Alabama Mesothelioma Lawyers

How To Find and Choose an Alabama Mesothelioma Lawyer

A law firm that specializes in mesothelioma and asbestos cases can help you understand your legal options in Alabama and the state’s filing requirements. It’s important to choose an experienced legal team with a good reputation for helping mesothelioma survivors in Alabama. 

Leading law firms in the U.S., such as Simmons Hanly Conroy and Weitz & Luxenberg, worked with more than 650 mesothelioma patients or their families in 2024. If you or a loved one has mesothelioma, you’re not alone. According to the CDC, there were more than 160 new cases in Alabama between 2018 and 2022, and 21 patients died from asbestos-related illnesses in 2023.

National law firms have extensive resources and experience opposing large corporations. They can help hold companies accountable for negligence that exposed you to asbestos and can also look for compensation options from asbestos trust funds. These firms will travel to you for your initial consultation at no cost to you.

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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Attorneys at national firms understand their clients can’t always travel. Top firms usually won’t charge for travel to the initial meeting. 

National firms have experience opposing large corporations. They also have extensive resources. They can help hold companies accountable for negligence that exposed you to asbestos and can also assess if you can file claims with asbestos trust funds.

Compensation From Asbestos Filings in Alabama

There have been many major asbestos settlements and verdicts in Alabama. Asbestos litigation reflects the state’s industrial past. Past cases have resulted in significant mesothelioma compensation awards. 

Notable Alabama Settlements, Verdicts or Trust Fund Payouts

• $115.6 million: A group of 21 steelworkers who developed asbestos-related illnesses from working at a U.S. Steel mill in Birmingham received this jury verdict in 1998. The jury awarded $15.6 million in damages and $100 million in punitive damages.
• $5.1 million: Simmons Hanly Conroy helped a HazMat technician and computer programmer with mesothelioma in Huntsville obtain this trial verdict. They also secured $4.2 million for a coal miner and lathe operator in Haleyville.
• $3.5 million: In 2015, an Alabama judge awarded this amount to the estate of Barbara Bobo, who had developed pleural mesothelioma from secondary exposure. Her husband worked at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Athens, Alabama, and she washed his asbestos-contaminated work clothes for 22 years.

The average compensation in a mesothelioma settlement varies from case to case. Many settlements range from $1 million to $2 million. Mesothelioma jury verdicts average higher. The national average asbestos lawsuit trial verdict is $20.7 million, according to Mealey’s latest data.

How Does an Asbestos Lawyer Handle Your Claim in Alabama?

Asbestos law firms represent clients in all parts of Alabama, from big cities like Huntsville and Mobile to Clarke County and Russell County. Mesothelioma attorneys travel to your home to help you understand your legal options and what steps to take next.

Steps to a Mesothelioma Claim

1. Review case details: A mesothelioma lawyer evaluates the strength of your case and current evidence. Lawyers can also answer your questions about the process.
2. Explain your options: Your lawyer helps you understand your options, such as filing a lawsuit or applying for a bankruptcy trust fund payment.
3. File a claim: Your legal team handles the filing process, letting you focus on rest and time with family. This includes helping to gather necessary evidence, such as medical records, employment records and lists of high-risk exposure sites.
4. Gather additional evidence: In court cases, the discovery process involves finding witnesses and additional evidence in preparation for the trial. Your lawyer handles any legal correspondence for you, so you can avoid the stress of dealing with opposing attorneys.
5. Represent you in negotiations or in court: Most mesothelioma cases end in a settlement. The law firm handles negotiations to help you get fair compensation. But your lawyer will prepare for trial if a settlement can’t be reached.

An experienced asbestos lawyer in Alabama can help you file your mesothelioma claim. They can also determine if you should file in another state. This could be the case if you live in Alabama but were exposed somewhere else, or if the company responsible for your exposure operates in another state.

Find a Mesothelioma Attorney in Alabama

Get help finding an attorney who knows the process and can get you and your family the compensation you deserve.

