Akron Mesothelioma Lawyer

Experienced Mesothelioma Attorney in Akron, OH

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may have questions about how you were exposed to asbestos decades ago. An Akron mesothelioma lawyer can help determine if you were occupationally exposed to asbestos through work in Akron’s manufacturing, rubber production, construction, or industrial industries.

Asbestos was heavily used in Akron for many years due to its reputation as the Rubber Capital of the World. Victims may have been exposed to asbestos in tire production facilities, industrial equipment, boilers, insulation, and power systems. Many mesothelioma claims are filed in the county where victims live or worked. In Akron, mesothelioma claims may be filed in or around the Summit County Courthouse at 209 S. High St., Akron, OH 44308.

About Kelley Ferraro, LLC

Kelley Ferraro, LLC, has been advocating for the rights of asbestos exposure victims and catastrophic injury sufferers for close to three decades. Our law firm has worked on nearly 55,000 asbestos claims nationwide and has recovered over $1 billion for our asbestos and mesothelioma clients. However, past results are not a guarantee of a similar outcome. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own merits.

We have worked with attorneys all over the United States on asbestos cases and regularly appear in state and federal courts under pro hac vice to help handle complex asbestos litigation.

Who Is Most at Risk?

Asbestos exposure risk was highest for workers in industrial settings and factories. In Akron, employees who worked with machinery or in construction, tire factories, power plants, and maintenance of large facilities may have routinely worked with asbestos products during their employment.

At-risk workers commonly include construction workers, pipefitters, mechanics, electricians, machinists, welders, boilers, factory employees, and veterans who served in the Navy. Asbestos exposure may have also occurred when working on older buildings that have not been renovated. Asbestos can often be found in older commercial buildings around Akron in the insulation, floors, ceiling, and pipe systems.

Even family members of exposed workers can develop asbestos diseases. Asbestos can cling to clothing and travel home on your work clothes, toolboxes, or shoes. Family members become exposed through secondary contact over a long period of time.

Personal Injury Versus Wrongful Death

Mesothelioma claims can be filed as a personal injury or wrongful death claim. Personal injury claims are filed by the injured party in order to recover compensation for damages like medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Wrongful death claims can be filed by immediate family members if a victim dies from mesothelioma or another asbestos disease. In some cases, spouses, children, and parents can file a claim on behalf of their loved one.

There are Ohio statutes of limitation that apply to mesothelioma laws in both wrongful death claims and personal injury. This determines the length of time a victim or family has to file a claim after diagnosis or death. Since most mesothelioma cases do not appear until decades after exposure, it is important to determine when the clock starts on these time limits.

Claims are typically filed against companies that manufactured asbestos products or companies that were responsible for asbestos exposure. Some claims involve asbestos trust funds, which were set up by companies that went bankrupt as a result of asbestos litigation.

In the United States, there are about 2,500 new cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma per year, compared to nearly 160,000 new occurrences of lung cancer. Malignant pleural mesothelioma has a median survival of about a year. The average age upon diagnosis is 72, and the condition usually manifests after the fifth decade of life.

Hire a Mesothelioma Lawyer

Mesothelioma cases can require extensive research into past employers, asbestos-containing products, job sites, and manufacturers responsible for exposure decades ago. It can be difficult to pinpoint where an individual was exposed after so much time, and it may involve digging through decades-old employment records, union records, military service records, and old product records.

An Akron mesothelioma attorney can help clients and families understand their legal rights and may be able to discover where exposure may have occurred related to factories, industrial plants, commercial construction sites, or manufacturers located in Northeast Ohio. Exposure can also stem from asbestos trust funds created after a manufacturer goes bankrupt due to the products they produced.

FAQs

Who Pays Mesothelioma Victims?

Mesothelioma victims can be compensated through a variety of channels, depending on where and how they were exposed to asbestos. Funds can be provided by asbestos manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, or an asbestos victim’s employer who used asbestos-containing products at the workplace. Victims can also qualify to receive compensation from asbestos trust funds set up by companies that have gone bankrupt.

What Is the Statute of Limitations on Asbestos Claims in Ohio?

The statute of limitations on asbestos claims in Ohio is typically two years, as it is considered a type of personal injury claim. The statute of limitations period typically starts when an individual is diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease or should have reasonably known about the relationship between asbestos and their disease. Wrongful death claims may have different deadlines based on the specifics of the case.

What Are the Criteria for a Mesothelioma Claim?

Mesothelioma claims generally require proof that a plaintiff was exposed to asbestos and subsequently developed an asbestos-related disease as a result of that exposure. Medical evidence of diagnosis, employment records, military service records, and proof of asbestos-containing products or work sites can assist in proving a claim. It’s also common for claims to suggest that companies intentionally kept workers in the dark about asbestos hazards.

What’s the Average Payout for Asbestos Claims?

There is no real average payout for asbestos claims. Each asbestos claim is unique because it depends on a number of factors, including when you were diagnosed with mesothelioma, how it affects your everyday life, your medical history, the financial impact, and the parties involved. 

Damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and wrongful death damages may all be covered by compensation. Each case of mesothelioma has its own set of facts and circumstances.

Contact Kelley Ferraro, LLC

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is important to hire a mesothelioma lawyer as soon as possible. Kelley Ferraro, LLC, can help you seek compensation. Contact us today for more information.