Find a Mesothelioma Lawyer in Queens, New York
Exposure to asbestos is the only cause of mesothelioma, which means each person who gets this cancer was exposed to asbestos during their life. Their exposure is due to faulty business practices, and they deserve compensation from the companies responsible. Anyone who lives or works in the Queens borough of New York City should know how to find a proven, knowledgeable, and compassionate mesothelioma lawyer.
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Top Mesothelioma Lawyers and Law Firms in Queens
There are many local mesothelioma lawyers and law firms in Queens. Most personal injury law firms will take on cancer cases caused by asbestos exposure. One website mentions 18 mesothelioma law firms in Queens, New York.
However, local law firms are not the best option for handling mesothelioma claims. National asbestos attorneys are more qualified at handling these types of cases. A mesothelioma law firm like Bullock Campbell Bullock & Harris, PC has more skill to help the victims of malignant mesothelioma.
Importance of Finding a National Asbestos Law Firm Licensed in Queens
There are a few reasons why you should find a national asbestos law firm to handle your mesothelioma claim. Most national lawyers are licensed to practice in the state of New York, which means they can take on cases in Queens.
Local lawyers might seem like the preferred option, but one unique aspect of asbestos claims is most aren’t limited to just one location. Even if you live in Queens, your case might not just involve that borough of New York City.
This is why the first reason to hire a national mesothelioma law firm is national firms are licensed in multiple states, which helps your chances of being compensated to the full extent possible.
Most Mesothelioma Claims Involve Multiple Locations
Most mesothelioma cases involve multiple companies responsible for the victim’s exposure to asbestos. These companies might’ve been involved in the manufacturing of asbestos into construction, insulation or automobile products. They may have sold the mineral to manufacturing companies. They may have purchased the mineral from the manufacturer and used the asbestos-ridden products on job sites, where millions of workers were exposed during the 20th century.
These companies might’ve been part of different stages of the asbestos production process. These stages might’ve occurred in different states, meaning the at-fault companies committed malicious acts in different jurisdictions.
Those locations might be where you would file your claim – and yes, you can file mesothelioma claims in multiple locations against multiple companies. You may also file a claim in a state based on the company’s headquarters – or in the state where you specifically were exposed to asbestos.
A national lawyer will identify all the possible places to file a claim and choose the one most beneficial to your case. A local attorney will be restricted to just Queens, New York.
Since your asbestos legal case may involve multiple states, you need a national firm to handle all of the potential claims. Hiring a local lawyer will likely restrict you to just that one jurisdiction – and require you to have different lawyers in each state. A national law firm provides the convenience and efficiency of having one lawyer for all of your claims.
More Experience With Asbestos Legal Claims
The second reason to find a national mesothelioma law firm is they simply have more experience than local firms with asbestos claims.
Mesothelioma is a rare disease – only 2,500 cases are diagnosed each year – so just a handful may occur in Queens, New York in a given year. Only one or two mesothelioma cases in Queens will come to a local lawyer. That’s not a lot of experience and it’s certainly not enough experience at learning all the places – even outside of Queens – where the victim was exposed to asbestos
National mesothelioma law firms are dedicated to handling asbestos claims. They receive dozens upon dozens each year – sometimes even reaching the hundreds. National mesothelioma lawyers understand the legal process for asbestos claims and know how to determine the victim’s full asbestos exposure history, which is needed to file against every responsible corporation and seek the maximum compensation for the victim and their family
BCBH Law, for instance, has a full database of locations where asbestos exposure occurred. By looking at a mesothelioma victim’s work history, the BCBH Law attorneys can pinpoint the different locations where they were probably exposed to asbestos.
Simply put, national mesothelioma law firms have more experience and more resources than local lawyers to handle legal cases involving asbestos exposure
Travel and Payment Not a Concern for the Victim
You might think that hiring a national mesothelioma law firm means having to pay a fee. This is not true.