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Asbestos Exposure in Alabama

The majority of Alabama residents were exposed to asbestos at work. Many industries heavily relied on asbestos for its heat-resistant properties. Higher-risk worksites included power plants, shipyards, manufacturing plants and paper mills. Military personnel also faced exposure on Alabama’s bases.

Sites in Alabama Known for Asbestos Exposure

• Alabama Drydock & Shipping Company: Several legal claims have been filed against the Mobile shipyard.
• Alabama Power Plant: The Facility in Birmingham is a job site confirmed to contain asbestos.
• Fort McClellan: The U.S. Army training installation near Anniston was where soldiers were trained in chemical warfare.
• Fort Rucker: Veterans were exposed to asbestos at this military base in Dale County.
• Gulf States Paper Mill: The machinery at the Tuscaloosa facility is confirmed to have exposed workers to asbestos.
• Maxwell Air Force Base: Veterans were also exposed to asbestos at this military base in Montgomery.
• Rock Wool Manufacturing: This wool insulation manufacturer in Leeds exposed workers to asbestos-containing products.

Alabama is one of the states that holds companies responsible for secondhand asbestos exposure, sometimes also called “take-home duty.” Alabama courts have held companies liable when families were exposed to asbestos on workers’ clothes.

Cement Asbestos Products Company

The Cement Asbestos Products Company in Ragland, AL, exposed workers directly to asbestos during its manufacturing operations. Ragland plant workers routinely handled raw asbestos without adequate protection and were exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. 

CAPCO produced cement-asbestos pipes, using approximately 6,000 tons of asbestos every year. CAPCO was a subsidiary of the American Smelting and Refining Company, the owner of one of the largest asbestos mines in North America. ASARCO filed for bankruptcy in August 2005 and established the ASARCO Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust in 2009.

Occupational Asbestos Exposure in Alabama

In the 1960s and 1970s, companies in Alabama frequently used materials and parts containing asbestos fibers. Many workers faced daily risks of asbestos exposure. These days, asbestos exposure mainly involves older buildings that contain asbestos insulation or building materials.

Higher-Risk Jobs in Alabama

• Aerospace worker
• Construction worker
• Government worker
• Industrial worker
• Metal worker
• Military personnel
• Paper and textile mill worker
• Power plant worker
• Shipyard worker
• Teacher

Patricia Stevens is a travel enthusiast who has lived her entire life in Huntsville, AL. She received a mesothelioma diagnosis in 2021, but didn’t recall how she may have been exposed to asbestos. Patricia has an inherited mutation of the BAP1 gene, a genetic risk factor for mesothelioma that makes people more likely to develop this cancer when exposed to asbestos.

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

The 1980 Alabama case ruling, Golden v. McCurry, defined the state’s contributory negligence doctrine. This rule can limit recovery if the court finds even partial fault in mesothelioma patients for asbestos exposure. There are exceptions, like when an employer purposely doesn’t tell workers about asbestos.

Alabama Legislative Changes 

• AL Code § 6-2-30 (2024) starts the statute of limitations for asbestos claims from the date the injured person should have reasonably discovered the illness.
• AL Code § 6-2-38 (2024) gives plaintiffs two years to file a personal injury claim or wrongful death lawsuit.
• AL Code § 6-5-410 (2024) allows family members to seek damages if a patient dies before filing a personal injury claim.
• AL Code § 6-5-692 (2024) requires plaintiffs to submit a complete list of asbestos exposure events, timelines, witnesses and evidence within 45 days of bringing a claim.
• Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 8(c) allows defendants to use contributory negligence as an affirmative defense.

Alabama’s contributory negligence standards and high evidence requirements can be confusing for mesothelioma patients. Some proposed bills in the legislature may make it even harder to file claims. An asbestos lawyer helps you understand current Alabama requirements so you can avoid mistakes and have the best chance of getting the compensation you deserve.