How Do We Know How Much My Mesothelioma Case Is Worth?

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Your life, health, and happiness are worth much more than money. But money is the only compensation you can get through our legal system. We can’t send you back in time, so you can avoid the asbestos that’s killing you or win you a cure for your disease. Money is the best Satterley & Kelley, PLLC attorneys can do to try to make things right.

We consider your case worth what you should collect as compensation for your illness and all its adverse impacts on your life.

How you obtain that compensation depends on the status of the companies responsible for the asbestos causing your disease. If they’re bankrupt, they may have a trust fund that pays claims made by those injured by their products. If the business is still operating, insurance may pay the claim, or the company may pay it. Either way, nearly all claims settle through negotiations. A trial is possible but highly unlikely.

What Will I Be Compensated For?

Many factors impact the value of your case. Age is a critical factor. We’ve had clients in their 40s, 80s, and 90s. The more the person earns, the more income they’ll lose. Age and pay rates have huge impacts on a case’s value. Generally, the younger you are, the more you make, the more your case is worth.

Under Kentucky law, there are many damages (the harm you suffer measured in dollars). They include the following:

  • Medical expenses
  • Lost income (the younger the person, the more income the person loses)
  • Lost pension or social security payments
  • How long you’ve had the disease
  • Past, present, and future physical and mental pain and suffering due to the disease, its treatment, and side effects (the longer this lasts, the higher the value)
  • Punitive damages punish companies that acted maliciously and recklessly. The possible award of these damages increases a case’s value

The amount for these damages varies on the facts of the case and the applicable law.

What Might Affect How Much My Case is Worth?

The defendant’s identity is a factor. A Fortune 500 company that failed to keep people safe while knowing about asbestos’ dangers will likely pay more. The location of the case also affects the outcome. Some juries are conservative in their awards, while others are more open to requiring companies to fully pay for their actions.

How Can I Maximize My Mesothelioma Case’s Value?

You can do some things, while other issues are beyond your control. Issues to think about include:

  • Remembering details and documenting your asbestos exposure. This may have been decades ago, but writing down what you can remember as best you can may be a big help. It’s very helpful to remember locations, dates, co-workers’ names, types, and brands of asbestos products used at the location
  • Take your medical treatment seriously and cooperate with your treatment team. You need not do everything they tell you to do, but you must act reasonably. Doing nothing or things that harm your health will hurt your case

Many of those with mesothelioma are rightfully upset, angry, or depressed. Whatever your frame of mind, you must make wise decisions to make the most of your case.

What Will My Mesothelioma Case Cost Me?

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, works for a share of your recovery. You need not pay us in advance or on an ongoing basis. We will also incur costs, which vary depending on the case. Your recovery will also cover those costs. If your case is successful and you obtain compensation, our attorneys and expenses will be paid. If you aren’t compensated, you won’t owe us anything.

Get the Legal Help You Need from Mesothelioma Attorneys You Can Trust

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, lawyers and staff will treat you like family and help you get the justice you deserve. If you’ve contracted mesothelioma, you deserve compensation. Don’t wait — contact us for help today.

A Bad Faith Claim

How an Insurance Company May Limit Your Injury Claim

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Insurance companies are like any business when making profits: their income is greater than their costs. That income comes from premiums and profits from their investments. Their costs include paying claims for injuries, deaths, and property damage. Limiting claims boosts profits, so there’s plenty of incentive to deny and restrict claims like yours.

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, has represented accident victims like you for more than 30 years. We have taken thousands of accident cases over that time. Insurance companies act responsibly and professionally, but not all the time.

Some people come to us to discuss their situation, but they don’t have a basis for a lawsuit. The insurance company is living up to its obligations, and what it offers is reasonable given the facts and insurance policy. Other times, what’s going on will make an attorney shake their head at how poorly they handle their responsibilities.

Your Chance at Maximum Recovery Improves When You Have an Attorney

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, has provided this service to injury victims for more than thirty years because it is needed. We would need to find another job if insurance companies did the right thing for all claimants and met their legal obligations.

Tell us your story if you or a loved one are injured in an accident. Dealing with an insurance company by yourself, especially if a major injury is involved, could result in mistakes that may end your ability to receive compensation, or you may receive far less than if you had our experienced representation.

