Legal Options For Families Affected By Asbestos Exposure

When the doctor delivers an asbestos-related diagnosis, the world shifts. Shock hits first, followed by a flood of questions. How did this happen? ... What comes next? ... How much will treatment cost? ... Will my family be okay? Since 2014, our firm has helped thousands of families answer these questions with certainty.

I founded this firm after discovering that the cancers that took my father and grandparents were caused by asbestos exposure. That personal loss drove me to build a law firm that could help families get the medical and legal assistance they need in the aftermath of a diagnosis. We didn't know at the time of my loved ones' diagnoses that asbestos was to blame, so we shouldered the burden and the bills it brought without help. - Justinian Lane

Read more about my journey and why this work matters personally to me

We never charge upfront fees, and our consultations are always free. We only get paid out of any money that we recover for you and your family. Over the past decade, we've grown from our founder's living room to having offices in four states and employees in twelve. We would be honored to help your family at this moment of vulnerability and invite you to call us at your convenience at 833-4-ASBESTOS for immediate assistance.

Understanding Your Legal Landscape

Here's what most families don't realize: an asbestos diagnosis often qualifies you for multiple forms of compensation, not just one. The companies that exposed you to asbestos may owe you money through several different legal pathways, including lawsuits and trust funds. There are also government benefit programs that operate independently of the court system.

Our job is to identify every possible source of compensation for your family, then guide you through whichever options make sense for your situation. Most people diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness qualify for one or more of these legal options:

Asbestos Lawsuits hold companies directly accountable through the court system. These include product liability claims against manufacturers, premises liability claims against worksite owners, and wrongful death suits filed by surviving family members.

Asbestos Trust Fund Claims provide compensation from the billions of dollars set aside by companies that declared bankruptcy to avoid lawsuits. These claims don't require going to court and often resolve faster than traditional litigation.

Disability and Survivor Benefits offer monthly income and medical coverage through programs like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Veterans Administration (VA) benefits for those whose exposure was service-connected.

The specific combination of options available to your family depends on how and where you were exposed, what state's laws apply to your case, and which companies bear responsibility for your illness. Every situation is unique, which is why we conduct a thorough investigation before recommending a legal strategy.

Understanding your state's specific laws is crucial—explore our comprehensive guide to asbestos laws by state.

Call us at 833-4-ASBESTOS for immediate help, or keep reading for a detailed explanation of each legal pathway available to your family.

Asbestos Lawsuits

Asbestos lawsuits as we know them today began with a man named Clarence Borel, an industrial insulation worker who developed mesothelioma after years of exposure on the job. In 1973, his landmark case Borel v. Fibreboard became the first successful asbestos product liability lawsuit in U.S. history. The court ruled that manufacturers had a duty to warn about asbestos dangers, and their failure to do so made them legally responsible for causing his pleural mesothelioma. Clarence Borel did not want to sue anyone, but realized that doing so was the only way to protect his coworkers and other asbestos workers in the future; he was right and his victory changed the law for the better. Every person who has received money in an asbestos lawsuit or through an asbestos trust claim owes a debt of gratitude to Clarence Borel.

Learn more about Clarence Borel's legacy and the foundation of modern asbestos litigation.

Depending on how you were exposed to asbestos, where that exposure occurred, and what disease it caused, several types of lawsuits may apply to your situation:

Product Liability Lawsuits

Product liability claims target companies that manufactured, sold, or supplied asbestos-containing products without adequately warning users of the dangers. These lawsuits hold manufacturers accountable for defective products that caused harm through normal, intended use.

Who can file: Workers who handled asbestos products directly, as well as family members who developed illness through secondary exposure from contaminated clothing or equipment brought home from work.

Common defendants: Manufacturers of asbestos insulation, brake components, gaskets, floor tiles, roofing materials, and industrial equipment containing asbestos.

Learn more about product liability lawsuits and how they work.

Premises Liability Lawsuits

Premises liability claims are brought against property owners (such as factories, refineries, shipyards, or construction sites) who failed to protect workers or visitors from known asbestos hazards on their premises. These lawsuits focus on the property owner's duty to maintain a safe environment.

Who can file: Workers who were exposed at specific worksites, contractors working on dangerous premises, and sometimes family members who visited contaminated facilities.

Common defendants: Shipyard owners, refinery operators, power plant companies, construction site owners, and military facilities where asbestos exposure occurred.

Learn more about premises liability lawsuits and proving property owner negligence.

Wrongful Death Lawsuits

Wrongful death claims are filed by surviving family members when a loved one dies from an asbestos-related illness due to negligence by a company or employer. These lawsuits seek compensation for the family's loss of financial support, companionship, and guidance.

