Delaware Mesothelioma Lawyers

How To Find and Choose a Delaware Mesothelioma Lawyer

When choosing an asbestos lawyer in Delaware, ask them about their specialization in mesothelioma litigation and record of success securing compensation for clients. Your lawyer should know asbestos exposure sites in the state and unique challenges of mesothelioma. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate between 2018 and 2022, the mesothelioma incidence rate was 1 per 100,000 and there were 68 new mesothelioma diagnoses in Delaware.

Many Delaware residents report they chose to work with national law firms for their decades of experience, access to substantial resources, and ability to handle cases in other jurisdictions across the country when called for. Top Mesothelioma lawyers with these firms understand Delaware’s complex case laws and local courts as well as the national mesothelioma lawsuit landscape.

Top firms have proven track records in mesothelioma cases. For example, in 2025 Cooney and Conway won a groundbreaking $9 million verdict in Delaware in the first-ever successful asbestos shotgun shell case, holding Remington and a former DuPont subsidiary accountable. Simmons Hanly Conroy secured $2.86 million in 2012, which was the largest asbestos trial verdict against a single defendant in Delaware in more than a decade, after their investigators uncovered evidence R.T. Vanderbilt’s talc contained asbestos that caused their client’s mesothelioma.

Weitz & Luxenberg

• $8.5 Billion Recovered
• Serves Clients Nationwide
• Rated #1 by U.S. News & World Report for 2022

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Simmons Hanly Conroy

• $8.9 Billion Recovered
• Serves Clients Nationwide
• Rated a Tier 1 Law Firm in 2022 by U.S. News & World Report

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Meirowitz & Wasserberg

• $200 Million Recovered
• Serves Clients Nationwide
• Rated in the Top 10 Asbestos and Mesothelioma Trial Lawyers

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Compensation From Asbestos Filings in Delaware

The amount of compensation you can receive from mesothelioma claims in Delaware depends on the type of case you pursue. Court trials can provide multimillion-dollar verdicts, but the process takes longer than negotiating a settlement out of court and a trial verdict for the plaintiff isn’t guaranteed.

Notable Delaware Settlements, Verdicts or Trust Fund Payouts

• $40 million: A Delaware jury awarded this amount to the surviving family members of Larry Knecht, an auto mechanic who died from mesothelioma. The jury ordered Ford, General Motors, Chrysler and Johns-Manville to pay the damages.
• $9 million: Eugene Schoepke died from mesothelioma after decades of exposure to shotgun shells containing asbestos fibers. A Delaware jury unanimously voted against Remington Arms Co., Sporting Goods Properties Inc. and E.I. Du Pont de Nemours in Janet Schoepke’s wrongful death lawsuit, awarding her this trial verdict. 
• $3.17 million: This negotiated mesothelioma settlement provided compensation for a boiler technician from Rehoboth Beach.

Claims against an asbestos trust fund, such as Johns-Manville, often provide compensation in the 6-figure range. These funds are created when asbestos manufacturers facing mounting litigation choose to declare bankruptcy. Trust fund claims can affect compensation if you decide to file a lawsuit later. 

How Does an Asbestos Lawyer Handle Your Claim in Delaware?

To file a mesothelioma claim in Delaware, you need to show evidence, including proof of asbestos exposure. By talking with a mesothelioma lawyer, you can have an experienced law firm handle the process for you.

Steps to a Mesothelioma Claim

1. Understanding your case: An attorney travels to your location, at no expense to you, and discusses your case and goals with you.
2. Filing your claim: Your mesothelioma lawyer will ensure your claim is filed properly and within Delaware’s 2-year statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits.
3. Gathering evidence: Your legal team will collect your medical documents, employment records and information about products you were exposed to and exposure sites from national databases.
4. Managing your case: After filing your claim, your law firm will manage all of the details of the legal process for you, including negotiating a fair settlement with the defendant.
5. Preparing for trial: During the discovery process, the law firm protects your interests and your privacy. This phase also allows for gathering corporate documents from the other side.
6. Going to court: Asbestos law firms have victories in court trials, appeals and state supreme court rulings. If necessary, your legal team finds expert witnesses, such as scientists and medical professionals.

Most mesothelioma cases throughout the U.S. end with a mesothelioma settlement. This means both sides agree to resolve the case privately instead of going to trial. Settlements can help families in Delaware receive money more quickly to cover medical bills and other expenses.

Unsure About Your Legal Options?