Because of our specialized knowledge and experience, we know what it takes to get the most from insurance companies for our clients without the time, energy, and expense of a courtroom battle.

Helping Clients is Not Just About Money. It’s About Peace of Mind.

Though settlements and jury awards help our clients, one of the top benefits of our representation is that we deal with the insurance company, so our clients won’t have to.

They can focus on treatment, recovery, their family, and returning to work because their claim is in good hands. Our clients know that whatever can be done to move their claims forward and maximize their recovery is being done.

What Insurance Companies Do to Frustrate Accident Victims’ Claims

Some things insurance companies may do include the following:

  • Downplay the extent and effect of your injuries to justify a lower offer. They may downplay radiology reports and focus on a stray comment in your medical records
  • Offer a low settlement soon after your claim is made. The insurance company may offer you a quick settlement that doesn’t reflect the extent of your injuries or how it impacts you. A signed release can’t be unsigned, so if you take their offer, that’s all you’ll get
  • They can deny and delay your claim in hopes you’ll give up or at least hold onto their money for as long as they can. They may drag out investigations, request unnecessary documents, or take too long to respond
  • They will emphasize your alleged negligence leading up to the accident to deflect their policyholder’s fault to reduce your claim’s value
  • If you consent to give a recorded statement, they may “cherry-pick” what you said to try to justify a denial or reduce your recovery
  • As your claim progresses, the insurer may hire accident reconstruction specialists or doctors to challenge your version of events or the extent of your injuries. Their reports may be used to deny your claim or cut back their offer
  • An insurance carrier may try to shortchange or “lowball” you by not considering or fully valuing all the damages you’re entitled to recover. They want to focus on what you literally have receipts for, not intangible recoveries like pain, suffering, and emotional distress whose value may be substantial
  • You may be told you’ll get the same recovery whether or not you have an attorney representing you, so it’ll be a waste of money to retain one. The last thing an insurance company wants is an injury claim involving a lawyer

When dealing with a claims adjuster, you must remember that no matter how friendly, professional, and caring they may sound, they’re not working for you. Personally, they may want to give you everything you want, but that will get them fired. A Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyer is only concerned with your interests and getting all you can for your claim.

Speak To A Personal Injury Attorney Today

If someone else’s negligent actions caused injuries to you or a loved one, Satterley & Kelley PLLC attorneys are here to help you take legal action. We will be with you every step of the way, protect your best interests, and ensure you get the compensation you deserve. Don’t deal with a serious injury alone.

Call our Louisville office at 855-385-9532 to schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your case. If it’s more convenient, you can also complete our contact form.

California + Major Fire = Public Asbestos Exposure (Again)

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Compared to decades ago, a small fraction of the amount of asbestos is being sold now. But that doesn’t mean it’s not still out there in homes, vehicles, and industrial areas. California is the scene of annual massive, devastating fires that release asbestos once inside structures into the open air. This year’s fires in Los Angeles are no different, and they point out the ongoing dangers of asbestos to first responders and the public at large.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a natural, microscopic mineral fiber that’s exceptionally light and strong. It’s also heat, fire, electricity, chemical, and corrosion resistant. It’s been used in thousands of products for centuries because of these properties.

Asbestos has been added to everything from hairdryers to aircraft, toasters to cement, brakes to cloth. Although asbestos sales largely ended in the US from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, asbestos products are still in buildings and vehicles nationwide.

Why is Asbestos Dangerous?

The qualities that make asbestos attractive to manufacturers also make it hazardous. It’s incredibly light and durable. Fibers are released when asbestos-containing products are created, installed, damaged, or destroyed. The fibers float through the air, where anyone in the area can inhale or swallow them. They then end up inside the body, where they become stuck.

The body’s immune response cannot remove or destroy the fibers. Instead, scarring and inflammation occur where fibers are located. Over decades, this process causes genetic changes in affected cells, and they may become malignant, resulting in potentially many different cancer types, including mesothelioma.

How Do Structure Fires Relate to Asbestos Exposure?

Fires started in hilly sections of Los Angeles at the beginning of January. By the middle of the month, almost 38,000 acres had burned, according to CBS News. The fires killed at least 27 people, destroyed more than 12,000 buildings, and forced the evacuation of up to 200,000 people. Housing in the area is some of the country’s most expensive, pushing up economic damage estimates of $250 to $275 billion, according to the New York Times.

