Knowing what questions to ask a mesothelioma lawyer can also be tough. Your attorney should represent
you with integrity and compassion. Here are the 5 most important questions to ask a mesothelioma lawyer:
1. Will your firm handle my case or will you refer it elsewhere? Some firms don’t specialize in bringing
mesothelioma cases to trial, and will therefore refer your case to another firm for a share of the
attorneys fees if the case is successful.
2. What is your firm’s experience with a case like mine? This is one of the most important questions to ask
a mesothelioma lawyer. Make certain the firm specializes in mesothelioma cases and can demonstrate
their experience such as the number of cases tried and won, the amount of cases they’ve tried vs. the
cases they’ve settled and the amounts recovered. Make sure you’re comfortable with their experience.
3. How much and when will I have to pay for your representation? Most mesothelioma cases are taken on
a contingency basis. This means that you don’t have to pay anything unless your case is successful.
Your attorney will likely charge a percent of the recovery, and may also charge for other expenses and
fees. Mesothelioma cases can takes months or even years and can be very expensive to prepare and
try. Be sure you fully understand what you’ll have to pay before you sign.
4. What does the process involve? Most attorneys will gladly detail the process of preparing and trying
your case, as well as when and how you will need to be involved.
5. Can your firm handle my appeal if necessary? Some cases are appealed, and it is recommended you
choose a mesothelioma attorney that can also handle an appeal should one become necessary.
When asking the 5 most important questions to ask a mesothelioma lawyer, make certain your attorney is patient and answers the questions to your satisfaction.
Source
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Company Allots Finances for Asbestos Lawsuits
Cooper Industries, Ltd. announced that they will be contributing $130 million and 1.4 million shares of their stock to a trust specifically set up for insurance claims dealing with asbestos poisoning. The company owned Federal Mogul, a car parts company that used asbestos in certain car parts until the damaging effect of the poison was observed.
In a move to prevent bankruptcy and litigation, Cooper Industries, Ltd. started to form a trust in which stock and cash contributions will be allotted for insurance and lawsuit finances. Cooper Ltd. sold the parts company to Federal Mogul, a car parts company which used asbestos in their brake pads and linings. Smaller companies were bought and absorbed by Federal Mogul, implementing the asbestos parts in the production lines of those companies. In the face of multiple lawsuits over the asbestos-filled parts at the acquired companies, Federal Mogul filed bankruptcy in 2001.
The motion states that Federal Mogul, Cooper Industries Ltd. and Abex, a brake making company affiliated with Federal Mogul, will contribute to the trust cash and stock every business quarter. More than 38,000 outstanding claims are still pending against Abex, making Abex a large contributing factor to the 365,000 claims against Federal Mogul. Once the company emerges from their filed bankruptcy, Cooper Ltd. will step in and contribute the first $130 million to the trust. It expects to contribute more than $20 million a year for 25 years in order to facilitate future claims.
A New York based company, M&F Worldwide Corp., will be contributing to the trust as well. M&F is a producer of sweeteners and tobacco additives, but is tied to the lawsuits through their Pneumo Abex LLC unit, which sold the brake company to Cooper Ltd. The first contribution is expected to amount to more than $10 million.
Source
In a move to prevent bankruptcy and litigation, Cooper Industries, Ltd. started to form a trust in which stock and cash contributions will be allotted for insurance and lawsuit finances. Cooper Ltd. sold the parts company to Federal Mogul, a car parts company which used asbestos in their brake pads and linings. Smaller companies were bought and absorbed by Federal Mogul, implementing the asbestos parts in the production lines of those companies. In the face of multiple lawsuits over the asbestos-filled parts at the acquired companies, Federal Mogul filed bankruptcy in 2001.
The motion states that Federal Mogul, Cooper Industries Ltd. and Abex, a brake making company affiliated with Federal Mogul, will contribute to the trust cash and stock every business quarter. More than 38,000 outstanding claims are still pending against Abex, making Abex a large contributing factor to the 365,000 claims against Federal Mogul. Once the company emerges from their filed bankruptcy, Cooper Ltd. will step in and contribute the first $130 million to the trust. It expects to contribute more than $20 million a year for 25 years in order to facilitate future claims.