National law firms like BCBH Law work on a “contingency basis.” This means you, the victim, do not have to pay any upfront costs to receive legal representation. Your lawyer only receives money if they help you win your case. Your lawyer will receive a percentage of the compensation, and you won’t have to pay anything out of pocket to receive the best legal help.
Travel is also not a concern. Your mesothelioma lawyer will handle all travel arrangements, which usually means they will travel to you. If you live in Queens, New York, you can expect your asbestos attorney to meet you at your home or another location of your choosing for any meetings.
You’ll never have to hop on a plane to see your attorney. Since you have mesothelioma, the priorities are you resting, receiving treatment, and spending time with family. Traveling to meet your attorney takes precious time from those priorities, and national attorneys who understand the toll that mesothelioma takes will respect your time. They’ll make sure you have the most time possible to be with your family and fight this cancer.
Top Asbestos Lawsuit Verdicts in Queens, New York
There have not been any noteworthy asbestos verdicts in Queens, New York. However, there was one a few years ago in a nearby New York City borough: Manhattan.
According to media reports, a group of cancer victims won a $190 million asbestos verdict in 2013 against two boiler companies. It was at the time the largest asbestos verdict in New York City. Five cancer victims were part of the mesothelioma lawsuit. Three of them died of mesothelioma prior to the verdict’s delivery.
The case was in Manhattan and a Manhattan Supreme Court Jury delivered the verdict. The victims worked as steamfitters, plumbers and construction workers. One of the victims worked in the New York City Navy shipyard as a pipefitter for aircraft carrier ships.
A few years later, in 2019, a victim won a $325 million verdict in New York City. It was the largest verdict in any borough that year. The mesothelioma lawsuit involved exposure to asbestos through talc products. Talc and asbestos are connected because the two minerals are found near each other. Talc products such as Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder or certain cosmetics may be contaminated with asbestos.
Another mesothelioma lawsuit in 2019 in New York City led to a $8 million verdict. The asbestos claim involved occupational exposure. The defendant company was an air and liquid systems corporation.
Most mesothelioma lawsuits end in settlements rather than verdicts. This helps victims avoid long legal processes and gets the claim resolved quickly.
How to File a Mesothelioma Claim in Queens, New York
The first step to filing a mesothelioma claim in Queens, New York is finding a qualified lawyer to handle the case. Finding such an attorney removes much of the burden from the victim. They’ll handle the paperwork, communicate with the lawyers for the defendant companies, and move your claim through the process.
The first step of filing a mesothelioma claim in Queens, New York is filing the case at the local courthouse. New York City Civil Court is located in the heart of Queens. The full steps of mesothelioma claims are:
- Find a mesothelioma lawyer
- Meet with your legal team
- Go through your history of exposure to asbestos
- File your mesothelioma claim
- Go through a full review of your work history, exposures, and evidence of malpractice from at-fault companies
- Provide a deposition
- Discuss a potential mesothelioma settlement
- Take the case to trial, hopefully for a favorable verdict
If the case is against a company that is bankrupt, it’ll involve an asbestos trust fund claim. Asbestos trust funds are bank accounts pre-filled with money to compensate victims of asbestos exposure. These funds are made when companies liable for asbestos lawsuits file for bankruptcy.
Asbestos Exposure in Queens, New York
Asbestos exposure happened frequently in Queens during the 20th century. Exposure to asbestos does not immediately lead to mesothelioma or lung cancer. These two cancers take 20-50 years after exposure to begin spreading and showing symptoms.
From 1999-2017, there were nearly 3,000 deaths from malignant mesothelioma in the state of New York. There were a little more than 11,000 deaths from asbestos lung cancer.
