how long does this actually take? realistic timeline from filing to settlement

Got my diagnosis in June, pleurectomy in August, so I'm not that far ahead of you M. But I can tell you what I've learned dealing with the legal side while handling the medical stuff.

The timeline they're quoting you is the whole thing. Filing to settlement or verdict, that's 18 months to five years depending on how it shakes out. My lawyers at Norfolk VA said most cases like mine settle around year two or three because discovery takes forever and then both sides usually figure out it's cheaper to settle than go to trial. That's what realistic means. The actual payout after settlement happens pretty quick once both parties sign off, maybe 30 to 60 days for the checks to clear.

Here's what matters though. Do NOT wait on the legal stuff for surgery. I asked the same question. My oncologist was straight with me, said mesothelioma doesn't care about court schedules and waiting six months for a settlement could mean the difference between operable and inoperable. Medical timeline and legal timeline are separate animals. You get treatment now, the case works itself out in the background.

Your exposure sounds clean from the Johns-Manville angle so that'll help move things along. Less arguing about causation means faster process usually. The depositions and discovery, yeah that's baked into that 18 to five year number. That's not something you do and then wait, that's happening while you're recovering from surgery and doing chemo or whatever your plan is.

One thing nobody told me straight up. The settlement amount, that's negotiated during the process. So don't make medical decisions based on hoping for a specific payout number. That's backwards. Get well first.

Hey, I'm kinda in your shoes right now actually. Got diagnosed December, had my EPP surgery in February so I'm about four months out. The thing nobody tells you is that the legal stuff and medical stuff ARE separate timelines but they're running at the same time, which is its own kind of headache.

My oncologist was the same as yours, said don't wait on legal to do surgery. So I went ahead with the EPP in February while my lawyers were still gathering my exposure records from the shop where I worked as a mechanic back in the 70s and 80s. Honestly that was the right call because recovery took longer than expected and I needed to focus on that, not depositions or whatever.

What I found out the hard way is the settlement timeline they quote you includes discovery and all that stuff, not just the waiting after you settle. So when they say two to three years that's from when they file until you get a check. After you settle there's still closing and paperwork but that's usually faster, couple months maybe. My lawyer said most of the time gets eaten up by back and forth with the defendant's insurance company.

The Johns-Manville trust thing is supposedly simpler because of how it's set up, so you might actually be looking at the faster end of those timelines. But honestly I'd talk to your lawyers about whether doing surgery now versus waiting changes anything legally. It shouldn't but ask anyway. And don't let the legal timeline pressure you on medical decisions, that's backwards.

Filed my VA claim back in November, right after diagnosis, and I'm still in the dark on that front. But here's what I didn't expect: the civilian lawsuit timeline and the VA stuff don't talk to each other at all. VA takes forever on their own schedule, completely separate from what the lawyers are doing. Had my surgery in December and my oncologist was right to push that, didn't wait on any of it. The legal folks will tell you they need your medical records and treatment plan finalized before they can really move forward on damages anyway, so delaying surgery just delays everything. What I'd tell you straight up is don't let the lawyers push you into decisions about treatment. I got pressured a little on timing and I pushed back hard. Your body comes first, the settlement comes when it comes. The Johns-Manville exposure is solid which helps but that doesn't speed anything up honestly. Just keep the medical stuff and legal stuff in separate boxes in your head or you'll go nuts.

Got my diagnosis in December and honestly the lawyer calls started before I even left the hospital. It's a lot when you're already trying to wrap your head around having this thing.

Here's what I've learned so far. The timeline stuff is real but it's kinda like asking how long a car repair takes, you know. Depends on what you find when you open it up. My lawyer explained it like this: the actual settlement negotiations can happen pretty quick once both sides get serious, but getting to that point takes time because of discovery and depositions and all that. She said most cases she's seen settle in the 2-3 year range but that's from diagnosis to check in hand, not just from when you file.

What nobody really explains upfront is the difference between when you settle and when you actually get paid. We're not there yet but from what I understand there's paperwork after the settlement agreement that can take weeks or even a couple months before money actually hits your account. It's not like you sign and boom, check tomorrow.

The medical stuff and the legal stuff really are separate though. My oncologist pushed back hard when I brought up timing and she basically said don't let lawyers make medical decisions. Surgery window closes, legal window doesn't. Got my EPP in February and didn't regret it for a second even though the case is still going. That was the right call.

Your exposure at Johns-Manville is solid which helps. Documented employer, known asbestos products. That can speed things up compared to some folks who gotta hunt down where they got exposed. But don't let anyone rush you into picking a lawyer just because they're calling early. Shop around. Ask them specifically what their timeline looks like and what they expect your case to cost to litigate if it doesn't settle.

Man, three weeks in and already getting the legal vultures circling, huh. I get it, that's a lot of noise when you're just trying to figure out what's happening to your own body.

So here's what I've seen so far. Got my diagnosis in December, had the surgery in February, and I'm just starting my first round of chemo now. The law firms came knocking pretty quick after my diagnosis too. What I learned is those timelines they throw at you are kinda like when a mechanic gives you an estimate on a brake job and then finds out you need new rotors too. The numbers change.

From what my lawyer actually explained to me, the settlement timeline and the medical timeline are basically two different engines running at the same time. You don't gotta wait for one to finish before the other starts. I went ahead with my surgery in February without waiting on any legal stuff to move, and honestly that was the right call because I needed to get that tumor out regardless of what happens with the case. My oncologist said the same thing yours is saying. Don't let the lawsuit slow down your medical stuff.

As for the actual money part, yeah there's a difference between when they settle and when you get paid. From what I understand so far, once both sides agree on a number and sign off, there's still paperwork and probably another month or so before the check actually hits your account. But I haven't been through that part yet so I'm kinda learning as I go myself.

The Johns-Manville exposure is definitely solid though. That's a pretty straightforward case compared to some of the renovation asbestos stuff I dealt with.

Don't let the legal timeline pressure your medical decisions. Get the surgery if your doctor says you need it.