Over $30 billion has been set aside to support those diagnosed with mesothelioma. We’ll help you explore your options and introduce you to the nation’s leading mesothelioma law firms.

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Asbestos Exposure in Delaware 

People in Delaware experienced asbestos exposure living near or working at industrial locations. For example, chemical manufacturers relied on asbestos insulation for their machinery. Even the safety suits to protect workers against chemical exposure often contained asbestos fibers.

Sites in Delaware Known for Asbestos Exposure

• Atlas Chemical Industries: This chemical company had job sites with known asbestos usage. Asbestos resisted chemical erosion and helped prevent fires in chemical plants.
• Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works: During the mid-20th century, Delaware’s shipyards used asbestos heavily in ship construction and repair. Workers handled asbestos insulation while building and maintaining ships.  
• Delaware schools: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cited 5 schools in Delaware for violating asbestos inspection and recordkeeping regulations in 2000.
• Delmarva Power & Light Company: Power generation facilities like Delmarva Power & Light used asbestos for insulating boilers, pipes and other high-temperature equipment.
• Evraz Claymont Steel Holdings: Steel mills often used asbestos products to insulate their equipment, exposing workers to the toxic fibers during maintenance.
• Vermiculite plant: A Delmar vermiculite processing facility received more than 314 tons of asbestos-contaminated ore from the W.R. Grace mine in Libby, Montana. This facility operated between 1943 and 1993.

Delaware buildings constructed before the 1980s often contain asbestos. This can put construction workers at risk even today, especially at older commercial, industrial, municipal and military sites.

DuPont Chemical Plants

Headquartered in Delaware, DuPont had numerous chemical plants in the state that extensively used asbestos, such as the Edgemoor and Seaford facilities. DuPont’s Newport Pigment Plant Landfill is on the EPA’s National Priorities List because of hazardous waste disposal.

Chemical plants require extreme temperatures for processing. Until the 1980s, DuPont chemical facilities used heat-resistant asbestos in insulation, gaskets, tanks, valves, pumps, furnaces, boilers and lab equipment. This environment regularly exposed workers to dangerous asbestos fibers.

In a 2010 deposition, a DuPont representative admitted the company knew about asbestos dangers in the 1930s and mesothelioma as of the 1950s. However, it kept using asbestos until the late 1970s, even mixing it with nylon in some products.

Occupational Asbestos Exposure in Delaware

Workers handled toxic asbestos in many of Delaware’s largest industries, including chemical production, shipbuilding and construction. Military exposure at bases and secondary asbestos exposure within families also occurred.

Higher-Risk Jobs in Delaware

• Boilermakers
• Chemical plant workers
• Construction workers
• Insulators
• Mechanics
• Military personnel
• Shipyard workers   

Chemical plants, energy stations, factories and steel mills used asbestos products in construction, maintenance tasks and equipment. Automotive repair workers were exposed to asbestos from working with brake pads and grinders. Some Delaware companies intentionally hid the dangers of occupational asbestos exposure from workers and the public.

How Your Lawyer Supports You in Delaware’s Changing Asbestos Litigation

In Delaware, proving jurisdiction and connecting asbestos exposure to defendants is complicated. To avoid technical mistakes in your case, it’s essential to work closely with a mesothelioma lawyer.

Delaware’s Legislative Changes

• Title 19, c. 23 § 2305: In Delaware, state workers’ compensation exclusivity laws usually mean workers can’t sue employers, even in cases of negligent exposure. Depending on the details of your case, your mesothelioma attorney may recommend filing in a different state.
• Estrada v. American Honda Motor Co., et al: A Delaware court found AMMCO Tools had a responsibility to warn users of its brake grinders about asbestos exposure. AMMCO advertised that its grinders kept workers safe with filtration, but it never tested the system, and automotive workers were exposed to high levels of asbestos.
• Ramsey v. Georgia Southern University: In this landmark case, the Delaware Supreme Court ruled against suppliers of asbestos-containing products. Dorothy Ramsey developed mesothelioma from washing her husband’s asbestos-covered clothing. Because the manufacturers didn’t provide the husband’s employer with warnings about take-home exposure, the court found them responsible.

Delaware’s favorable verdicts for secondary exposure can make it a good place to file if you developed mesothelioma from secondhand asbestos exposure. Before selecting a venue, experienced law firms carefully consider your case and available evidence. They stay up to date with Delaware laws and regulations in many other states.