Mesothelioma Lawsuit Settlements

Web Master April 1, 2023 370 Views

Mesothelioma settlements are financial compensation for those who have been affected by asbestos exposure. The average mesothelioma settlement is between $1 million and $2 million. Asbestos settlement amounts depend on the severity of the case and amount of asbestos exposure.

What Are Mesothelioma Settlements and Verdicts?

Mesothelioma settlements and verdicts are two different ways of achieving compensation through a mesothelioma lawsuit. Patients diagnosed with mesothelioma and their loved ones may be eligible to file a claim. While there are many differences between settlements and verdicts, both offer a variety of benefits to patients and families coping with mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma settlement: In a mesothelioma settlement, an asbestos manufacturer agrees to pay a negotiated amount of money to resolve an asbestos claim. The amount of the settlement is determined through negotiations between your attorney and the company responsible for the asbestos exposure.

Settlements result in quicker compensation for families than a jury or court verdict. They are legally binding and legal action can be taken if the settlement isn’t paid on time, which means settlements offer guaranteed compensation.
Mesothelioma verdict: A mesothelioma verdict is compensation determined by a jury or court at the close of a mesothelioma trial. Verdicts often result in higher payouts, but defendants can appeal to pay a reduced amount or have the verdict overturned completely.

The payout is the amount of compensation you receive once the attorney’s fees and costs have been paid, as described in your retainer agreement with your lawyer.

There is a statute of limitations on legal claims for asbestos exposure. Each state has its own time frame and deadlines for filing a claim following the initial diagnosis. Patients should speak to a mesothelioma attorney if they are considering filing a claim for compensation.

Mesothelioma Settlement and Trial Award Amounts

The amount of compensation won through asbestos personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits varies from case to case.

Many patients or their estates have received settlements and jury awards worth millions of dollars. Mesothelioma trust payouts from bankrupt companies often are significantly less than the amounts claimants may be eligible to receive in court cases against nonbankrupt companies.

The time frame for a mesothelioma settlement varies, with some patients receiving a check in a few months to others waiting more than a year.

Notable Settlements and Verdicts

Exact settlement figures often are kept private, and claimants often are bound by confidentiality agreements. However, some mesothelioma lawsuit settlement amounts become public from time to time. When plaintiffs and defendants don’t agree to a settlement, the case usually goes to trial. If jurors find that the defendants are liable, they will decide how much money the defendants should pay in damages.

Mechanic

The family of a mechanic from Redding, California, received a $630,000 settlement in 2018 to resolve a wrongful death lawsuit from asbestos-related lung cancer. The surviving family claimed their loved one developed lung cancer as a result of exposure to asbestos brakes, clutches and gaskets.

Auto Mechanic

In 2017, a jury awarded Ed Robaey $75 million in the largest single asbestos verdict in New York history. Robaey claimed he developed mesothelioma from working with asbestos gaskets in car engines.

Brake Mechanic

A New York jury ordered DaimlerChrysler to pay $25 million in 2006 to Alfred D’Ulisse, a retired police officer and former brake specialist who said he developed mesothelioma from exposure to the company’s automobile brakes.

Metal Worker

In 2003, U.S. Steel was ordered to pay $250 million to the wife of a former steel worker who died of mesothelioma. U.S. Steel reached a post-verdict settlement for an undisclosed amount believed to be substantially less than the trial award.

Factory Worker

A Texas jury awarded $18.6 million in 2014 to the surviving family of Carl Rogers, who died of mesothelioma after working at a Goodyear tire factory for 30 years. Rogers was exposed to asbestos-containing machinery parts and pipe insulation at the factory.

Drywall Worker

In 2020, a drywall worker who developed mesothelioma received a $13.4 million verdict and $75,000 in settlements from an asbestos lawsuit filed in Washington state. Drywaller Raymond Budd said he developed the cancer from working with multiple asbestos products including Kaiser Gypsum’s asbestos-containing joint compound.

Dock Worker

A San Francisco jury awarded $24.26 million in 2018 to longshoreman George Lucas, who said he developed mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure he endured while working at shipyards around San Francisco Bay for nearly 30 years. He was exposed to asbestos insulation, gaskets and packing.

Shipyard Worker

A jury awarded former naval shipyard worker George Parker $6.5 million in 2016. The jury determined John Crane Inc. was responsible for exposing Parker to asbestos, which led to his mesothelioma diagnosis. Parker worked with gasket materials containing asbestos at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

Navy Veteran

In 2014, a California jury awarded $70.8 million to U.S. Navy machinist Robert Whalen in a mesothelioma lawsuit involving gasket manufacturer John Crane Inc. Whalen claimed he developed mesothelioma working with the company’s asbestos products during his 26-year service in the Navy.

