What Can A Mesothelioma Attorney Do For You?
Being diagnosed with cancer, especially a rare and highly lethal one like mesothelioma, is more than shocking for any individual and his/her family. In such cases, the first thing you can do is to turn to doctors for treatment. However, you should also consider the possibility of hiring a mesothelioma lawyer and seek compensation for the damage to your health.
A mesothelioma attorney specializes in helping patients with this dangerous condition get the compensation they deserve. It has been scientifically proven that the main cause of this type of cancer is exposure to asbestos. Statistics and medical practice suggest that workers who use this dangerous material in their work are most likely to develop this type of cancer. Still, individuals who have been exposed to asbestos for other reasons, such as living in a building insulated with this material, can also develop the condition, even though they are at lower risk.
A mesothelioma lawyer can seek compensation on your behalf from the people who are responsible for your exposure to this material and, consequently, for developing this condition. The first thing that the professional will do will be to investigate your claim. Simply put, he will check whether you have a strong enough case that has good chances of winning in a court of law.
Generally, individuals who have been exposed to asbestos without being told of the dangers as well as workers whose employers have not taken the necessary measures for protection during work with asbestos have high chances of getting compensation. Still, each individual case is assessed on its own merits, so it is essential for you to find an experienced mesothelioma lawyer that can investigate your claim professionally.
After investigating your case, the attorney will tell you whether you have valid legal reasons to get compensation. He should also be able to tell you who you need to sue - your employer, the manufacturer of asbestos or another party. In general, this investigation should not cost you anything. That is why you should be suspicious of attorneys that are trying to charge any form of fee. Similarly, it is standard practice for attorneys to collect their fees after a case is won.
If the professional decides that you have a strong case, he will file a lawsuit on your behalf and will prepare for trial. It should be pointed out that in many cases agreement for compensation is reached before the court hearing commences. You should keep in mind that compensation can vary dramatically from one case to another, depending on the specific circumstances and on the work of your attorney.
Sometimes the responsible party may pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars. In other cases, the plaintiff can get just his/her medical expenses covered. Even if you have hired an experienced attorney and he has done his/her best to plead your case, you may lose and get no compensation whatsoever.
Overall, now that you know what a mesothelioma lawyer can do for you, you can readily decide whether to hire one or not.