A New York based company, M&F Worldwide Corp., will be contributing to the trust as well. M&F is a producer of sweeteners and tobacco additives, but is tied to the lawsuits through their Pneumo Abex LLC unit, which sold the brake company to Cooper Ltd. The first contribution is expected to amount to more than $10 million.
Source
Monday, August 3, 2009
Mesothelioma Lawsuit
An individual, who has been affected by mesothelioma cancer, should be careful to choose an attorney, lawyer or law firm who has proven experience in the mesothelioma arena. One way to check on the competency of a mesothelioma attorney, lawyer or law firm is to view the attorney's mesothelioma settlement record.
A mesothelioma settlement can range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to many millions. For more information on mesothelioma settlements or how to choose a good mesothelioma lawyer visit our Mesothelioma settlements site.
A settlement for asbestos exposure leading to mesothelioma often depends on several factors including product identification by the injured and the lawyer. An experienced mesothelioma attorney or lawyer will know what is likely to have been the cause of the asbestos exposure which led to the mesothelioma diagnosis.
When products and manufacturers are identified the attorney or lawyer will need to ascertain the solvency of the companies. Once solvent sources are located, the attorney will need to enter into settlement negotiations with the various entities.
Our Mesothelioma site was set up so victims of mesothelioma cancer would have a qualified lawyer and a friendly attorney with whom they could discuss the value of their mesothelioma case. When there is a lack of identification of specific asbestos producing products, the value of the ultimate settlement can be affected. An experienced mesothelioma attorney, lawyer or law firm may be able to help in this situation by reviewing a list of past cases to see if there was a previous mesothelioma case at a particular facility. This often aides the injured's family, as well as the lawyer, in finding out the cause of the asbestos exposure which ultimately led to the diagnosis of mesothelioma.
Source
A mesothelioma settlement can range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to many millions. For more information on mesothelioma settlements or how to choose a good mesothelioma lawyer visit our Mesothelioma settlements site.
A settlement for asbestos exposure leading to mesothelioma often depends on several factors including product identification by the injured and the lawyer. An experienced mesothelioma attorney or lawyer will know what is likely to have been the cause of the asbestos exposure which led to the mesothelioma diagnosis.
When products and manufacturers are identified the attorney or lawyer will need to ascertain the solvency of the companies. Once solvent sources are located, the attorney will need to enter into settlement negotiations with the various entities.
Our Mesothelioma site was set up so victims of mesothelioma cancer would have a qualified lawyer and a friendly attorney with whom they could discuss the value of their mesothelioma case. When there is a lack of identification of specific asbestos producing products, the value of the ultimate settlement can be affected. An experienced mesothelioma attorney, lawyer or law firm may be able to help in this situation by reviewing a list of past cases to see if there was a previous mesothelioma case at a particular facility. This often aides the injured's family, as well as the lawyer, in finding out the cause of the asbestos exposure which ultimately led to the diagnosis of mesothelioma.
Source
Monday, July 20, 2009
Mesothelioma Litigation Points the Way for Nanotech Suits
Asbestos, a 20th century hazard created when manufacturers first discovered asbestos' insulating properties and then proceeded to incorporate it into everything from boiler insulation to hair dryers, points out the dangers for nanotechnology, at least according to the Investor Environmental Health Network, or IEHN.
The Investor Environmental Health Network, a joint partnership between investment managers who administer more than $25 billion in assets, is directed toward creating more transparency in corporate policies vis-à-vis toxic chemicals and defective products. Their aim is to improve the health, safety and financial well-being of Americans.
Asbestos, a natural mineral that occurs as crystalline or needle-like fibers in rock formations, comes in six different types: actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, chrysotile, crocidolite and tremolite.
Used regularly until about 1989, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, restricted its domestic use to one percent of product by volume, asbestos is known to cause a number of serious diseases, ranging from asbestosis - a debilitating respiratory illness - to lung and digestive tumors, including mesothelioma.
Unlike some other toxins, the human body has no way to rid itself of asbestos fibers. Once inhaled or ingested, they remain in tissue causing irritations, or lesions, that frequently lead to illness.
