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Why families consider lawsuits while battling disease

November 23, 2016

Why families consider lawsuits while battling disease

Often, when someone chooses to reach out to us in the face of disease or injury, it’s a family member who makes the call, rather than the victim. When someone contracts a disease or experiences a birth injury that could be caused by toxic exposure it affects entire families for several generations. Spouses, children, siblings—they become caregivers, medical advocates, investigative researchers, and sometimes grievers. In the midst of emotional upheaval, families have to figure out how to juggle additional responsibilities, health care schedules, and large unexpected expenses from both doctor bills and loss of income. It’s a lot to handle. And none of it feels fair.

So why would you want to bring legal action (a lawsuit) into the mix?

  1. You want to make sure this doesn’t happen to someone else. Once families start to suspect a mesothelioma diagnosis or birth defect is linked to exposure to a toxic substance or chemical from work, it triggers a range of emotions. But one is usually, “this needs to be stopped.” When companies choose to knowingly expose employees or consumers to something that can do bodily harm, it is usually in the name of profit. Jeopardizing that profit tends to get attention. Lawsuits can prompt companies to change their policies. Your fight could protect the next generation of your family from going through this ordeal again.
  1. You need to recover expenses. The amount of medical bills generated by diagnosis and treatment of a disease like mesothelioma or leukemia are no joke. Even with good health insurance, the out-of-pocket expenses can be devastating. In the case of birth injury, a lifetime of support services and treatments will stack up. Aside from the emotional distress, hard costs demand payment. While we can never guarantee payment from a law suit, we can determine if a claim has potential to help put the family’s financial future back on track.
  1. You need support along the journey. Sometimes, it’s the small everyday fights that get you down. Validation helps. Banding together with others in the same boat helps. Discovering resources helps. Having someone to turn to when you run into a problem can help. We can help. Take this example of a mother, whose child has birth defects due to toxic exposure while she was pregnant. When she alone couldn’t stop her child from being bullied at school, the Waters & Kraus partner involved in her case stepped in. He personally met with the school principal and teachers. The result? The bullying stopped. A legal team that really cares can make a big difference in your family’s experience.

As you work together as a family to support a loved one diagnosed, discuss bringing legal help on board. There are many reasons to seek legal action other than financial gain. If you are not sure whether or not the mesothelioma, leukemia, or birth defect in your family is linked to toxic exposure, we may be able to help. We have years of experience in assisting families who have been harmed by asbestos, benzene, pesticides and other toxic substances. Contact us by email or call at 800.226.9880 to discuss your family’s case.

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