Majority of personal injury cases involve a one-time accident that includes several individuals, like an auto accident, for instance. On the other hand, an asbestos exposure claim usually occurs after years of being exposed to ACPs or asbestos-containing products, typically from various manufacturers.
Claims like these will require expert scientific and medical proof, and often include defendants of entities that are now bankrupt and not operating.
Evidence of Asbestos Exposure
If you’re suffering from a disease related to asbestos exposure, you’ve probably been exposed to, or worked with various ACPs, or are living/lived with another person who has. For years and years, asbestos was hailed as a miracle mineral that was utilized in a wide array for products.
These include drywall, fireproofing, pipe insulation, joint compound, gaskets, vehicle brakes, valve packing, cylinder head gasket and clutch linings. Chances are that you were exposed to different ACPs without your knowledge.
This is especially true if you’ve never worked around or with ACPs, so you have no clue where you were exposed, or even remember the many different products you have been using for the past decades, much less the manufacturers. This is an immensely different case than a simple rear-end collision.
The Need for a Competent and Reputable Personal Injury Lawyer
That being said, an experienced personal injury attorney in Chicago could provide you with vital information and help you put together documentation that you couldn’t possibly collect on your own. This includes figuring out which kinds of ACPs could’ve have triggered your symptoms and disease.
This begins with a thorough investigation into your employment history. If you worked in a setting that employed lots of people like an industrial site, refinery, or commercial building construction, your lawyer might already have specific information regarding the products and items used in the worksite.
Or he has the means to dig up such information. For instance, if you don’t know the exact brand of drywall you used to work with, your lawyer can help you track down people you worked with and investigate the matter further.
Finding and interviewing relevant people and experts is a significant part of creating a substantial asbestos claim.
The Importance of Medical Evidence
Your lawyer will interview and retain experts relevant to your specific diagnosis to help review your health history, doctor’s recommendations, prescriptions, and test results. This will help establish that the disease you have was without a doubt due to asbestos exposure.
The medical experts will likewise write reports regarding your health condition and provide testimony during trial or depositions. This will help establish causation, which is a vital element of your claim.
More often than not, asbestos claims will involve multiple defendants, and each of them will take your deposition, interview you thoroughly, and request medical evidence. Likewise, they will most likely file summary judgment motions.
If you have a lawyer on your side, he or she will be there with you every step of the way. Put simply, your lawyer will advocate, uphold, and protect your legal rights and ensure that the defendants won’t have a chance to take advantage of the situation.