If a loved one died from mesothelioma, you may be able to recover compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit. These lawsuits award $1 million to $1.4 million on average, covering funeral costs, lost wages, and more. Learn how to file a mesothelioma lawsuit after the death of a U.S. veteran or civilian you love.
What Is a Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
A mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit is a type of legal claim that seeks to hold companies responsible if a loved one passed away from this cancer. These companies hid the risks from the general public and the military for decades.
Wrongful death lawsuits for mesothelioma award compensation for funeral costs, leftover medical bills, and more.
Quick Facts About Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Lawsuits
- Mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuits are typically filed by surviving family members, loved ones, or estate representatives.
- The average mesothelioma wrongful death claim is worth $1 million or more.
- You may start to receive the first mesothelioma lawsuit payouts in 90 days or less.
- There are no restrictions on how you can use compensation from an asbestos wrongful death lawsuit.
Proud U.S. veterans are at a higher risk of mesothelioma due to military asbestos use, and this cancer is often fatal. Families of these proud veterans often file wrongful death lawsuits to seek the justice their loved ones rightfully deserved.
Get a free case review now to learn if you and your family can file a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit after losing a veteran you love.
Who Can File Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Lawsuits?
Anyone with legal authority may be eligible to file a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit.
You may qualify to file asbestos wrongful death claims if you're a:
- Family member like a spouse or child
- Representative of a victim’s estate
You may also be able to continue a mesothelioma lawsuit if the cancer patient filed it but passed away before it concluded.
Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Settlement Amounts
The vast majority of mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuits are resolved through out-of-court settlements. Mesothelioma settlements are worth $1 million to $1.4 million on average.
However, family members of U.S. veterans who passed away from mesothelioma have sometimes received even more compensation with help from our legal partners.
Asbestos wrongful death settlement amounts include:
- $10 million for a Missouri courthouse employee
- $4.3 million for a 52-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran
- $1.38 million for a New Jersey U.S. Army veteran
- $1.9 million for a Florida U.S. Navy veteran and equipment operator
- $4 million for a New York general laborer
- $2.4 million for a California U.S. Army veteran
- $1.56 million for a Pennsylvania U.S. Army veteran
- $1 million for a Florida U.S. Marine Corps veteran and union laborer
- $1.76 million for a Texas U.S. Army veteran and longshoreman
- $1.88 million for a New York U.S. Army veteran
- $5.7 million for a Florida maintenance worker
- $3.98 million for a Massachusetts U.S. Navy veteran
- $6.3 million for an Iowa asbestos worker
“At one point, we didn’t know where our next meal would come from. When the first check came in, I can remember how relieved I was.”
— Connie Bonnin, wife of a U.S. Army veteran who died from mesothelioma
It's also possible to pursue mesothelioma settlements after death when family members pass away due to secondhand asbestos exposure.
Our legal partners secured $2.5 million for the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma. She had been exposed to asbestos secondhand through her father, who was a carpenter aboard submarines.
Get a free case review now to see if you may qualify for compensation from a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit.
When Will I Get a Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Settlement?
You can expect to get the first mesothelioma wrongful death settlement payouts within 90 days of filing your lawsuit.
Your mesothelioma lawsuit will likely be filed against multiple manufacturers of asbestos-containing products, each of which may settle at different times.
An experienced lawyer can give you a better idea of when you’ll get mesothelioma wrongful death settlement compensation throughout the process.
Statutes of Limitations on Mesothelioma Claims After Death
Each state has its own laws that limit the amount of time you have to file a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit. These laws are called statutes of limitations.
The statute of limitations ranges from 1-6 years but is typically 2-3 years in most states. You can’t file a lawsuit or get compensation if the statute of limitations has passed in your case.
An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can file your lawsuit before your state’s statute of limitations.
Even if you think the deadline for your case has passed, it’s still worth reaching out to a lawyer. An experienced attorney can identify any exceptions that may extend your filing deadline and ensure your lawsuit is filed on time.
Get a free case review now for help filing your asbestos wrongful death lawsuit before time runs out.
The Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Claims Process
The mesothelioma wrongful death claims process is much easier with the right attorney behind you. These lawyers will handle all the work on your behalf of filing a lawsuit and retrieving compensation, while you can focus on healing.
Explore the steps of filing a wrongful death claim and how an attorney can assist you at every stage below.
1. Contact an Experienced Mesothelioma Lawyer
Call (877) 450-8973 now to learn if you may be able to work with one of our partner mesothelioma wrongful death attorneys.
The skilled mesothelioma attorneys in our network can review the facts in your case and, if eligible, work to start recovering compensation for you.
2. Collect Evidence for a Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Case
Once you’ve agreed to work with a lawyer, they’ll start gathering evidence to file a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit.
Evidence in a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit may include:
- The victim’s background: Your lawyer may use medical records, mesothelioma diagnosis reports, military service and work history, testimonies by veterans and co-workers, and more to link their death to asbestos products.
- The manufacturers’ negligence: A lawyer will prove how asbestos-containing products caused your loved one's death and that manufacturers knew of the dangers but failed to protect them.
- The impact of their death: The lawyer must show how you and your family were emotionally and financially impacted by your family member's death.
All of this will be used to demonstrate why you and your family deserve compensation after a loved one’s passing from mesothelioma.
3. File the Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Once the lawyer has collected all of the required evidence, they will file the asbestos wrongful death claim against the at-fault parties. You won’t file yourself, saving you time, stress, and energy.