Who can file: Typically spouses, children, parents, or estate representatives, depending on state law. Some states also recognize claims by domestic partners or dependent relatives.

What they cover: Lost income the deceased would have earned, medical expenses related to their final illness, funeral costs, and compensation for the family's emotional loss.

Learn more about wrongful death lawsuits and who is eligible to file.

Specialized Federal Claims

Workers in certain industries are covered by special federal laws that provide different legal pathways than traditional state court lawsuits:

Railroad Worker Lawsuits (FELA): Railroad workers exposed to asbestos must file lawsuits under the Federal Employers Liability Act, which allows them to recover damages outside traditional workers' compensation systems and sometimes provides more generous compensation.

Learn more about FELA claims for railroad workers.

Maritime Worker Lawsuits (Jones Act): Seamen and shipbuilders exposed to asbestos while working aboard ships must file claims under the Jones Act, a federal law that protects maritime workers injured on the job with enhanced protections and compensation.

Learn more about Jones Act claims for maritime workers.

Workers' Compensation Claims

In many states, workers cannot sue their direct employer for injuries sustained on the job. Instead, these claims must be handled through the state's workers' compensation system. Workers' comp provides medical coverage and partial wage replacement but typically offers less compensation than a successful lawsuit.

When workers' comp applies: Usually when exposure occurred during regular employment duties with your direct employer, and state law prohibits lawsuits against employers for workplace injuries.

What's still possible: Even in workers' comp situations, you may still be able to sue third-party manufacturers, suppliers, or contractors whose products or negligence contributed to your exposure.

State-by-state variations: Some states allow direct employer lawsuits for certain diseases like mesothelioma, while limiting others to workers' compensation. Each state has unique rules about what injuries qualify for lawsuits versus workers' comp claims.

Learn more about workers' compensation claims and state-specific rules.

Understanding which type of lawsuit applies to your situation requires careful analysis of your exposure history, the companies involved, and your state's specific laws. Our experienced team can evaluate your case and determine the strongest legal pathway for your family's situation.

Asbestos Trust Fund Claims

When an asbestos-related disease upends your life, bankruptcy trust funds offer a vital source of compensation without the uncertainty of a courtroom battle. These trusts exist because of pioneering cases like Clarence Borel's 1973 lawsuit, which held eleven companies liable for his mesothelioma and established the foundation for modern asbestos litigation.

As lawsuits mounted through the 1970s and 1980s, more than sixty companies declared bankruptcy to avoid mounting legal liabilities. But courts didn't let them simply walk away. Instead, these companies were required to fund permanent trust accounts with billions of dollars from insurance policies and company assets. That money was specifically set aside to compensate victims like you and your family.

How Trust Claims Work: Unlike lawsuits, trust claims are handled through a streamlined administrative process. You don't need to appear in court, face a jury, or confront corporate lawyers. Instead, our legal team details and documents your asbestos exposure, proving which products you were exposed to. We provide this information and appropriate medical evidence to the asbestos trusts and then obtain a settlement for you based upon a predictable framework.

Complete Confidentiality and No Economic Impact: Trust claims are entirely confidential. No one, including your former employers, coworkers, or anyone else will never know you filed a claim. The money comes from pools of funds that were already set aside decades ago specifically for people with asbestos-related illnesses. No one loses their job if you file a claim, no company goes out of business from paying your settlement, and no current operations are affected. These are insurance proceeds and company assets that courts required to be preserved for victims like you.

Who Qualifies: Both workers with direct occupational exposure and family members with secondary exposure through contaminated clothing or household contact are eligible to file claims. If you lived with someone who brought asbestos dust home from work, you may qualify for significant compensation if you develop an asbestos-related disease.

Multiple Claims Are Common: Most workers were exposed to products from multiple manufacturers, making them eligible for numerous trust funds. We routinely file claims with twenty, thirty, or more trusts for clients, especially in mesothelioma cases. Each trust compensates only for its company's products, so pursuing multiple claims ensures full accountability.

Our Research Advantage: What sets our firm apart is our massive proprietary database documenting which asbestos products were used at specific job sites 40, 50, or even 60 years ago. While other firms spend months investigating exposure history, we often know within days which products were present at your workplace and which trusts owe you compensation. Our research archives include decades of depositions, job site manifests, product catalogs, and witness testimony that prove exposure even when memories have faded.

Substantial Compensation Available: Individual trust payments typically range from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the disease and the trust's funding. When combined across multiple trusts, total compensation often reaches six or seven figures for mesothelioma cases.

