed since 2014 in New York courts. This number could increase. The asbestos law firms that specialize in asbestos often advertise on daytime TV and encourage victims to file claims under the premise that they will receive significant settlements.
Defendants might be able to lower some of the costs arising from these cases by asserting that their policy periods have expired or they're only responsible for a small portion of the value of the claim. However, New York law has not set out a clear policy on how to allocate liability when the alleged exposure occurs partly outside of the insurer's policy periods.
Asbestos-related Diseases
A variety of asbestos-related illnesses can be triggered because of exposure to the harmful mineral. The most serious condition is mesothelioma. Mesothelioma has caused the death of many people. Other asbestos-related diseases include lung cancer and asbestosis. Pleural plaques and pleural effusion are also asbestos lawyer-related.
Mesothelioma is a rare, but fatal condition that is caused by asbestos fibers which accumulate in the lung. They then irritate the linings of the ribcage (the the pleura), chest cavity and abdominal cavity. The inhalation of these small fibers can result in scarring of the lungs known as asbestosis and sometimes the development of thickened patches on the pleura called plaques on the pleura, or an enlargement of fibrosis in the pleura called diffused pleural the fibrosis. Pleural plaques and diffused fibrosis decrease lung capacity, as measured by breathing tests. They can also cause breathing problems and pain but they don't cause mesothelioma or cancer.
The majority of the time, signs of asbestos-related diseases do not manifest until decades after initial exposure. This is due to the fact that it can take between 20 to 50 years for exposure to asbestos fibers to damage the lungs. The people at risk of developing mesothelioma or other asbestos-related conditions include workers who handled, washed, and removed these materials from the workplace and their spouses and children of those exposed to asbestos.
In addition to mesothelioma other asbestos-related illnesses include laryngeal cancer, lung cancer, peritoneal mesothelioma, and mesothelioma of the ovary. Ovarian cancer is the most fatal mesothelioma that women suffer from however it is much less common than mesothelioma in general. It is often diagnosed later than other kinds of mesothelioma since it develops in the tissue of the reproductive organs and symptoms can be similar to symptoms of other diseases.
There were many companies that used asbestos in the 20th century, however they knew that it was a risk. If they didn't remove asbestos from their products thousands of people were exposed. Now, these people have the right to sue for financial compensation. A lot of asbestos-related manufacturers have declared bankruptcy. The victims are now able to claim compensation from trust funds set up by bankruptcy courts.
Asbestos Litigation in New York
For decades, asbestos-related companies put profits above the safety of their employees as well as consumers, producing dangerous products, without warning of the risks. These companies are now paying for their inattention to. People who's lives have been affected by mesothelioma, cancer of the lung and other asbestos-related illnesses are seeking full and fair settlement.
The attorneys at Belluck & Fox are dedicated to helping individuals and families obtain the justice they deserve. Our lawyers have over 25 years experience and have assisted our clients to receive millions of dollars in compensation. Our New York mesothelioma attorneys work to hold large corporations accountable and seek the highest amount of compensation for their clients.
Many states have set up special asbestos courts in which claims can be filed and resolved more efficiently. In addition judges have created special procedures for evaluating and resolving asbestos cases.
New York, a state that has its own asbestos court (known as NYCAL) is one of them. As asbestos victims continue to seek compensation from solvent asbestos defendants that have gone bankrupt and have been unable to pay, the workload of this court has been steadily increasing. In order to ensure that the justice system does not get overwhelmed, the New York Supreme Court has ordered the creation of an additional judicial panel that will oversee NYCAL.
A panel of six Supreme Court judges will review each case in NYCAL to decide whether or not to take it up with it. Judges will also evaluate the merits of each claim to determine the amount the plaintiff is entitled to.
The panel is currently reviewing more than 3500 lawsuits. The panel is expected issue its final ruling before the end of the year.
New York asbestos lawsuits are typically complex and often involve allegations of several defendants. The lawyers at Belluck & Fox have extensive experience in the litigation of these difficult matters. They are familiar with the rules, regulations, and policies of the asbestos courts in New York, as well as the laws of other jurisdictions in which they have handled multidistrict litigation.
The firm also has extensive experience as National Coordinating Counsel, representing clients in complex, multidistrict litigation. In this role lawyers formulate strategies, oversee regional and local counsel, and ensure that they are able to provide consistent and effective defenses for clients. They have worked closely with trial and coordination judges and special masters of litigation in various jurisdictions where they were involved in asbestos litigation.
Representation of Plaintiffs
A skilled Tulsa asbestos defense lawyer will determine the best strategy to defend a client against a claim for personal injury resulting from asbestos claim (www.Gpyos.com). The Bowles Rice Asbestos Team advises product manufacturers, suppliers and distributors, contractors, and owners of premises on matters concerning mesothelioma-related claims, lung cancer and other asbestos-related illnesses. The firm also works with clients to create internal programs for identifying and addressing safety and liability issues.
Bowles Rice in addition to its national asbestos settlement practice and multi-state asbestos litigation, is also the national Coordinating Counsel. In this role the firm formulates strategies for litigation, oversees local and regional counsel, and ensures a consistent and cost-effective defense in coordination with client goals. Additionally it plays an important role in the management of asbestos dockets, negotiations with plaintiffs' counsel and also leads discovery for its clients.
The firm's lawyers have extensive trial and appellate experience defending clients against claims made by injured claimants, which includes those who claim mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos defense lawyers are acquainted with the complex scientific issues involved in these cases as in addition to specific legal issues that arise when defending companies before federal and state courts across the United States.
Catherine has represented a variety of manufacturers in asbestos and product liability personal injury cases, acting as the lead counsel in consolidated trials involving a variety of claimants. She has extensive experience in litigating asbestos-related lawsuits before the federal and state courts, as well as a variety of Supreme Court and appellate courts.
During her time at Brobeck, Vogel worked on asbestos cases, including those of respondents of the Asbestos Claims Facility in Northern California. The case files included SEAR forms (Short Encapsulated Evaluative Reports), which contained confidential information about claimants, such as medical reports, work history, and a list of asbestos products that the plaintiff worked with or around. Vogel was required to use access to the files and was able to look over the SEAR forms of any case with her current employer.
In addition to its extensive trial and appellate experience as well as its vast trial and appellate experience, the Bowles Rice Asbestos Team is recognized nationally for its ability to negotiate settlements on behalf of its clients. The firm has worked closely with plaintiffs' lawyers to develop and execute settlement agreements. The firm also has extensive experience in defending businesses from appeals.