How to Find and Choose a Maryland Mesothelioma Lawyer

Choose a Maryland mesothelioma lawyer specializing in asbestos exposure and mesothelioma claims. The best attorneys bring decades of experience and a proven track record of helping Marylanders. Top lawyers will travel to meet you in person, providing one-on-one consultation without requiring you to come to their office while you focus on treatment.

Between 2018 and 2022, Maryland reported 216 new mesothelioma diagnoses, with an incidence rate of 0.60 per 100,000 people according to CDC data. If you or a loved one receives a mesothelioma diagnosis, working with a Maryland lawyer can help you secure financial assistance through compensation from a personal injury lawsuit. Asbestos attorneys also represent surviving family members in wrongful death cases. 

Maryland families need an experienced asbestos attorney who understands the state’s specific rules and time limits for wrongful death claims and secondary exposure cases. Several nationwide mesothelioma law firms practicing in Maryland have secured significant compensation for people exposed to asbestos. For example, Simmons Hanly Conroy has helped Maryland residents recover more than $60 million in compensation.

Weitz and Luxenberg
  • $8.5 Billion Recovered
  • Serves Clients Nationwide
  • Rated #1 by U.S. News & World Report for 2022
Simmons Hanly Conroy Logo
  • $8.9 Billion Recovered
  • Serves Clients Nationwide
  • Rated a Tier 1 Law Firm in 2022 by U.S. News & World Report
meirowitz & wasserberg logo
  • $200 Million Recovered
  • Serves Clients Nationwide
  • Rated in the Top 10 Asbestos and Mesothelioma Trial Lawyers

Compensation From Asbestos Filings in Maryland

Mesothelioma patients and their families have received millions in compensation from trial verdicts, mesothelioma settlements and trust fund payments. Maryland’s large number of asbestos cases reflects the state’s history of industry, shipbuilding and asbestos mining. 

Notable Maryland Settlements, Verdicts or Trust Fund Payouts

  • $15.3 million: Doctors diagnosed George J. Linkus Sr. with mesothelioma 50 years after he worked at a South Baltimore shipyard. A jury awarded the 73-year-old shipyard worker from Halethorpe ample compensation in 2008.
  • $10 million: Leroy Conway Jr. was 45 years old in 2010 when he was awarded these damages after developing mesothelioma. Conway was exposed as a child when his father, who worked as an engineman on an oil tanker, brought home asbestos on his work clothes.
  • $7.3 million: William Busch Jr. was exposed to asbestos while working in the boiler room of a high school throughout the 1970s. The air conditioning installer developed mesothelioma, and in 2019, a Baltimore jury awarded him well-deserved compensation.
  • $2.97 million: A Parsonsburg woman who developed mesothelioma from secondhand asbestos exposure received this settlement.

Verdict and settlement amounts depend on many factors, such as the nature of your exposure. Mesothelioma patients in Maryland may qualify for asbestos trust fund compensation from product manufacturers, such as Armstrong World Industries or Johns Manville.

How Does an Asbestos Lawyer Handle Your Claim in Maryland?

Working with a mesothelioma lawyer in Maryland means partnering with an advocate who understands the state’s asbestos laws, filing deadlines, and common exposure sites. Your attorney manages the legal process while you focus on your health and family.

Steps to a Mesothelioma Claim

  1. Gather your medical records: Your lawyer collects documentation that confirms your mesothelioma diagnosis and links the disease to asbestos exposure.
  2. Investigate your history of exposure: Your legal team investigates Maryland asbestos exposure sites, including shipyards and industrial facilities. For example, the Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard had barracks constructed with asbestos shingles and a salvage lot for asbestos debris.
  3. Work with experts: Your attorney gathers expert advice from medical, occupational, and environmental experts to strengthen evidence and build the strongest possible case.
  4. File your claim: Your lawyer files claims with asbestos trust funds and lawsuits in Maryland courts. The state’s statute of limitations is 3 years from your diagnosis for personal injury cases or within 3 years from the loss of a loved one for wrongful death lawsuits.
  5. Manage legal procedures: Your attorney prepares and submits all legal paperwork and coordinates discovery and witness testimony.
  6. Negotiate or litigate: Your attorney will negotiate settlements or take cases to trial when necessary to maximize compensation.

Starting your case as soon as possible gives your lawyer the needed time to gather critical evidence, interview witnesses, and build a strong, personalized case on your behalf. Early engagement helps ensure nothing is overlooked and increases the likelihood of securing maximum compensation for mesothelioma.