Some of the known locations of asbestos exposure in Queens, New York are:
- Astoria Light, Heat & Power Company (gas works)
- Astoria Powerhouse
- Consolidated Edison Company of New York – Ravenswood Generating Station
- Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Incorporated, Astoria Plant
- East River Gas Light Company (power plant)
- New Amsterdam Gas Company (gas plant)
- Fresh Meadows Housing Project
- Hellgate Powerhouse
- Helmsley Spear, Incorporated
- Idlewild Airport
- Long Island Railroad (electric light plant)
- Family Court in Queens
- Ravenswood Powerhouse
- Steinway & Sons (Riker Avenue plant)
- U.S. Pavilion, World’s Fair, Flushing Meadow
At-Risk Occupations for Queens Workers
Construction, insulation and other industrial progress during the 20th century are the main source of asbestos in Queens. Most exposure occurred on job sites. People who worked in specific trades or for companies that manufactured asbestos products were at risk.
The at-risk occupations for Queens, New York workers include:
- Construction workers
- Insulation workers
- Railroad workers
- Electrical workers
- Plumbers
- Pipefitters
- Electrical plant workers
- Gas plant workers
- Power plant workers
Queens Asbestos Laws and Regulations
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally banned the most popular and common type of asbestos (chrysotile asbestos) in March 2024. The EPA’s ruling makes it illegal to import, manufacture, distribute, sell, or use chrysotile asbestos for any purpose.
The chlor-alkali industry and the aftermarket automobile parts industry were the only two reportedly still using asbestos at the time of the ruling. The EPA is allowing chlor-alkali plants that used asbestos in diaphragms for chlorine, hydrogen, and sodium hydroxide production a few years of transition time to find an alternate process. Companies using asbestos for gaskets and other aftermarket automobile parts have six months to transition away from the mineral.
The other five types of asbestos are not banned in the EPA’s ruling, but they’re heavily regulated and reportedly not imported or used in any industry. There are no special asbestos laws just in Queens, New York. The only regulation of note is for the state of New York. All work disturbing asbestos must be done by trained workers who must follow the official guidelines for containment and abatement.
The full New York State Asbestos Regulation is available on the State Department of Health website.
Governing Bodies Overseeing Asbestos in Queens, New York
New York’s State Department of Health is the main governing body overseeing asbestos in Queens and the other New York City boroughs. The national regulatory body for asbestos is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Other governing bodies overseeing asbestos in Queens, New York are:
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration – Protects workers from asbestos exposure by defining limits on how much asbestos can be in a workplace’s air
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation – Regulates the transportation and disposal of debris to a solid waste landfill after an asbestos abatement and removal project
- New York City Department of Environmental Protection – Governs asbestos handling, including abatement and removal, in the city of New York
- New York State Department of Labor – Licenses and certifies companies and workers to do asbestos work, and keeps a record of all asbestos projects in Queens, New York
According to the Department of Health, the following workers are certified to handle asbestos:
- Asbestos handler
- Restricted asbestos handler
- Air sampling technician
- Inspector
- Management planner
- Operations and maintenance
- Supervisor/contractor
- Project monitor
- Project designer
Statute of Limitations for Asbestos Claims in Queens, New York
Statute of limitations is a law limiting how much time a victim has to file a claim. In New York, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is three (3) years. The statute of limitations for wrongful death claims is two (2) years.
Usually, this time window begins right after someone is wronged. Mesothelioma and asbestos cases are different since the cancer forms decades after exposure. So the statute of limitations begins once the victim is diagnosed and learns they have mesothelioma, or once the victim dies and the family can file a wrongful death mesothelioma lawsuit.
Delaying any legal action risks you being outside the statute of limitations. Your best option is to find a national mesothelioma lawyer to handle the case. They will begin the process as soon as possible to ensure you are eligible to receive compensation.
A local lawyer might not know the statute of limitations or how it works for mesothelioma cases. Find a lawyer with experience working with asbestos victims. You can even prioritize a law firm dedicated to mesothelioma cases.
The law firm of Bullock Campbell Bullock & Harris is accepting new cases and available to chat about your diagnosis and exposure history. They are able to help people living in Queens, New York or people exposed to asbestos in this New York City borough.
Contact the mesothelioma attorneys at BCBH Law for legal help with your Queens asbestos claim and guidance on how to proceed in your best interest.
New York Mesothelioma Laws & Law Firms by City
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