Mississippi Mesothelioma Lawyers

How to Find and Choose a Mississippi Mesothelioma Lawyer

When looking for a good mesothelioma law firm in Mississippi, find one that cares about clients and treats them like people, not numbers. You also want a lawyer with significant experience in asbestos cases and Mississippi laws. To find this combination of expertise and personal interest, you may need to look outside of the state.

National firms tend to have more trial experience and more resources to support your case. Considering how important evidence is for mesothelioma cases in Mississippi, working with a law firm that already has a large library of documents can save you considerable time.

Underscoring the importance of experienced asbestos lawyers in the state, Mississippi reported 118 new mesothelioma diagnoses from 2018 to 2022, with an incidence rate of 0.70 per 100,000 people, according to the latest CDC data. Finding an attorney with specific mesothelioma experience is essential, as they’ll understand the state’s exposure patterns and legal landscape.

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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Compensation From Asbestos Filings in Mississippi

Mississippi is home to a historic $322 million verdict. The award included $300 million in punitive damages against Union Carbide. Plaintiff Thomas Brown of Brookhaven worked in the oil and gas industry. The Mississippi Supreme Court eventually ordered a retrial because the judge in the case failed to disclose his father’s own asbestos settlement with Union Carbide.

Notable Mississippi Settlements, Verdicts or Trust Funds

• $1.36 million: A Mississippi jury awarded plaintiff James Ray McManus economic damages and compensation for emotional distress in 2016. McManus worked on oil rigs in the 1970s and developed an asbestos-related illness from exposure to Union Carbide’s products.
• $970,750: This historical verdict from 1982 was the first asbestos case in Mississippi and a large award for its time. Plaintiff James L. Jackson developed an asbestos-related illness after working around asbestos at the Ingalls Shipyard until 1971. The jury awarded more than $600,000 in punitive damages against Johns-Manville Corporation and Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc.
• $865,000: In 1999, A Mississippi jury awarded $465,000 in economic damages and $400,000 in non-economic damages to plaintiff Robert Overly, who developed mesothelioma from asbestos exposure. The jury found Ingalls Shipbuilding and several manufacturers of asbestos products responsible for Overly’s illness.

Most asbestos cases in Mississippi result in a mesothelioma settlement rather than a trial. This happened in Dickens v. Autozone, Inc. et al, where attorneys for William Dickens and Karla Dickens successfully negotiated settlements with Borg-Warner, Honeywell International, General Electric and Bosch Brake Components.

How Does an Asbestos Lawyer Handle Your Claim in Mississippi?

Your Mississippi mesothelioma lawyer will guide you through the legal process. Mississippi has specific procedural requirements that can affect your case timeline. For example, the state requires detailed trust fund disclosure that experienced attorneys plan strategically around to avoid unnecessary delays.

Steps to a Mesothelioma Claim

1. Personal consultation: Your attorney will visit you for an initial meeting to discuss your diagnosis, work history and potential asbestos exposure in Mississippi. This conversation helps you understand how the legal process works and what to expect as your case moves forward.
2. Explore your exposure history: Your legal team researches asbestos sites in Mississippi, including Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, the Armstrong Cork Company factory in Jackson and power plants like Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Plant and Jack Watson Powerhouse. They connect these locations to your diagnosis.
3. Filing your claim: Your attorney manages all filing and ensures it’s completed within Mississippi’s 2-year statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits and 3 years for wrongful death lawsuits.
4. Discovery phase: Your legal team gathers evidence, obtains documents from companies responsible for asbestos exposure and conducts witness interviews. Your lawyer documents employment records from shipyards, chemical plants, military bases or construction sites.
5. Settlement negotiations or trial: Your attorney negotiates with defendants to pursue fair compensation that reflects your medical expenses, lost wages and other damages. If companies refuse to offer reasonable settlements, your lawyer will litigate your case in Mississippi court.

Mississippi doesn’t cap punitive damages, allowing juries to award substantial compensation for corporate negligence. However, Mississippi has specific rules that can affect your total recovery. 

For example, the state requires complete disclosure of all bankruptcy trust claims, and any payments you receive from these trusts can reduce a court verdict dollar for dollar. Experienced mesothelioma law firms balance these considerations, developing strategies that maximize your total compensation from all available sources.

$30B+ IN TRUST FUNDS AVAILABLE

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Asbestos Exposure in Mississippi

Asbestos exposure among Mississippi residents has primarily resulted from occupational hazards and the use of asbestos products. Industries like shipbuilding, construction and chemical manufacturing heavily used asbestos, resulting in significant exposure for workers.

