Filing an Asbestos Claim After Death of Loved One

What Is an Asbestos Claim After Death?

An asbestos claim after death is another term for a wrongful death claim. A family member files this lawsuit after someone dies of mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease.

Usually, living patients file a personal injury claim or an asbestos trust fund claim on their behalf. The patient, or plaintiff, is typically the most crucial witness in the case against the defendants.

After the patient dies, they are no longer there to prove their exposure history or identify witnesses who can attest to their asbestos exposure. That’s one of the reasons why navigating an asbestos claim after a patient’s death is complex.
But that doesn’t mean family members of a deceased loved one cannot file an asbestos claim such as a mesothelioma lawsuit. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can best advise family members and the estate about available legal options.

Who Is Eligible to File a Claim?

Family members of the deceased may have the option of filing a wrongful death claim on behalf of the estate.
The rules and limitations of who can file a wrongful death claim vary by state, but generally, it must be someone close enough to the deceased, not an estranged family member or acquaintance.

Eligibility Criteria

A wrongful death lawsuit can help families offset debt from medical expenses, funeral costs and loss of income. Mesothelioma compensation may provide much-needed security to families facing financial hardship.

How Does an Asbestos Claim Change if a Claimant Dies?

If a mesothelioma plaintiff dies before their claim is resolved, an estate representative can continue the claim as a wrongful death lawsuit. Any potential compensation from the claim will go to the estate, not the estate representative. The payment can then be divided, similar to how a will divides estate assets among family members.

The overall damages awarded in a wrongful death case often are less than had the lawsuit been filed while the plaintiff was still living. A living plaintiff is presumed to have ongoing medical bills and other expenses. They’ll also be dealing with emotional distress. If the plaintiff dies, those parts of the claim are eliminated.

Without the original plaintiff, compensation may be impacted because they can no longer attest to their history of asbestos exposure. It will be more challenging to confirm workplaces, identify witnesses or easily acquire medical records.

Estate Representatives Manage Claims

If a mesothelioma patient dies during the legal process, the claim for the deceased loved one becomes part of the estate. The estate representative becomes the person who manages the claim and handles the role the plaintiff would have played in the suit. 

The estate representative then makes legal decisions. This person typically is an immediate family member, such as a spouse or child, but the person does not have to be a blood relative.

The estate representative will ultimately decide whether and how to pursue the claim for the deceased loved one and, essentially, speaks on behalf of the estate.

How Compensation Is Paid Out

Mesothelioma compensation is typically paid out through your attorney. Your mesothelioma lawyer will discuss whether you prefer to receive your payment in a lump sum or multiple installments.

Once your attorney has collected their contingency fee, the agreed-upon cost for their legal services, the rest goes to you in either a lump sum or installment payments.

Your attorney will explain which portions of your compensation may be taxed by the government. Most of your payment likely will not be taxed, but plaintiffs who receive punitive damages through a jury verdict must pay taxes on that portion of the award.

“Because of The Mesothelioma Center’s help, my mother will be financially set once the settlements come in. Ensuring she would be taken care of was my father’s biggest worry. You were my father’s guardian angel!”

Starr G.

Mesothelioma caregiver

How to File a Wrongful Death Claim for Mesothelioma

It is essential to seek the advice of an expert mesothelioma attorney when filing a wrongful death claim for mesothelioma. These complicated cases require expertise to ensure your claim is handled correctly.

In some states, companies are liable for secondhand asbestos exposure. Microscopic asbestos fibers can travel on clothes, shoes, hair or skin. Someone who worked with or around the mineral may have exposed others to asbestos. 

Firefighters, construction workers, electricians and auto mechanics have brought asbestos fibers home with them accidentally. A lawyer can help determine whether a secondhand exposure claim is possible.

Importance of Filing an Asbestos Claim Before the Death of a Loved One

Being prepared can save you and your family precious time in the unfortunate event that you are diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease. Creating a file with your detailed work history and any valuable contacts can help an attorney build the best case for you in the shortest amount of time.

While a family member, such as a spouse or child, might know some of a loved one’s work history, no one likely knows more than the person diagnosed with the disease.
The sooner you start, the better, for multiple reasons. As you undergo mesothelioma treatments and symptoms worsen, it will be more challenging to testify or even remember your work history enough to put together a history of exposure. Chemotherapy, for example, is known to affect a person’s memory.

How to Document Asbestos Exposure

Even before the diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease, it’s never too early to document your history of asbestos exposure.

If you know or believe you have been exposed to asbestos, you may want to document your work history. Include the dates spent at each job and the location of the job. 

Write down the specifics of the jobs you worked. Include tasks you performed and machinery you worked with that may have put you at high risk for asbestos exposure. Be sure to list co-workers who worked with you because they may serve as witnesses in your case. 

If a parent or other family member worked with asbestos products, write down their work history in case secondhand exposure is a concern.

Know the Statutes of Limitations for Mesothelioma Claims

Asbestos-related diseases have long latency periods, meaning they can take decades before symptoms appear and a diagnosis is made. Some cases take more than 50 years. In asbestos litigation, these latency periods play a large part in the statutes of limitations. These laws limit claimants’ and family members’ time to file lawsuits.

These statutes vary by state law, so the amount of time you have to file usually depends on the state where you file the claim. The time limit often ranges from one to three years from the date a person is diagnosed or when the asbestos disease causes death.

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The type of claim can also play a factor in the limitation period. For asbestos-related personal injury claims, the period typically begins at the time of diagnosis. The period for wrongful death claims usually begins once an asbestos-related disease is determined to cause death.

Asbestos cases differ from traditional personal injury or wrongful death claims, such as traffic accidents, where the statutes of limitations typically begin immediately following the injury or death. An expert attorney can help determine your case’s applicable statute of limitations.

Common Questions About Filing an Asbestos Claim After Death

What expenses can be covered by compensation from a claim filed after death?

The compensation awarded from a mesothelioma wrongful death claim is determined by factors such as medical bills and lost wages. However, you are typically entitled to use the payment to cover any expense you wish.

How are wrongful death benefits paid out?

Your attorney typically distributes the compensation awarded from a wrongful death claim. You may receive a lump sum or payments in installments.

Is compensation from a wrongful death verdict or settlement taxable?

It depends upon the kind of compensation awarded from a verdict or a mesothelioma settlement. In most cases, compensation for general or special damages is not taxable, but payment for lost wages and punitive damages is taxable.