Barber’s Son

In 2016, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded Philip Depoian an $18 million verdict in a mesothelioma-talcum powder lawsuit. Depoian was exposed to asbestos-tainted talcum powder products used at the barber shop where his father worked.

Talc Consumer

In 2018, a jury awarded damages to Stephen Lanzo III and his wife totaling $117 million. A jury found Johnson & Johnson and Imerys Talc America liable for selling asbestos-contaminated talcum powder products to Lanzo from 1979 to 2003, which led to Lanzo’s mesothelioma diagnosis.

Disclaimer: The former settlements and verdicts are examples of compensation received through individual cases filed in different states throughout the U.S. These examples are no guarantee of what compensation you might receive by filing a claim.

Benefits of a Mesothelioma Settlement

One of the main benefits of a mesothelioma settlement is that the compensation is guaranteed, even if the settlement may be smaller than what you could possibly win in a trial verdict.

While a trial verdict may result in a larger award of damages than a settlement might, there is no guarantee a jury will side with you. Qualified mesothelioma attorneys know there are no sure bets in a trial.

Reasons a defendant may agree to settle:

Discovery of information favorable to the plaintiff
A compelling deposition that favors the plaintiff
Lack of time to complete necessary research before a trial
Sudden unavailability of a key witness or expert needed to win the case
Desire to avoid ongoing legal fees from a drawn-out lawsuit

The decision to settle or not is best made with the advice of an experienced mesothelioma attorney. These lawyers understand the nature of malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

The more evidence you gather to support your case, the easier it will be to obtain a favorable settlement amount.

What Factors Affect Mesothelioma Settlement Amounts?

When you file a mesothelioma claim, many factors affect the potential settlement amount a defendant may agree to, including medical expenses and lost wages, punitive damages and the number of companies named in the lawsuit.

Medical Expenses and Lost Wages

Most mesothelioma patients dealing with the hardships of cancer also experience financial difficulties from mounting medical expenses. Because patients and their family members have to focus on mesothelioma treatment and caregiving, they may be unable to work, causing a loss of income at the same time.

Compensatory and Punitive Damages

When a jury issues a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, jurors consider compensatory damages such as the actual economic losses suffered by the plaintiff. Jurors also may consider the award of punitive damages, which serve to punish a defendant for particularly bad behavior and to deter others from acting similarly.

Company Negligence

In cases where the manufacturer knowingly allowed asbestos products to harm people, the potential financial liability may be significant. Some historic cases have resulted in awards of damages in the tens of millions of dollars. If a defendant has settled or lost cases in the past, it may want to settle a claim quickly without going through the trial process again.

Number of Companies in Lawsuit

Plaintiffs often file claims against multiple companies that manufactured asbestos-containing products. In lawsuits where multiple defendants are named, it’s common for some defendants to settle early to avoid legal expenses, negative publicity or a prolonged proceeding.

Jurisdiction

Different states require varying amounts of evidence to prove liability, negligence and wrongdoing on the part of a defendant. Some states also cap the amount of damages that a jury can award in a trial.

Asbestos Settlement Process & Common Scenarios

The settlement process starts with a mesothelioma attorney preparing to present a plaintiff’s case to a judge and jury. Asbestos settlement negotiations with defendants can take place before, during or even after a trial.

Filing Claims and Receiving Responses: After you work with your lawyer to identify the potentially liable companies and file your claims in the form of a complaint, the defendants typically have 30 days to respond in the form of an answer. Some defendants may offer a small settlement immediately rather than file an answer to your complaint, but most file an answer denying the claim.
Discovery and Preparation for Trial: The phase leading up to the trial date is called discovery, which is the phase of the case during which lawyers on both sides collect evidence to build their cases. Defendants may be willing to negotiate a settlement at this stage to avoid a trial.
Trial and Appeal: If a trial starts going badly for a defendant, the defendant may be motivated to settle to avoid a damaging verdict. Even if a jury takes your side, it may be in your best interest to accept a settlement whereby the defendants waive their right to file an appeal, which might prolong the legal process.

Your lawyer can advise you about your options and whether you should hold out for a better proposal. A lawyer can also advise you about trust fund claims and how they might affect other legal claims available to you.

“We’re prepared to take every one of our cases to trial. A very small percentage, though, ever get to a verdict,” said Dan Kraft, an attorney at Weitz & Luxenberg, the mesothelioma law firm responsible for two record-setting asbestos verdicts in New York.