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Asbestos Suits in Hollywood

Published on May 16, 2014 at 8:33 am in Work Injury.

When you think of asbestos suits, usually industrial types of materials come to mind. Lawsuits have been filed in the construction industries, as well as oil and gas. Asbestos is often found in building insulation. Now, the family of Ed Lauter, a popular character actor familiar to many television viewers, has brought suit claiming exposure to asbestos caused him to die from mesothelioma in May 2013 at age 74.

Mesothelioma is a rare and fatal cancer that is linked to asbestos exposure and the inhalation of asbestos fibers. In a lawsuit filed against CBS, NBC and General Electric, a prior owner of NBC, Lauter’s family claims that he was exposed to asbestos, in part, after decades of work inside TV studios. Over many decades, Lauter had roles in TV shows ranging from Mannix and Kojak to Law & Order, the X-Files and Grey’s Anatomy. His movie roles include playing the role of Captain Knauer in The Longest Yard with Burt Reynolds. He also recently played the part of Peppy’s butler in the Oscar-winning movie The Artist.

Mesothelioma can develop decades after the exposure to asbestos. If you have been exposed to asbestos and you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, or a loved one has died from it, you may very possibly be able to file a suit and recover money damages.

If the mesothelioma can be traced to working with asbestos, you may be awarded substantial money damages. The party that ultimately pays for the exposure is usually the company that manufactured or installed the asbestos, an insurance company, or an asbestos victims’ trust fund that has been set up to assume liability for the company.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed, do act promptly. Most states have a statute of limitations that require you to file the claim within one to five years. The clock starts from the date of the diagnosis or discovery of mesothelioma to file a claim. There are monies already set aside in trust funds for future mesothelioma victims, so if you believe that you or someone you know has been exposed, contact our office today to find out what recovery rights you may have.

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Tad Thomas - Trial Lawyer

Tad Thomas

Managing Partner

Tad Thomas has dedicated his practice to representing plaintiffs in various types of civil litigation, including personal injury, business litigation, class actions, and multi-district litigation.

After graduating with his law degree in 2000 from Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, Mr. Thomas immediately opened his own private practice and began representing injury victims.

In 2011, Thomas Law Offices was established in Louisville, Kentucky. Over the past decade, Mr. Thomas has expanded his firm and now has offices in three additional locations: Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbia, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois. He is also a frequent lecturer on topics like trial skills and ethics and technology.

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