No Impact on Other Claims: Trust fund claims don't prevent you from pursuing lawsuits against solvent companies, workers' compensation benefits, or disability claims. These compensation sources work together rather than competing with each other.

Learn more about how asbestos trust fund claims work and which companies have established trusts.

Disability Benefits Help Bridge the Financial Gap

When an asbestos-related disease makes it impossible to work or live as you once did, disability benefits can provide critical monthly income and medical coverage. These aren't charity—they're benefits you've already earned through years of paying into Social Security or through military service to our country.

The Immediate Path Forward: If you've been diagnosed with mesothelioma, we can start your disability claims process right away. Unlike lawsuits or even trust fund claims, disability benefits don't require you to make any decisions about pursuing companies for compensation. You can begin receiving monthly payments while taking time to consider whether other legal options feel right for your family.

Many families appreciate this approach because disability claims are different from traditional legal actions; you're simply claiming benefits you've already paid for, not pursuing compensation from private companies. It's a comfortable starting point that provides immediate financial relief while you learn about your other options.

Social Security Disability Claims (SSDI)

Mesothelioma and certain lung cancers qualify for expedited approval under Social Security's Compassionate Allowances program, which fast-tracks claims for the most serious conditions. Instead of waiting months or years for a decision, many mesothelioma patients are approved within weeks.

Who Qualifies: Anyone who has worked and paid into Social Security and is now unable to work due to an asbestos-related illness. You don't need to prove fault or identify responsible companies to claim these benefits. You just need to prove that you have a qualifying medical condition such as mesothelioma.

What You Receive: Monthly disability payments based on your work history, plus Medicare coverage after a waiting period. Family members may also qualify for additional benefits as dependents.

No Impact on Other Claims: Receiving SSDI doesn't prevent you from pursuing lawsuits or trust fund claims. In fact, having an approved disability claim often strengthens other compensation efforts because official government findings document the severity of your condition.

Learn more about SSDI for asbestos-related diseases.

VA Disability Benefits for Veterans

Veterans exposed to asbestos during military service may be eligible for disability compensation, healthcare, and survivor benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA recognizes that military personnel faced significant asbestos exposure, especially those who served aboard ships, in engine rooms, or around military vehicles and equipment.

Who Qualifies: Veterans who can establish a connection between their military service and asbestos exposure, leading to their current illness. This includes both direct exposure and exposure that occurred while serving at military facilities where asbestos was present.

What You Receive: Monthly tax-free compensation based on your disability rating, comprehensive medical care through the VA system, and potential survivor benefits for your spouse and dependents.

Service-Connected Benefits: Unlike Social Security, VA benefits are specifically designed to compensate for injuries connected to military service. If your asbestos exposure occurred during your time in the military, these benefits acknowledge that your illness resulted from serving your country.

No Conflict with Other Claims: VA benefits are completely separate from civilian compensation. You can receive full VA benefits while also pursuing lawsuits, trust fund claims, or Social Security disability.

Learn more about VA claims for asbestos exposure.

Getting Started Without Pressure

One of the benefits of beginning with disability claims is that they don't require any decisions about pursuing private companies or entering the legal system. You're simply claiming benefits that belong to you based on your work history or military service.

We often recommend starting here because it:

• Provides immediate monthly income while you explore other options

• Requires no upfront decisions about lawsuits or trust claims

• Feels comfortable for families who aren't sure about legal action

• Creates documentation that can strengthen other claims later

• Gives you time to understand all your options without financial pressure

Whether you ultimately decide to pursue other forms of compensation is entirely up to you. But there's no reason to delay claiming benefits you've already earned while you're making those decisions.

Understanding Eligibility by Disease Type

Asbestos exposure can cause several serious illnesses, each with distinct characteristics and legal implications. To show how multiple compensation paths often work together for real families, let's follow the Rodriguez family's journey through the legal system. Some minor details have been changed to preserve client privacy, but this is based upon an actual family we helped.

A Family's Journey: The Rodriguez Story

Meet the Rodriguez Family: In the early 1970's, Robert Rodriguez returned from Vietnam and began working as a welder at Avondale Shipyard outside New Orleans. For nearly twenty years, he welded in engine rooms surrounded by asbestos insulation, breathing fibers daily. Like most workers then, he received no warnings about the dangers and brought his contaminated clothes home each evening.