JSE Labs has this list of 37 asbestos-containing products that could be found in a home. There could be hundreds more asbestos-containing products in commercial and industrial buildings.

Although asbestos fibers don’t burn, fire can destroy the building where these products are located. The building may collapse and crush the area, sending the fibers into the superheated air created by the structure fire.

Last year, the burning of a giant aircraft hangar in Tustin caused asbestos hazards to the public in California. This year, thousands of smaller buildings in Los Angeles have been destroyed.

Have the Los Angeles Fires Exposed the Public to Asbestos Fibers?

Because asbestos-containing products were installed in structures in Los Angeles and never removed, fibers were put into the air when they burned.

Citing airborne pollutants and a lack of running water, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department temporarily closed its station in the Altadena section of the county on January 16, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The department received a letter from the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health stating it received a complaint about contamination in the workplace and decided to temporarily close the station until it could be made safe.

The previous day, the Sheriff’s Department sent an urgent message to its patrol cars, warning deputies in Altadena that the air was so toxic that they should wear N95 masks and decontaminate their uniforms before entering their homes.

The message stated that the county fire department’s hazmat team reported that air tests found the area hazardous because it contained asbestos, lead, and other “harmful particulates.”

Burning trees and other natural vegetation can create many pollutants that can end up deep in the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing respiratory and other health problems. When smoke from burning buildings enters the mix, there are additional toxins, including chemicals and asbestos fibers.

Call Us Today for A Free Consultation

If you or a family member developed mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease while or after working as a firefighter or other first responder, Satterley & Kelley attorneys can answer your questions and discuss your rights to compensation and how to protect them.

Call our Louisville law office at 855-385-9532. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule a free initial legal consultation.

Asbestos-Containing Water Pipe Concerns Reach San Diego

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Asbestos-containing cement pipes help move drinking water through San Diego, California’s second-largest city. Over the past ten years, they’ve been the sites of 440 water main breaks, potentially exposing repair workers and city citizens to cancer-causing asbestos fibers, according to KGTV.

The TV station reports that the pipes were installed after World War II through the mid-1980s. Decades later, they are wearing out, cracking, and failing as they reach the end of their expected lifespan. The potential dangers of asbestos leaching out of water pipes are a global problem.

Cancer-Causing Fibers Present Public Health Threat

Dr. Arthur Frank, a professor of medicine and a public health expert at Drexel University in Philadelphia, warns that asbestos fibers can be released from these pipes into drinking water when they break and come apart. Frank has researched asbestos since 1968.

He warns that asbestos fibers in the water could end up in the esophagus, kidneys, and colorectal tissue. The World Health Organization states that several studies in the US and Canada have suggested a connection between stomach cancer and tap water from asbestos pipes. An Italian study published in 2017 states that asbestos-contaminated water could be linked to gastrointestinal cancers.

Dr. Lauren Teras, the American Cancer Society’s Senior Director of Epidemiology Research, told the station it’s uncertain that swallowing asbestos fibers in drinking water will cause cancer. Because many things can start cancer, she states, ideally, researchers could collect blood from residents exposed to this water and monitor their health for at least 20 years to find out.

Frank says water filters may trap asbestos fibers in water, preventing people from drinking them.

San Diego has Replaced a Fraction of All Its Asbestos-Containing Water Pipes

Documents obtained by the station show that from 2020 to 2024, San Diego tested reservoirs nine times for asbestos at wells, reservoirs, and a water reclamation plant. A trace amount of asbestos was discovered in 2021 in one reservoir sample. No tests were done of water passing through asbestos-containing pipes.

The city’s public utilities department states that about 15% of North American water mains are made of asbestos. The department told the station it complies with state and federal clean water regulations but doesn’t test water in schools, businesses, or homes.

Ten years ago, a grand jury investigating water main breaks warned the city it needed to “aggressively” replace asbestos pipes. Since 2016, San Diego has replaced 144 miles of the pipe, with about 1,980 miles left. The city estimates replacing a mile of asbestos-containing water pipes costs about five to six million dollars.

Need Help With A Lawsuit?

If you have an asbestos-related condition, Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, may help you obtain compensation for what you’ve been through. Call us toll-free at 855-385-9532 today, or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with one of our lawyers.