October 16, 2011

Getting Justice in Asbestos Litigation

If you have been exposed to a large amount of asbestos in your place of employment and have been experiencing a significant amount of symptoms, you may qualify for a lawsuit. Asbestos litigation was set in place to protect those exposed to asbestos. Lawsuits have been successfully won when an employer failed to make their employees aware of the potential threat of asbestos poisoning, while still exposing their employees to the hazardous chemical. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis or other cancer related issues, you may qualify for a hefty lawsuit.

When pursuing a lawsuit, it must first be determined that you were exposed to asbestos from the designated place of origin. If it is found that asbestos does or did exist during the time of your exposure, you will qualify for the lawsuit. It must be said, however, that a tremendous amount of "unfounded" asbestos lawsuits are holding up the court, pushing back severe cases for many years. You can expect a much larger amount if your health issues are advanced. Some companies have been forced to file bankruptcy due to unnecessary payouts to plaintiff's whose problems are not severe enough to warrant a lawsuit. This scenario is unfortunate because there are many legitimate cases of asbestos exposure victims who may never get their chance to be heard due to other frivolous lawsuits.

Since the start of asbestos litigations, companies have paid out over $70 billion dollars in claims are costs related to the claims. Many lawyers are filing frivolous claims on behalf of their clients "pain and suffering" who show little or no physical impairment at all. The unfortunate part of these lawsuits is that those who are really suffering from terrible ailments such as cancer and asbestosis are being pushed to the wayside due to lack of funds and time. The Supreme Court has been repeatedly asked to put an end to these frivolous types of lawsuits, making those who truly need it, get the compensation that they deserve.