Expectation: Mesothelioma Lawsuits Pt. 2

Have you been exposed to asbestos? If the answer to that question is yes, and you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma you probably have many questions. One important question you may ask is what to expect if you file an asbestos or mesothelioma lawsuit. This article will discuss basic things you can expect in filing an asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuit.

Expectation: Lawyer Costs

A previous article stated that the average settlement or award for mesothelioma cases ranges between $1 million to $5 million+. However, it must be noted that there are costs and expenses that will be subtracted from this amount. This includes attorney fees, court costs and medical expenses. As a result, a victim can end up with two thirds of the awarded amount. Therefore, a good question would be how much do I pay my lawyer and how do I do it?

Expectation: Contingency Fees

It must be noted that all mesothelioma cases are handled on a contingency fee arrangement. A contingency fee arrangement means that your lawyer charges you no fees up front. Instead your lawyer receives a percentage of the final settlement or award for money damages received. This percentage plus any expenses you agreed to in a written fee agreement is what is deducted from your compensation amount.

Generally, the next concern is what is the percentage that a lawyer gets as a contingency fee. A typical contingency fee is between 25% to 40% of monies recovered for damages. However, the exact amount depends on a number of factors, for example, whether:

• a victims’ trust fund places a cap on contingency fees
• You have an out of court settlement or go to trial
• The attorney strongly believes your case is worth a large settlement amount – this puts you in a better bargaining position

For more information and advice on filing a mesothelioma lawsuit speak to a Vinson Law Office mesothelioma lawyer. For a free initial consultation contact the Vinson Law Office today.