The Diagnoses: In 2023, at age 68, Robert was diagnosed with severe asbestosis after persistent breathing problems. His lungs were only functioning at 56% of what they should, and he used several liters of medical oxygen every day just to breathe. Six months later, his wife Maria (who had spent decades washing his work clothes) received devastating news: she had peritoneal mesothelioma. The asbestos fibers Robert carried home had given her a cancer almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure.

Free Health Testing: We immediately provided free asbestos health tests to their two adult children, Luis and Carmen. Luis, now 42, showed signs of mild asbestosis from childhood exposure to fibers on his father's clothing. Carmen's test came back clear, which was a relief for the entire family.

Learn more about secondary or take-home asbestos exposure and how it affects families.

Multiple Compensation Paths: Here's how we helped the Rodriguez family pursue all available compensation:

• Robert's VA Benefits: His military exposure in Vietnam qualified him for service-connected VA disability benefits.

• Robert's Workers' Compensation: Louisiana law allowed a claim against his former employer for workplace asbestos exposure.

• Trust Fund Claims: Both Robert and Maria qualified for multiple trust claims from companies whose products were used at Avondale Shipyard. Maria's trust fund settlements were much larger than Roberts, reflecting the seriousness of mesothelioma.

• Maria's Lawsuit: We filed premises liability claims against companies that owned the shipyard during Robert's employment.

• Luis's Trust Claims: His mild asbestosis qualified him for compensation as a secondarily exposed family member.

• Maria's SSDI: Her mesothelioma qualified for expedited Social Security disability under the Compassionate Allowances program.

Asbestos-Related Diseases and Legal Options

Each asbestos-related disease presents different legal opportunities and challenges:

Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, abdomen, heart, or testicles. Caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure, even brief contact can be sufficient. Mesothelioma cases typically qualify for the highest compensation from trust funds and often result in substantial lawsuit settlements or verdicts.

Learn more about mesothelioma

Lung Cancer linked to asbestos exposure significantly increases among workers with a history of exposure, especially smokers. While smoking doesn't disqualify claims, proving asbestos causation requires expert medical testimony. These cases often qualify for both trust fund compensation and lawsuit damages.

Learn more about lung cancer and its link to asbestos

Asbestosis is a progressive lung disease caused by inhaled asbestos fibers that scar lung tissue. While non-cancerous, severe asbestosis can be disabling and life-threatening. These cases typically qualify for trust fund claims and workers' compensation, with lawsuit potential depending on severity. Pleural Disease and Pleural Plaques represent scarring and thickening of the lung lining caused by asbestos exposure. They often occur alongside asbestosis. While often non-disabling, these conditions demonstrate clear asbestos exposure and may qualify for trust fund compensation, especially when combined with other symptoms.

Learn more about asbestosis

Throat Cancer (Laryngeal or Pharyngeal) can result from inhaled asbestos fibers damaging throat tissues. These cancers are recognized by health authorities as asbestos-related and often qualify for trust fund compensation and legal claims.

Learn more about throat cancer

Stomach Cancer may develop when asbestos fibers are swallowed, leading to inflammation and cancer in the stomach lining. These cases can be challenging to prove but may qualify for compensation when exposure history is well-documented.

Learn more about stomach cancer

Colon Cancer (Colorectal Cancer) has been linked to long-term asbestos exposure, particularly in heavily exposed industrial workers. Like stomach cancer, causation can be complex but compensation is possible with strong exposure evidence.

Learn more about colon cancer

Ovarian Cancer in women has been connected to asbestos-contaminated talc products and secondary exposure. While trust fund claims typically aren't available for ovarian cancer, lawsuits against talc manufacturers and premises liability claims remain viable options.

Learn more about ovarian cancer and its link to asbestos exposure

Choosing the Right Path for Your Family

An asbestos diagnosis can feel overwhelming, but you don't have to navigate your legal options alone. Every family's situation is different. Your exposure history, diagnosis, financial needs, and comfort level with legal action all influence which compensation paths make sense for your situation.

Start Where You Feel Comfortable

You don't need to decide everything at once. Many families begin with the options that feel most comfortable and natural:

Disability Benefits First: If you have mesothelioma or another qualifying diagnosis, starting with Social Security or VA disability claims provides immediate monthly income while you learn about other options. These claims are for benefits you've already earned through paying taxes or serving our nation.

Free Health Testing: If you're unsure about your exposure or whether other family members might be affected, our free asbestos health tests provide valuable information without any commitment to legal action.

Trust Fund Claims: These confidential administrative claims don't require courtroom appearances and often feel less intimidating than traditional lawsuits while still providing substantial compensation.