Asbestos Exposure in Maryland

Maryland industries with high risks of asbestos exposure include construction sites, steel mills and metal foundries. The shipyards along Maryland’s Atlantic coast region also used asbestos products.

Sites in Maryland Known for Asbestos Exposure

  • Anchor Packing Company: The company produced asbestos-containing industrial sealing products.
  • Bethlehem Steel: The company’s Sparrows Point shipyard was a significant source of asbestos exposure for employees. 
  • Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard: The facility’s barracks were constructed with asbestos shingles, and the salvage lot was used to dump debris with asbestos fibers. In 2008, the EPA placed this location on the Superfund monitoring list.
  • Fairfield Shipyard: The Baltimore facility used asbestos to construct ships during World War II.
  • Patuxent River Naval Air Station: In 2008, an environmental supervisor was sentenced to 60 days in prison after violating Clean Air Act standards during an asbestos abatement project.
  • Porter Hayden Company: This company sold and installed asbestos-containing insulation from the 1920s until the early 1980s.

Marylanders were mainly exposed to asbestos at work, but some people developed mesothelioma from natural deposits. The state contains more than 20 naturally occurring asbestos sites and 4 mining areas. Workers who brought asbestos fibers home on their clothing could expose family members to the toxic material.

The Bethlehem Steel Shipyard at Sparrows Point

The Bethlehem Steel Shipyard at Sparrows Point was one of the largest steel production and shipbuilding operations in the U.S. during the 1960s. At its peak, the facility employed more than 30,000 workers. Whole communities worked at the plant, such as nearby Stanbrook.

Builders, engineers, pipefitters and maintenance technicians were exposed to asbestos spray, pipe coatings, mortar, sealant and other products. Even protective clothing for welding contained asbestos fibers. In some families, generations of workers developed mesothelioma or other asbestos-related illnesses. Family members exposed through secondhand exposure.

Occupational Asbestos Exposure in Maryland

Businesses across Maryland used asbestos fibers for decades, especially from the 1940s to the 1970s. Baltimore was a thriving shipyard and steel mill city during and after World War II. Exposure at work also happened at power plants, chemical factories and construction companies. 

Higher-Risk Jobs in Maryland

  • Automobile mechanics
  • Chemical plant workers
  • Construction workers
  • Flooring installers
  • Military service personnel
  • Power plant workers
  • Roofers
  • Sheet metal workers
  • Shipyard workers
  • Steel mill workers
  • Tile installers

In January 2019, workers at Kenwood High School in Essex, Maryland, closed early when maintenance workers noticed potential asbestos materials. School officials evacuated the school as a safety precaution while personnel performed a detailed inspection. Many older schools contain legacy asbestos, putting children, teachers, custodians and faculty at risk.

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Asbestos Manufacturers

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

Maryland courts generally take a supportive approach when reviewing mesothelioma and asbestos-related illness cases, making it easier for patients and families to pursue compensation. Rather than demanding overwhelming evidence, Maryland courts will accept reasonable proof that a company’s asbestos-containing products caused your exposure and illness. 

However, it’s important to know Maryland does place limits on non-economic damages, which is compensation for pain and suffering. This may affect the total amount of your potential settlement or trial award.

Maryland Legislative Changes

  • Asbestos exceptions to Maryland’s statute of repose: Recent court rulings and state law updates have created an asbestos exception for Maryland’s time limit on personal injury claims. Now, the limit is based on your date of diagnosis.
  • Giving priority to injury and illness claims: To deal with a backlog of more than 27,000 asbestos exposure claims, more than 90% for non-malignant symptoms, Baltimore courts started striking inactive cases. This allowed mesothelioma patients and urgent cases to get a court date more quickly.
  • Limits on non-economic damages: Maryland law sets a cap on non-economic damages such as pain, suffering, or loss of companionship. In 2024, the cap was about $950,000. This amount increases by $15,000 annually.
  • Multi-defendant liability verdicts: Your lawyer can recover the full amount of compensation in a jury trial from any of the defendants, even if other liable companies are bankrupt. Settlements do reduce some compensation.

Taking asbestos exposure cases to court in Maryland can be risky because of the state’s contributory negligence rules. If the jury finds you even 1% at fault, you lose all compensation. In these cases, experienced mesothelioma lawyers can help you find an alternative state with fairer standards for fault.

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