How to Find and Choose a Vermont Mesothelioma Lawyer

Looking for attorneys and law firms with extensive experience handling mesothelioma and asbestos claims in Vermont. Review each lawyer’s history of successful results, their knowledge of local job sites and Vermont’s legal process and ask if they have experience with cases like yours.

Choose a lawyer who can explain your options in plain language, has a proven record of winning Vermont cases and offers support handling every part of your claim. Top national attorneys make the process simple, handle paperwork and help you maximize compensation without ever requiring you to travel. Always ask for references, testimonials or case results before you decide.

Connect with each mesothelioma attorney for a free consultation to discuss your diagnosis, work history and legal options. Use this first meeting to ask detailed questions about their experience with Vermont asbestos cases, their process for gathering evidence and how they personalize their approach for each client. Comparing several firms gives you the chance to find the lawyer who feels like the best fit for you and your family.​

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

Compensation From Asbestos Filings in Vermont

In Vermont, large, publicly reported mesothelioma verdicts are less frequent than in other states. But this doesn’t mean compensation is unavailable. While settlement amounts are often private, experts note there have been multimillion-dollar settlements for Vermont residents.

Mesothelioma compensation in Vermont often comes through negotiated mesothelioma settlements. These settlements offer a way to avoid the uncertainties of a jury verdict. Vermont asbestos lawyers can help residents navigate the state’s legal procedures and negotiate fair compensation.

For example, Simmons Hanly Conroy secured a $3.99 million settlement for a union carpenter and shipyard worker from Colchester who developed mesothelioma. The firm also obtained $2.58 million for a U.S. Navy veteran from Jamaica with the same diagnosis. This national team has experience guiding Vermont families through every stage of the legal process.​

How Does an Asbestos Lawyer Handle Your Claim in Vermont

An experienced Vermont asbestos attorney manages your mesothelioma claim from start to finish, navigating legal complexities while you concentrate on your health. Your lawyer will thoroughly investigate your asbestos exposure, assemble all required documentation and apply Vermont’s specific legal standards to pursue the compensation you deserve.

Steps to a Mesothelioma Claim

  1. Confirm diagnosis: Your attorney verifies your mesothelioma diagnosis, collecting and examining medical records. This includes pathology reports, diagnostic imaging and treatment documentation.
  2. Investigate asbestos exposure and gather evidence: Your legal team determines details about your asbestos exposure, covering your complete employment history, asbestos products involved and liable companies. Vermont workers were exposed at sites like the Johnson & Johnson talc mine in Windsor and other industrial facilities across the state.
  3. File your claim within Vermont’s statute of limitations: Vermont allows 3 years from your diagnosis date to file a personal injury mesothelioma claim, though certain circumstances may extend or shorten this timeframe. Wrongful death claims must be filed within 2 years of the death. Claims involving government entities often require faster action. Your attorney ensures all filings meet applicable deadlines to protect your legal rights.
  4. Negotiate with defendants and prepare for trial: Your legal team works to negotiate fair compensation with the defendants while simultaneously preparing a strong trial case. This parallel process ensures readiness whether your case settles or moves forward to court.
  5. Settlement disbursement process: Your lawyer receives settlement funds into a secure trust account, deducts legal fees and expenses as agreed, resolves medical liens and other obligations and distributes your compensation along with a complete accounting of all transactions.

Your attorney maintains consistent communication throughout these stages, addressing your concerns and explaining developments as they happen. The objective is obtaining compensation for medical costs, lost wages and other damages while minimizing stress during this difficult period.

Asbestos Exposure in Vermont

Asbestos exposure in Vermont occurred at mining operations, paper mills and power plants. Asbestos mining operations at Belvidere Mountain were a significant source of asbestos exposure. Today, 30 million tons of asbestos waste remains on the mountain. 

Concerns about erosion contaminating nearby streams and wetlands led to an investigation in 2004. An increase in mesothelioma risk for residents living in towns near the mines wasn’t reported and 5 cases of mesothelioma in the area from 1996 to 2005 were all determined to have been occupationally related.

Sites in Vermont Known for Asbestos Exposure

  • Belvidere Mountain Asbestos Mine
  • Black Cat Textiles
  • Corry Deavitt Frost Electric Company
  • Green Mountain Paper
  • International Paper Company
  • Johnson & Johnson’s Windsor talc mine
  • Montpelier and Barre Light and Power Company
  • Montpelier district’s schools 
  • Morrisville vermiculite processing plant
  • Rutland Fire Clay Company
  • St. Albans Electric Light and Power Company
  • Vermont Yankee Power Plant
  • White Mountain Paper Company

In 1972, Johnson & Johnson bought a talc mine in Windsor and ran it until 1989. It was the primary source of talc used in the company’s baby powder. Company officials knew of the presence of asbestos in the mine in the early 1970s. In May 1974, a J&J official recommended the “use of citric acid in the depression of chrysotile asbestos” from the talc ore. This means using a chemical process to attempt to remove asbestos fibers from the talc ore, though this method proved ineffective.

The manufacture and use of asbestos products caused exposure across industries and at sites from factories to schools. In 2006, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation warned of asbestos auto parts. The department said auto repair workers, especially those who work with brake pads, clutches and other asbestos-containing friction products, were most at risk. They advised the use of water and special equipment to prevent fibers from becoming airborne in the work area.

Belvidere Mountain Asbestos Mine

The Vermont Asbestos Group Mine on Belvidere Mountain operated from the early 1900s until 1993, making it both America’s first and last asbestos mine. During its nearly century-long operation, workers faced heavy exposure to toxic asbestos fibers during mining and processing, putting them at significant risk for mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Given asbestos-related diseases’ long latency period, former employees may just now be experiencing health effects from their occupational exposure.

Extensive asbestos waste piles left after closure continue threatening nearby communities. While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies have worked to contain and remove toxic tailings, the site remains contaminated and requires ongoing remediation. The Belvidere Mountain mine’s legacy serves as a stark reminder of asbestos exposure’s long-term dangers and the challenges of addressing environmental contamination decades after industrial activities cease.

Occupational Asbestos Exposure in Vermont

Vermont residents encountered occupational asbestos exposure at mines, power plants, paper mills and textile factories. People who worked in industries that used asbestos are at risk of mesothelioma and other serious health problems. Family members of these workers faced secondhand exposure when inhaled fibers brought home on clothing.

Higher-Risk Jobs in Vermont

  • Asbestos miners
  • Construction workers
  • Factory workers
  • Insulators
  • Maintenance workers
  • Mill workers
  • Power plant workers
  • School employees
  • Shipyard workers
  • Talc miners
  • Textile workers
  • Veterans

Companies like the various paper mills throughout the state produced or used asbestos. The New England Asbestos Mining and Milling Company and Vermont Product Corporation also owned asbestos mines. 

Vermont asbestos lawyers can help people file claims against these and other responsible companies. Compensation from these claims can help with medical expenses and lost wages.

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