Mesothelioma, a largely fatal cancer of the mesothelial tissue lining, the lungs and abdomen, tends to lie dormant for decades. By the time it is diagnosed, patients are rarely given more than a year to live, though 10 percent of those affected may survive up to five years.
A 2002 RAND report, which describes asbestos litigation as "...the longest running mass tort in U. S. history", with more than 600,000 individuals suing 6,000 companies (often more than one company per suit) for asbestos-related damages through 2000, has resulted in upward of 60 corporate bankruptcies since 1980, for a total cost of more than $54 billion.
Damages were awarded largely based on what IEHN identifies as eight practices which leave companies liable for product-related injury. These are: shortsightedness; concealed science; disclosing only a minimum of potential liabilities; according privilege in attorney-client relationships to conceal the level of liability; inconsistent estimating liability costs to shareholders; using hidden assumptions to minimize liability estimates; refusing to benchmark liabilities; and refusing to allow stakeholders to question, via annual proxies, the specific risks.
These, says the IEHN, are loopholes the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Accounting and Standards Board (FASB) - two entities which regulate corporate risk and financial reporting - need to close to insure that nanotechnology doesn't get itself into the sort of quagmire now faced by former asbestos product manufacturers. In fact, says the IEHN, the loopholes reflect a long-established and pervasive attitude of "don't ask/don't tell" which has already demonstrated it dangers via asbestos litigation and corporate bankruptcies.
In the early 20th century, manufacturers, physicians and workforce managers didn't know the dangers inherent in asbestos. By the time they discovered its destructive capacity, much damage had already been done.
The same is not true of nanotechnology, which has only been around for a decade in commercial use. A recent report out of Europe, by the Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), puts nanoparticles at the top of the list of substances which could pose new and even greater risks to workers.
Source
The Investor Environmental Health Network, a joint partnership between investment managers who administer more than $25 billion in assets, is directed toward creating more transparency in corporate policies vis-à-vis toxic chemicals and defective products. Their aim is to improve the health, safety and financial well-being of Americans.
Asbestos, a natural mineral that occurs as crystalline or needle-like fibers in rock formations, comes in six different types: actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, chrysotile, crocidolite and tremolite.
Used regularly until about 1989, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, restricted its domestic use to one percent of product by volume, asbestos is known to cause a number of serious diseases, ranging from asbestosis - a debilitating respiratory illness - to lung and digestive tumors, including mesothelioma.
Unlike some other toxins, the human body has no way to rid itself of asbestos fibers. Once inhaled or ingested, they remain in tissue causing irritations, or lesions, that frequently lead to illness.
Mesothelioma, a largely fatal cancer of the mesothelial tissue lining, the lungs and abdomen, tends to lie dormant for decades. By the time it is diagnosed, patients are rarely given more than a year to live, though 10 percent of those affected may survive up to five years.
A 2002 RAND report, which describes asbestos litigation as "...the longest running mass tort in U. S. history", with more than 600,000 individuals suing 6,000 companies (often more than one company per suit) for asbestos-related damages through 2000, has resulted in upward of 60 corporate bankruptcies since 1980, for a total cost of more than $54 billion.
Damages were awarded largely based on what IEHN identifies as eight practices which leave companies liable for product-related injury. These are: shortsightedness; concealed science; disclosing only a minimum of potential liabilities; according privilege in attorney-client relationships to conceal the level of liability; inconsistent estimating liability costs to shareholders; using hidden assumptions to minimize liability estimates; refusing to benchmark liabilities; and refusing to allow stakeholders to question, via annual proxies, the specific risks.
These, says the IEHN, are loopholes the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Accounting and Standards Board (FASB) - two entities which regulate corporate risk and financial reporting - need to close to insure that nanotechnology doesn't get itself into the sort of quagmire now faced by former asbestos product manufacturers. In fact, says the IEHN, the loopholes reflect a long-established and pervasive attitude of "don't ask/don't tell" which has already demonstrated it dangers via asbestos litigation and corporate bankruptcies.
In the early 20th century, manufacturers, physicians and workforce managers didn't know the dangers inherent in asbestos. By the time they discovered its destructive capacity, much damage had already been done.
