| Mesothelioma is caused by a material called asbestos. | | | | exposed to asbestos as a child via her parents' |
| In the past, it was used extensively in manufacturing | | | | clothing to $20 million for a woman exposed to |
| and other industries. Many workers inhaled the | | | | asbestos-filled flooring. An auto mechanic was |
| hazardous material without being aware of it or being | | | | exposed to asbestos from clutch facings and |
| given any sort of warning as to the dangers of | | | | received $1 million from the manufacturer of those |
| asbestos exposure. Due to this, many are now being | | | | products. In another case, seven foundry workers with |
| diagnosed with mesothelioma as a direct result of their | | | | asbestosis were awarded more than $17 million from |
| exposure. Patients are facing not only a tough | | | | their employer. Previously, eight of their coworkers |
| diagnosis and daunting medical expenses for | | | | were awarded $9 million. |
| treatment, but also the choice as to whether or not to | | | | These amounts are very high. The first every |
| file a lawsuit against the employers who allowed them | | | | mesothelioma lawsuit took place in 1966 in the United |
| to be exposed without warning them. Asbestos | | | | States. The plaintiff in this original case lost, but a |
| lawsuit settlements are turning into large reparations | | | | second lawsuit filed for the patient's coworker resulted |
| for patients, victims and their families. | | | | in an award of $80,000. Since then the number of |
| One of the questions many mesothelioma patients | | | | cases has increased. The steepest rise has taken |
| have is not only whether or not to file an asbestos | | | | place in the past 30 or so years, likely because the |
| lawsuit, but what amount of settlement, if anything, | | | | disease is only now starting to manifest in many of |
| they can expect to get from doing so. With their | | | | those exposed years ago. |
| medical expenses for treatment looming, patients want | | | | In any mesothelioma lawsuit, the amount of |
| to know if filing a lawsuit can benefit them, as well as | | | | compensation will depend on the patient's individual |
| their families and loved ones. | | | | case. Factors like the patient's individual medical |
| Because of a slue of recent cases, there are now | | | | expenses and the wages they have lost by not being |
| some examples available of settlements reached | | | | able to work will be considered as part of the |
| between mesothelioma patients and their former | | | | settlement. Individual laws for different countries can |
| employers. A 70-year-old worker of a major steel | | | | also factor into the settlement amount, as can the pain |
| company for example was awarded $250 million. A | | | | and suffering of the individual and the company or |
| patient with pleural mesothelioma was awarded $34.1 | | | | companies being held responsible. |
| million from an oil company. A wrongful death lawsuit | | | | Many times, a mesothelioma case will not need to go |
| ended in $33.7 million from an fabrication plant. | | | | to court and can be settled outside it instead. This may |
| Other settlements have ranged from $2 million for a | | | | happen in order to avoid an extremely high ruling. But it |
| man diagnosed with asbestosis while working as a | | | | can also help the patient by allowing them to avoid the |
| contractor to $6.3 million for a woman that was | | | | time and hassle of going through a full trial in court. |