Mesothelioma True Stories

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Mesothelioma Case Studies

CASE STUDY 1

“When my daddy was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, I just started crying and we needed to find somebody for my daddy and that’s how we got to know Phil. When he came, he sat at the table and just said ‘everything is going to be fine.’ If you ever come down with Mesothelioma, call Phil because he’s truly there to help.”
 

CASE ANALYSIS

I was contacted shortly after this client’s dad was diagnosed with Pleural Mesothelioma, epithelial type. This is a very aggressive form of Mesothelioma. They did not know what to do nor did they know how he was exposed to Asbestos. Once I spoke with her father, it became clear where he was exposed and how he was exposed to Asbestos. All he cared about was making sure his family was taken care of. He knew was coming and only wanted to know that his family would be okay. I did my best to assure him that I would do everything I could to help them. He seemed to relax. It was one less thing he had to worry about.  

We prepared a lawsuit against his employer of over 40 years. His employer failed to warn him about the hazards of the Asbestos products he worked with. His employer failed to provide him with a safe place to work and was liable in negligence and strict liability. We also pursued product manufacturers for failing to warn about the hazards of the Asbestos contained in the products they manufactured and supplied to South Louisiana. Incredibly, this case was resolved within 6 months of filing suit. Unfortunately, he passed away, but he knew his family was going to be okay. 

This case shows the importance of establishing legal representation as soon as possible to alleviate a part of the stressors that come with a Mesothelioma diagnosis.

CASE STUDY 2

“My dad was a shipbuilder for over 20 years. He was exposed to Asbestos and that’s how he got diagnosed with Mesothelioma. When I first heard about Mr. Phil Hoffman was from my dad, he was like, ‘Man, I found this great lawyer.’ He kept us updated, that was the most important thing, and he made house calls, that says a lot about Phil. He’s not just an attorney, he’s also a friend.”
 

CASE ANALYSIS

My client’s father reached out to me when he was first diagnosed with Pleural Mesothelioma. He knew exactly how me was exposed to Asbestos. He didn’t know it at the time he worked at the shipyard, but understood in years passed, he’d worked with Asbestos and it was a hazard to his health. No one warned him when he worked there. He was a loyal employee for decades, this shipyard knew about the hazards of Asbestos, but put profits over people and failed to protect its employees. 

Like many victims of Asbestos exposure, my client passed away. I remember going to the funeral and celebrating his life with his family and close friends. I was honored to be there. At the end of the case, the family was happy with what we accomplished. We did not bring him back, but his family felt a sense of justice. I was proud of the way that we were able to help this family through a tough time.

CASE STUDY 3

“My dad was just tremendous. He was a carpenter. He worked at the same place for 57 years. He started losing a lot of weight so we brought him to the hospital. That’s when he found out what he had. Phil was amazing. He sat down and talked to my dad, it was like they knew each other from get-go.”
 

CASE ANALYSIS

My client dedicated over half a century of his life to working at a factory along the Mississippi River. His family noticed he was losing lots of weight shortly after retiring. He agreed to see a doctor and after running a variety of tests for his symptoms, he was diagnosed with Mesothelioma.

One of the challenges of this case was identifying the Asbestos and where it was at the plant. We were able to use my client’s memory, the memory of his friends and co-workers in addition to records kept by the company and the state of Louisiana. The company knew what they did was wrong and quickly offered to settle this case which gave solace to my client and his family. 

Like many factory and warehouse workers in Louisiana’s River Parishes, my client never stood a chance against the deadly effects of Asbestos exposure. This case is similar to many others I’ve seen in that had the company just warned him about the dangers of Asbestos, my client may have chosen not to work with Asbestos containing products and he might still be alive today.