The same is not true of nanotechnology, which has only been around for a decade in commercial use. A recent report out of Europe, by the Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), puts nanoparticles at the top of the list of substances which could pose new and even greater risks to workers.
Source
Monday, July 6, 2009
LegalView Launches Mesothelioma Search Engine
LegalView.com, the leading resource for online legal assistance, continues to provide the most comprehensive collection of information on the web. With the recent announcement of the development and subsequent launch of their mesothelioma search engine at http://mesothelioma.legalview.com/search/, LegalView continues to provide expansive support for victims suffering from mesothelioma as well as those who have been exposed to toxic asbestos fibers.
The newly created LegalView mesothelioma search engine provides a necessary and powerful tool in an attempt to consolidate all the information available on asbestos exposure and mesothelioma cancer. With the creation of such a powerful search engine, individuals seeking to develop a mesothelioma lawsuit or contact a mesothelioma lawyer now can find all the information they need to decide if the creation of a mesothelioma case would be beneficial for them. Providing this free-of-charge service allows anyone seeking informative asbestos exposure articles or mesothelioma cancer documentation to browse and search at their leisure as well as assisting them with an effective search tool specifically designed for the purpose of investigating these conditions.
Mesothelioma cancer is often considered a fatal condition for which no known treatment can currently completely cure the effects of the cancer, which is why it is imperative that a patient recently diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer locate an experienced mesothelioma attorney who can provide a free legal consultation as to the development of a possible mesothelioma case. Developing with an experienced mesothelioma lawyer may result in monetary funds being dispersed to a victim, who can then use such compensation to pay for costly medical treatments and increase quality of life during their cancer.
In addition to providing such an invaluable service relating to mesothelioma, LegalView.com also provides a construction accident information portal. This site adds to the already extensive knowledge base of the LegalView.com collection of informative legal sites. The site has served as an extremelly valuable resource for individuals and families who have either been affected by accidents on construction sites or who have personally sustained injuries from working on a construction site. In addition to providing individuals and families with a wide array of construction accident articles, the information portal provides access to a construction accident attorney and resources to help an individual decide on whether or not to pursue development of a construction accident case.
LegalView.com continues to provide exemplary record of providing information to inidivudals in need of assistance concerning the most pertinent and current legal issues. Their simple contact form puts anyone interested in contact with an experienced attorney free of charge, making LegalView.com one of the most sought after legal sources on the web today.
Source
The newly created LegalView mesothelioma search engine provides a necessary and powerful tool in an attempt to consolidate all the information available on asbestos exposure and mesothelioma cancer. With the creation of such a powerful search engine, individuals seeking to develop a mesothelioma lawsuit or contact a mesothelioma lawyer now can find all the information they need to decide if the creation of a mesothelioma case would be beneficial for them. Providing this free-of-charge service allows anyone seeking informative asbestos exposure articles or mesothelioma cancer documentation to browse and search at their leisure as well as assisting them with an effective search tool specifically designed for the purpose of investigating these conditions.
Mesothelioma cancer is often considered a fatal condition for which no known treatment can currently completely cure the effects of the cancer, which is why it is imperative that a patient recently diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer locate an experienced mesothelioma attorney who can provide a free legal consultation as to the development of a possible mesothelioma case. Developing with an experienced mesothelioma lawyer may result in monetary funds being dispersed to a victim, who can then use such compensation to pay for costly medical treatments and increase quality of life during their cancer.
In addition to providing such an invaluable service relating to mesothelioma, LegalView.com also provides a construction accident information portal. This site adds to the already extensive knowledge base of the LegalView.com collection of informative legal sites. The site has served as an extremelly valuable resource for individuals and families who have either been affected by accidents on construction sites or who have personally sustained injuries from working on a construction site. In addition to providing individuals and families with a wide array of construction accident articles, the information portal provides access to a construction accident attorney and resources to help an individual decide on whether or not to pursue development of a construction accident case.
LegalView.com continues to provide exemplary record of providing information to inidivudals in need of assistance concerning the most pertinent and current legal issues. Their simple contact form puts anyone interested in contact with an experienced attorney free of charge, making LegalView.com one of the most sought after legal sources on the web today.
Source
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)