If you’re like a lot of people in our area, then your parents spent much of their lives working hard in blue-collar professions to make a living. Many worked in shipyards and chemical manufacturing, which seemed like good work at the time. Yet, as the years passed, many of these individuals developed serious medical conditions related to their line of work, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related diseases.
Watching your parent’s condition deteriorate on account of an occupational illness can be heartbreaking and soul crushing, especially given the rate at which their condition can decline. You might feel angry with your parent’s employer, scared for your parent’s health and the fight they have in front of them, and cheated out of a future you hoped for.
Sadly, many people lose their loved ones to these medical conditions. That may feel like the end of the road, but legally speaking it may be just the beginning. This is especially true if you are thinking about seeking compensation from some sort of trust, like those established for victims of mesothelioma.
Sadly, recovering funds from these trusts isn’t automatic, either. You’ll still be required to prove the elements of a wrongful death claim. This can be challenging when your loved one is gone because it can be difficult track the causes of these diseases. However, if you’re fortunate enough to have your loved one with you, then you might want to work with them on taking the following steps to strengthen and protect any future legal claim:
- Create a timeline of all jobs your parent worked
- Identify coworkers and their contact information for all places worked
- List equipment at each job that may have generated exposure to asbestos
- Describe job duties associated with each position
- Identify any family members who may have sufferers from secondary contact
- Keep track of all medical records related to the medical conditions in questions
By taking down this information, you build the evidentiary foundation that may be needed to succeed on a personal injury or wrongful death claim. You should try to be as detailed as possible and consider following up to narrow the scope of an investigation into the cause of your parent’s disease. You can also research these employers and equipment to see if they have been linked to asbestos exposure and the development of cancer.
Recognizing that you have a long way to go before you can obtain accountability and compensation can be enormously stressful. We understand that, which is why we diligently work with our clients to make sure that their legal worries are put to rest as fully as possible given the facts at hand. That can make all the difference for your family’s future and your parent’s legacy.
This claims are time-sensitive, though, so you’ll want to act fast to preserve any legal rights you have in these matters.