Asbestos Litigation
Asbestos exposure has a strong link to serious illnesses, such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. As the Pacific Northwest’s premier mesothelioma firm, Bergman Oslund Udo Little has a proven record of asbestos litigation experience. Our asbestos litigation attorneys can help you seek fair compensation if you or a loved one has developed an asbestos-related illness.
Chandler H. Udo, Partner, Bergman Oslund Udo Little Last Updated: April 25, 2025
- Asbestos litigation helps victims and families seek compensation and hold companies accountable for their asbestos-related illnesses.
- Potential compensation recoverable in an asbestos lawsuit includes medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and wrongful death damages.
- You may be eligible for an asbestos lawsuit if you or a loved one was diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness and has a history of asbestos exposure.
What Is Asbestos Litigation?
Asbestos litigation aims to hold companies accountable for exposing individuals to harmful levels of asbestos. It involves filing a legal claim against the responsible companies to seek financial compensation for the damages caused by asbestos-related illnesses.
Experts have widely known about asbestos’s toxicity since the early 20th century, but it took several decades for the legal system to catch up. Victims and affected families have been filing asbestos-related lawsuits en masse since at least the 1970s. Asbestos and mesothelioma litigation has become the longest-running and most expansive mass tort in United States history.
The History of Asbestos Litigation
One of the first modern asbestos litigation cases occurred in 1961 when Claude Tomplait filed a lawsuit against Johns-Manville. Later, in the 1973 case Borel v. Fibreboard, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that asbestos manufacturers were strictly liable to workers sickened by exposure to their products. This decision resulted in a sharp increase in product liability claims against asbestos manufacturers.
By the early 1980s, more than 20,000 people had filed asbestos-related lawsuits. Due to the sheer volume of claims, many asbestos manufacturers began filing for bankruptcy around this time. Johns-Manville Corporation, one of history’s largest asbestos manufacturers, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1982. The courts ordered these bankrupt companies to establish trust funds to pay asbestos-exposure claims. Dozens of asbestos trust funds are still active, with billions of dollars available to compensate victims.
Asbestos-related claims nearly tripled in the 1990s. Approximately 600,000 people had filed asbestos-related claims by 2003. As asbestos use has waned over the years, asbestos exposures have declined in the U.S. However, because mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases have such long latency periods, patients exposed to asbestos in the past are just now receiving diagnoses. Thus, asbestos-exposure victims are continuing to file claims.
Meanwhile, since asbestos is still present in some products and buildings, people ae still exposed to the hazardous material today.
How Asbestos Litigation Helps Victims and Families
If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, you could be eligible for compensation through an asbestos lawsuit. This compensation can provide much-needed financial support for the medical expenses and lost income your illness causes. It can also account for the pain and suffering you experience due to your asbestos-related condition.
Asbestos and mesothelioma litigation can also benefit deceased victims’ surviving family members. If your loved one died from an asbestos-related illness, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim. This type of asbestos lawsuit allows you to seek compensation for damages such as the victim’s lost financial contributions, funeral and burial expenses, and lost companionship.
We understand that no amount of money can truly make up for the harm you and your family have suffered. However, asbestos cancer litigation can be a key step in your family’s healing journey. It can provide a sense of justice and closure while giving you the financial resources you need to focus on your well-being.
It costs nothing to learn more about how our asbestos litigation lawyers can help you. Contact us online today for a free consultation.
How To File an Asbestos Lawsuit
If you’re considering filing an asbestos lawsuit, speak with one of our attorneys. We can handle the next steps while you focus on your health.
Each state has a filing deadline called the statute of limitations. You must file your asbestos lawsuit within the applicable deadline, which is usually one to three years after your illness’s diagnosis. Wrongful death claims usually have a separate deadline, with the countdown starting on the date of death.
Eligibility for an Asbestos Lawsuit
You may qualify for an asbestos lawsuit if both of the following are true:
- You were exposed to asbestos.
- You were diagnosed with an illness linked to asbestos exposure, such as mesothelioma or lung cancer.
Most asbestos exposures that lead to illness occur in the workplace, particularly in high-risk industries such as construction, insulation, automotive maintenance, and military service. Our attorneys can investigate your work history to determine the source of your exposure and gather employment documents to prove it.