Your attorney will identify the best court system to file the case in, and before any set deadlines.
4. Enter Discovery & Negotiate a Settlement
Once the asbestos companies respond to the lawsuit, it will enter the discovery phase. Here, both sides will exchange and request information to strengthen their cases.
After this, the legal teams will likely try to settle the case. Over 99% of mesothelioma lawsuits reach settlements.
5. Go To Trial If Needed
In very rare situations, a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit won’t reach a settlement and may go to court. Your team will fight for as much compensation as possible from a mesothelioma trial verdict.
In one case, our legal partners secured a $40 million verdict for a U.S. veteran exposed to asbestos on Navy ships.
6. Receive Compensation
Once your mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit has concluded, your lawyer will receive notification of the settlement or verdict amount.
Your wrongful death lawsuit may involve multiple asbestos companies, which may agree to payouts at different times. As a result, you’ll likely get different payments throughout the legal process, with the first payouts likely arriving in 90 days or less after filing.
How Asbestos Lawsuits After Death Can Help
Filing a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit is beneficial for many reasons. Lawsuits can allow you and your family to get mesothelioma compensation following the victim’s death.
Mesothelioma wrongful death compensation can pay for:
- Burial and funeral costs
- Family living costs
- Lost wages
- Medical expenses
A lawsuit also allows you to hold asbestos companies responsible for your loved one’s death, since they knew full well the risks but actively hid the truth to make profits.
Finally, there’s no risk when filing a wrongful death lawsuit. Top mesothelioma law firms charge no upfront fees and take care of every step in the legal process for you, making it as stress-free as possible to get the justice you deserve.
“My dad’s desire for us was to not sit still and to pursue a mesothelioma wrongful death suit.”
— Jeff Ambrose, son of a veteran who died from mesothelioma
Get Help With a Mesothelioma Claim After Death
U.S. veterans, civilians, and families didn't deserve to have their lives threatened by aggressive — and avoidable — cancers like mesothelioma.
However, due to corporate negligence, millions of people were put at risk of mesothelioma. If you lost a loved one, a wrongful death lawsuit can help right some of this wrong.
Mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuits:
- Award $1 million or more on average, allowing you to afford any expenses
- Help you get closure for losing someone you love
- Hold manufacturers of asbestos-containing products accountable
The Mesothelioma Veterans Center’s legal partners stand ready to help you file asbestos claims after death right now, if eligible.
Get a free case review now or call (877) 450-8973 to see if a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit is right for you.
Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Lawsuit FAQs
What is the average wrongful death settlement for mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma settlements award $1 million to $1.4 million on average, as noted by Mealey’s® Litigation Report: Asbestos.
With that said, families have sometimes received more. For instance, the family of a Missouri courthouse worker who died of mesothelioma received $10 million in a wrongful death settlement.
An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can determine how much you could receive and fight for maximum compensation.
What is the maximum payout for wrongful death?
The maximum payout for a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit varies by the specifics of each case. However, many lawsuits have awarded millions of dollars.
One of the highest mesothelioma wrongful death payouts on record is an $81.5 million verdict awarded to a woman whose husband died from the cancer. He’d been exposed to asbestos while working on asbestos-containing car parts.
Contact our team now for help determining how much you and your family could receive through a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit.
Can you claim for mesothelioma after death?
Yes, you may be able to file a mesothelioma wrongful death claim on behalf of a loved one who died from this cancer with an attorney’s help.
To help you claim for mesothelioma after death, an attorney will:
- Gather evidence to show how the victim was exposed to asbestos
- Retrieve medical records linking asbestos products to the mesothelioma diagnosis
- Determine which manufacturers made the products in question
- File a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit on your behalf
- Pursue the highest payouts possible in your case
It may also be possible to file claims if your loved one died from another asbestos-related illness, such as lung cancer.
How long does it take to reach a mesothelioma wrongful death settlement?
When you work with our legal partners, you will likely start to get compensation from asbestos wrongful death settlements in 90 days or less.
Our attorneys will work hard to recover strong payouts in a short amount of time on your behalf.
Who gets the money from mesothelioma wrongful death claims?
Children, spouses, and estate representatives may be able to receive compensation from a wrongful death claim.
Money from lawsuits allows loved ones to get financial stability after losing a family member to mesothelioma. It also helps them hold asbestos companies accountable for the death.
“Companies weren’t forthcoming to help protect my dad,” says Jeff Ambrose, who lost his father, a U.S. Army veteran, to mesothelioma. “My dad left my life earlier than he should have. With prior knowledge about asbestos, he could have protected himself and lived his life longer with us.”
Do you need a lawyer for a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit?
Yes, you need a lawyer for a mesothelioma wrongful death claim. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to file a case without a lawyer’s help.
Mesothelioma lawyers make filing a wrongful death lawsuit much easier, handling the bulk of the work for you and your family.
Get a free case review now to find out if an asbestos lawyer can help file a wrongful death lawsuit on your behalf.
Are mesothelioma wrongful death payouts taxable?
In most cases, mesothelioma wrongful death compensation is not taxable. However, compensation for punitive damages and lost wages may be taxable. Courts award punitive damages when the defendant’s behavior is particularly harmful.
An asbestos attorney can help determine if any compensation awarded through a wrongful death lawsuit could be taxed.
