At Morgan & Morgan, our attorneys help families whose loved ones were diagnosed with mesothelioma recover compensation for medical and funeral expenses, loss of income, and pain and suffering. If your loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, one of our mesothelioma attorneys may be able to help you sue the asbestos company that put your loved one at risk and/or submit claims to trust funds set up by companies that have gone bankrupt.
We try to resolve mesothelioma claims as quickly as possible for our clients so they can focus on caring for their loved ones while having the compensation they need to pay for medical care. Morgan & Morgan has been handling lawsuits against negligent corporations for more than 25 years and has established itself as one of the country’s leading plaintiffs’ law firms. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help.
How a Philadelphia Mesothelioma Attorney Can Help
The attorneys in our Philadelphia office may take the following steps in handling your case:
Obtain and Evaluate All Available Medical Evidence: Your attorney will obtain all the necessary medical records to properly document that your loved one has developed an asbestos-related illness. Your attorney may also work with a medical expert to prepare a detailed report describing your loved one’s medical condition and how it is linked to his or her asbestos exposure.
Determine Which Asbestos Companies Can Be Held Accountable: Our attorneys can review and evaluate your loved one’s work history and establish which companies’ asbestos products contributed to your loved one’s illness. For example, if your husband was an employee at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, he may have been exposed to asbestos fibers contained in pipe installation, gaskets, and cement. Our attorneys can research the types of asbestos products used at the job site and determine how those companies can be held accountable.
Help Find Medical Treatment: Our attorneys have been handling mesothelioma cases for years. Through the course of our work, we have established relationships with leading doctors and surgeons and have even helped some patients find clinical trials.
File a Claim with an Asbestos Trust: Although the majority of asbestos companies have gone out of business because asbestos is now rarely used, many have established trust funds to compensate asbestos victims and their families. In fact, companies that manufactured, distributed and sold asbestos have set aside more than $20 billion in these funds. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the attorneys in our Philadelphia office may be able to file claims with the appropriate asbestos trusts.
File a Lawsuit: If the asbestos exposure in your case is linked to a company that has not created a trust fund, our attorneys may file a lawsuit. Because there are time limits in which a mesothelioma lawsuit may be filed in Pennsylvania, it is important that you contact us as soon as possible after receiving a diagnosis.
Engage in Negotiations: To avoid the expense and uncertainty of a jury trial, many asbestos lawsuits settle before going to trial. If a settlement offer is received in your case, your attorney can help determine if it provides you and your family with an appropriate amount of compensation.
Litigate Your Claim: If these settlement negotiations fail to produce an acceptable settlement offer, our attorneys will prepare your case for trial.
Types of Compensation Available in a Mesothelioma Claim
A person diagnosed with mesothelioma may be able to receive compensation for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages
Wrongful Death Claims
If your spouse or parent died as a result of exposure to asbestos, our Philadelphia attorneys may be able to file a claim for wrongful death benefits. These benefits may include compensation for medical bills, funeral expenses and loss of support. Our attorneys also represent individuals, such as the spouses and children of asbestos employees, who developed illnesses because of second-hand exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos Exposure in Philadelphia
Many of the companies that manufactured asbestos products knew for decades that asbestos was dangerous, yet failed to protect their workers. As a result, thousands of employees who were exposed to asbestos have developed mesothelioma and other diseases. Companies and employers in the Philadelphia area that may have used asbestos up until the 1970s include:
- Allied Chemical
- Amstar Sugar (now known as Domino Sugar)
- Atlantic Richfield (ARCO)
- Budd Company
- Certain-Teed Corporation
- Frankford Arsenal
- General Electric
- Gulf Oil Refinery
- Pennsylvania Railroad
- Philadelphia Electric Company
- Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
- Philadelphia School System
- Sunoco (formerly South Philadelphia refinery)
- U.S. Steel
- Westinghouse
At these job sites, workers in the following trades or occupations may have been exposed to asbestos:
- Auto mechanics
- Bricklayers
- Boilermakers
- Carpenters
- Cement plant employees
- Construction workers
- Electricians
- HVAC mechanics
- Insulators
- Painters
- Pipefitters
- Plumbers
- Welders
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact us today to learn more about how the attorneys at Morgan & Morgan can help.