Lawsuits: Asbestos lawsuits are how companies are truly held accountable for their reckless and irresponsible actions with respect to asbestos. They also can result in a substantial legacy for future generations in your family; one grandfather we represented used his settlement to buy his grandson his own 18-wheeler, and he now has a successful trucking company that supports his own children.

Factors to Consider in Your Decision

Time Limitations: Each state has different deadlines for filing lawsuits that are called statutes of limitation. They can be as short as one year from diagnosis in some states, and as long as six in others. If you miss a deadline, you lose your right to compensation forever. Trust fund claims typically have the same timeframe.

Financial Urgency: If immediate income is critical, disability benefits and certain trust fund claims can provide faster relief than lawsuits, which may take longer to resolve.

Strength of Your Case: The location of your exposure, the companies involved, and the strength of available evidence all influence which legal paths offer the best potential outcomes.

Personal Preferences: Some families feel strongly about holding companies accountable through the court system, while others prefer the privacy and predictability of administrative claims.

Maximizing Your Total Recovery

The most successful approach often involves pursuing multiple compensation sources simultaneously:

Coordinate Timing: We ensure that disability claims don't interfere with lawsuit strategies and that trust fund claims complement rather than compete with other legal actions.

Preserve All Options: Starting with one type of claim doesn't prevent you from pursuing others later, but waiting too long can eliminate some possibilities entirely.

Leverage Synergies: Success in one area often strengthens other claims—for example, approved disability benefits can support the severity arguments in trust fund claims and lawsuits.

Understanding the Process

Investigation Phase: We begin by thoroughly investigating your exposure history using our extensive database of job sites, products, and company records. This research identifies which companies bear responsibility and which compensation sources are available.

Evidence Gathering: We handle all the documentation requirements—medical records, employment history, witness statements, and technical evidence needed to support your claims.

Strategic Filing: Based on our investigation, we develop a coordinated strategy that maximizes your total compensation while respecting your preferences about which legal paths to pursue.

Ongoing Support: Throughout the process, we keep you informed about developments and help you make decisions about settlement offers, trial strategies, and other important choices.

Why Experience Matters

Asbestos cases involve complex medical evidence, intricate legal procedures, and defendants with vast resources and experienced legal teams. Our firm has spent over a decade building the expertise, databases, and relationships necessary to level the playing field for families like yours.

Proprietary Research: Our extensive databases of exposure sites, products, and legal precedents allow us to quickly identify compensation sources that other firms might miss.

Medical Networks: We work with board-certified physicians who specialize in asbestos-related diseases and understand the documentation required for various types of claims.

Track Record: We've recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for asbestos victims and their families, giving us insight into which strategies work best for different types of cases.

No Financial Risk: We advance all costs and only get paid when we recover money for you. If we don't win, you owe us nothing.

Take the First Step Toward Justice

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, you don't have to face this fight alone. Our law firm has helped thousands of families hold asbestos companies accountable, recover the compensation they deserve, and secure a brighter future.

We understand the challenges you're facing, and we're here to guide you every step of the way.

Your Next Steps

Call for Immediate Help: If you need to talk to someone right away about your situation, call us at 833-4-ASBESTOS. Our experienced team can answer your questions and help you understand your options without any pressure or obligation.

Start with What Feels Right: Whether that's a free consultation about all your options, a free asbestos health test for you and your family, or beginning with disability benefits while you consider other paths—we'll meet you where you are.

Get Educated: Take advantage of our comprehensive resources to better understand your situation:

• Explore our Asbestos Lexicon for clear definitions of legal and medical terms you'll encounter

• Review your state's specific asbestos laws to understand deadlines and legal protections

• Learn about occupational exposure and industrial exposure to understand how your industry or job might have exposed you to the thousands of products made with asbestos.

We'll Work with You To:

• Identify every source of compensation you're eligible for

• Gather all the documentation needed to build strong claims

• Coordinate multiple legal strategies to maximize your total recovery

• Handle all the paperwork and legal procedures while you focus on your health and family

• Fight aggressively for every dollar you deserve from responsible companies

Why Time Matters

While we want you to feel comfortable with your decisions, time can be a factor in protecting your rights. Some states have filing deadlines as short as one year from diagnosis, and evidence preservation becomes more difficult as time passes. Even if you're not ready to pursue all your options immediately, a free consultation can help ensure you don't inadvertently lose any rights while you're making decisions.

You've Carried This Burden Long Enough

You've already carried the burden of asbestos exposure and its consequences. Let us carry the legal burden while you focus on what matters most: your health, your family, and your future.

Call us today at 833-4-ASBESTOS or use the form below to get started. Help for your family is just a phone call away.