Contingency Fee Basis

How We Charge: You Don’t Pay Unless We Win

Persons battling mesothelioma typically don’t have the resources to pay out of pocket for legal representation. For this reason, we charge on a contingency fee basis. This means that you will never have to pay unless we recover money for you through bankruptcy trusts, settlement negotiations or a jury verdict.

The amount of our contingency fee percentage is negotiated with each client, based on the client’s needs, the facts of the case, and the type of claims that will be pursued. For example, the fee for some bankruptcy settlements is 25%, while the fee for settlements with litigation defendants can range from 33% to 40%, depending on the facts of the case and timing of the settlement.

Typically, the earlier a claim is resolved, the less we charge. Many clients choose to pursue early settlements in order to fund expensive treatment options, and the cost of travel, housing and other related expenses. Sometimes we are able to resolve claims and disburse settlement funds to clients in as little as 30 to 60 days of being hired.

Every case is different, and the number of defendants can range from one or two, in the case of someone with limited exposures, to as many as fifty or more, in the case of construction workers, refinery workers, or Navy veterans who typically have many exposures.

Your claims can be resolved in multiple ways: 

• You can settle with asbestos bankruptcy trusts. There are over 30 trusts now offering settlements, with many others expected to begin accepting claims and offering settlements in the coming years. Asbestos bankruptcy claims are resolved out of court and do not require you to testify or appear for trial.
• You can pursue settlements with defendants in a lawsuit. Companies sued in a lawsuit in which you or others provide testimony confirming your exposure to their asbestos products must either settle for an amount that is acceptable to you or go to trial and have a jury decide how much to pay. Since 1990, the settlement values in our cases are among the highest in the country.
• You may wish to settle with all but one or more of the liable defendants and then go to trial where you can “have your day in court” and let a jury decide what is just. Since 1990, our clients have received some of the largest jury verdicts in the country