LPK's Mesothelioma Attorneys at National Asbestos Conference: Federal Cases Moving Forward Good News for Mesothelioma Families

Mesothelioma attorneys from Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP, speak at the 4th Annual Emerging Trends in Asbestos Litigation Conference in Chicago, Illinois, which gathered over two hundred lawyers representing mesothelioma victims, asbestos companies, and insurers from across the nation.

CHICAGO, Illinois, April 7, 2011 - Mesothelioma attorneys from the nationally renowned law firm of Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP, presented today at the 4th Annual Emerging Trends in Asbestos Litigation Conference held in Chicago, IL.

The conference, attended by over two hundred lawyers representing plaintiffs, defendants, and insurance companies in asbestos lawsuits on the national level, drew prestigious speakers in the field of asbestos litigation, including two judges: Judge Lee from Oakland, CA, and Judge Maddux from Cook County, IL. Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP, represented by associate James Kramer, Esq., offered its unique perspective on the changing face of federal asbestos cases in the Multi-District Litigation ("the MDL").

According to Kramer, the MDL, once an area where asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits in federal court were grouped and held for months or years before being scheduled for trial, has very recently begun moving its cases forward more quickly by transferring them back to federal courts in the states where the lawsuits were originally filed. "This is good news for asbestos plaintiffs, who may no longer have to wait long periods of time before their cases are tried," Kramer explained.

"And the good news for plaintiffs doesn’t end there," stated Kramer. "Cases which ultimately found themselves in a federal court are also producing rulings favorable to asbestos plaintiffs."

"Most notably," said Kramer, "were legal decisions made regarding equipment manufacturers' duties to warn their users of the hazards of asbestos." As Kramer explained, many of these users, including men who served in the navy or worked in shipyards, were exposed to asbestos that equipment makers may not have installed or manufactured themselves, but were responsible for nonetheless, since they could have predicted that their products could injure those who worked on or near them.

Kramer spoke from personal experience. He, along with LPK partner Jerome Block, Esq., recently tried a case in the Southern District of New York that had moved through the MDL. In that lawsuit, a former navy serviceman was exposed to asbestos from working on boilers and other related equipment aboard his ship and as a result developed mesothelioma. Before the trial, Judge James S. Gwin rendered several rulings that could produce favorable results for plaintiffs trying cases in New York's federal courts in the future.

The Emerging Trends in Asbestos Conference is just one of many national conferences where LPK's mesothelioma lawyers have spoken on various subjects relating to the rights of mesothelioma victims and strategies to continue providing them with the best possible results.

For over a quarter of a century, mesothelioma lawyers at Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP, have been among the pioneers of asbestos litigation in America. The firm’s attorneys have been recognized as nationwide leaders in representing the rights of mesothelioma victims and their families. Their clients have received some of the largest mesothelioma compensation verdicts in the country.

IMPORTANT: If you or your family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should get in touch with a mesothelioma lawyer as early as possible to determine if you have a mesothelioma case and to:

Preserve your rights to bring a legal action against the responsible parties within the limited time frame allowed by law, known as statute of limitations;
Obtain maximum compensation in your case by being able to:
- Preserve evidence and establish facts of the asbestos exposure while the claimant is still alive and able to provide information;
- File and resolve a lawsuit against the responsible parties before they file for bankruptcy or, if they already have, to obtain compensation before their bankruptcy trust funds run out of money;
Expedite your case, as courts tend to give higher priority to mesothelioma lawsuits where the claimant is still alive.

Find out whether you have a case by speaking to one of our experienced mesothelioma lawyers via our 24/7 toll-free hotline at 1-800-MESO-LAW (1-800-637-6529) or by submitting an email inquiry (see form above). Our attorneys will be quick to respond to you and happy to answer all of your questions.

NOTE: While our offices are located in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Georgia, many of our mesothelioma lawyers are licensed to practice law in a number of U.S. states and have the capability and extensive experience of representing mesothelioma clients throughout the United States.

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