If you didn’t work in an industry known for asbestos exposure, you may have experienced secondary exposure through someone you lived with. This may have occurred if your parent or spouse worked with asbestos and brought the fibers home on their clothes. Evidence of your family member’s asbestos exposure can support a secondary asbestos exposure claim.
The same qualification criteria apply for asbestos-related wrongful death lawsuits. Usually, only close relatives, such as the victim’s spouse and children, may file a wrongful death lawsuit. Some states require the victim’s estate representative to file a wrongful death lawsuit for these loved ones’ benefit.
The Legal Process – What to Expect
When you contact our asbestos attorneys, we’ll evaluate your legal options for free. Our attorneys will meet with you and your family in person and start building a connection.
If we decide to proceed with a lawsuit, we’ll investigate your circumstances to identify the source of your asbestos exposure. Our attorneys will gather evidence demonstrating how your asbestos exposure occurred and how your illness has impacted your life.
Next, we’ll file a claim on your behalf. If you’ve received a mesothelioma diagnosis, you may have the right to an expedited case schedule. In that situation, your case will move very quickly. Our team will exchange information with the responsible parties and retain expert witnesses, such as doctors, to support your claim.
Most asbestos exposure cases settle without going to trial. However, we won’t hesitate to take your case to trial if we don’t receive a fair settlement offer. We’ll fight for you in court before a judge and jury, who will decide whether to award you compensation.
Meanwhile, asbestos trust fund claims proceed outside the court system. You still must prove that you have developed an asbestos-related disease from exposure to the bankrupt company’s product. However, a trustee reviews your claim, not a court, and the process is streamlined.
Choosing the Right Asbestos Litigation Attorney
Your choice of representation can affect your asbestos lawsuit’s outcome. The right attorney can mean the difference between struggling to meet your family’s needs and having financial security during an uncertain time.
Bergman Oslund Udo Little has been fighting for asbestos victims and their families since 1995. Our asbestos litigation lawyers have recovered over $1 billion in compensation for our clients, including these case results:
- $30 million for a 67-year-old mesothelioma victim and his family over exposure to asbestos while working for Ameron’s Bondstrand factory in Brea, California
- $11.2 million for a 75-year-old man diagnosed with mesothelioma from asbestos exposure while dismantling former Navy ships
- $10 million for a 79-year-old mesothelioma victim and his wife based on secondary asbestos exposure during the World War II era
- $8.3 million for a former U.S. Navy electrician diagnosed with mesothelioma at age 79
- $6.8 million for a woman diagnosed with mesothelioma at age 37 due to secondary asbestos exposure from her father’s telephone line maintenance work
Our representation has benefited countless people in Washington, Oregon, and beyond, including these satisfiedclients:
“It means so much to me and my family that you took the time to listen to my dad’s concerns and emotions about what was happening to him. The funds coming in have been an unbelievable help to another family member in a health crisis.”– Medy G.
“My brother was diagnosed with mesothelioma in May 2014 and passed away in August 2014. The Bergman attorneys, Chandler Udo specifically, are our angels. Chandler, and the others, have a true passion for this cause–with them, it’s waaaay more than just a job. Chandler was with us every step of the way, and he worked his tail off for our family.”– Aileen W.
Why Experience Matters in Asbestos Litigation
The right attorney for you will have a long history of working specifically on asbestos cases. These complex cases require extensive knowledge of asbestos products, exposure sites, and legal precedent.
An experienced attorney will be ready to determine how you developed an asbestos-related disease and prove it with solid evidence. They’ll know whom to go after and what sources of compensation will be available to you.
Experience also gives asbestos litigation attorneys a deep understanding of the emotional toll of asbestos illnesses. This helps them provide compassionate support for clients and their families.
Bergman Oslund Udo Little – Your Trusted Advocates
If you or a loved one was diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, Bergman Oslund Udo Little is ready to fight for your rights. Our attorneys are dedicated to holding asbestos companies accountable for putting profits over people.
We have over 30 years of experience and a proven track record of the largest asbestos litigation settlements and verdicts in the Pacific Northwest. Thus, you can count on us to fight for the compensation you deserve.
Call our Seattle office at 206-957-9510 or our Portland office at 503-447-6230 today for a free consultation.
520 Pike St. #1125
Seattle, WA 98101
206-957-9510
1355 NW Everett St.
Suite 100
Portland, OR 97204
503-447-6230