Sites in Mississippi Known for Asbestos Exposure

• Construction sites: Construction workers frequently used asbestos-containing cement, insulation and roofing materials on commercial and industrial projects in Mississippi.
• Hilton in Fondren: Hotel renovation workers were exposed to asbestos at a Fondren Hilton in 2017. The workers weren’t warned about the presence of asbestos on-site or provided with protective equipment during the work.
• Military bases: There are bases for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army throughout Mississippi. Service members were often exposed to asbestos during maintenance operations, from boiler rooms to helicopter repairs. 
• Mississippi power plants: Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Plant, Jack Watson Powerhouse and Gulf Power Plant have exposed workers. Employees faced exposure while maintaining and repairing boilers and insulation containing asbestos.
• Pascagoula shipyards: Shipyard workers at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, frequently installed and removed asbestos products. 

Asbestos is still a concern in Mississippi. Older buildings and schools often require careful asbestos abatement to protect public health, like the Hotel O in Jackson.

Armstrong Cork Company Site

Armstrong Cork Company is a flooring manufacturer that incorporated asbestos fibers into its products. The Armstrong factory in Jackson, Mississippi, produced vinyl tile, backing materials, spray insulation, cork pipe insulation and adhesive products that contained asbestos.

Plant workers were exposed to the dangerous fibers during everyday operations in Jackson. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Investigations in the 1970s found excessive levels of asbestos fibers in several areas of the plant.

Armstrong’s products also harmed countless flooring installers and construction workers in Mississippi and other states. In 2008 alone, the Armstrong World Industries Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust paid out nearly $125 million to more than 38,000 people, according to RAND.

Expert Take

Kevin Paul: Fighting for Justice for Mesothelioma Survivors

View Transcript

Being part of the fight for justice, being part of the fight for the little person. It’s something special, and you don’t realize it until you actually get into the deposition room with your client or in the trial room. Fighting for a real person is inspiration. Fighting for a real person is what makes you work the extra three days that you need to do without sleep when you’re not billing by the hour, standing up for the little guy and girl, but most importantly, being able to hug your client.


At the end of a deposition, every single defense lawyer’s jealous of that moment. They wish they had that moment, but they don’t.

Occupational Asbestos Exposure in Mississippi

Occupational asbestos exposure put many Mississippians at risk. Military service, shipbuilding, construction and chemical production in Mississippi used asbestos, putting workers and their families at risk. Family members who lived with asbestos workers faced secondary asbestos exposure.

Higher-Risk Jobs in Mississippi

• Boiler operators
• Carpenters
• Chemical workers
• Demolition workers
• Dock workers
• Electrical plant operators
• Electricians
• Gas fitters
• Oil refinery workers
• Shipyard workers
• Welders

Many companies in Mississippi, from flooring manufacturer Armstrong Cork Company to boat maker Ingalls Shipbuilding, used asbestos products. These companies knew asbestos was dangerous but didn’t always protect their workers. If you or a loved one worked in these industries and developed an asbestos-related disease, an asbestos lawyer can explain how to file a claim in Mississippi.

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

Mississippi was once among the most active states for filing asbestos lawsuits. In the early 2000s, nearly one-fifth of all annual asbestos claims were filed in Mississippi, though legal reforms have since changed the landscape.

Despite these changes, Mississippi remains a viable jurisdiction for mesothelioma cases involving local companies and product manufacturers. The state doesn’t cap punitive damages, which means juries can award substantial compensation that reflects the full extent of corporate negligence and the harm caused to patients and families.

Mississippi Legislative Changes

• Asbestos Bankruptcy Trust Claims Transparency Act: This law requires plaintiffs to provide a complete list of all trust funds applied for and payments received. It can delay mesothelioma claims, requiring families to wait a full 180 days for a trial date after submitting the documents.
• House Bill 13 (2004): This Mississippi act requires showing proof of every defendant’s connection to Mississippi for product liability lawsuits. This can require law firms to litigate your case in more than one state instead of just Mississippi. 
• Illinois Central Railroad v. Bennie Oakes: In 2018, the Mississippi Supreme Court emphasized the state’s setoff laws for asbestos trust claims. In Mississippi, any compensation you receive from asbestos bankruptcy trusts can reduce a court verdict dollar for dollar.
• Mississippi Products Liability Law: Sellers are only responsible for product liability claims in Mississippi if they directly affected the product’s design or packaging. This rule makes it harder to hold companies that sold asbestos-containing products responsible, even if they knew the dangers.

Experienced mesothelioma law firms know how to approach your case strategically. They balance the potential compensation from asbestos trust funds with possible court verdicts. National mesothelioma attorneys can help you file in the right state for your asbestos case, even outside of Mississippi.