So I'm about three weeks post-diagnosis and already getting calls from different law firms. They all say different things about timeline and honestly it's making my head spin. One guy told me it could be anywhere from 18 months to five years depending on whether we go to trial or settle, and another basically said most cases settle within two to three years but didn't really explain what that meant.
I worked at the Johns-Manville plant in Cleveland from 1978 to 1985 so the exposure is pretty clear-cut, which I know helps. But I'm trying to understand what realistic actually means here. Like are we talking they file paperwork and then we wait two years for money, or is that the whole process including discovery and depositions and all that stuff.
Also what's the difference between how long the case takes versus when you actually get paid. Does settlement mean you get a check right away or does it take months after that to close out.
I'm in this weird space where I'm trying to understand my medical options for HIPEC and whether I should be waiting on any legal stuff to be finalized first, or if those are totally separate timelines. My oncologist said I shouldn't delay surgery based on legal stuff but I also don't want to make decisions without having all the information.
Has anyone actually gone through this and can tell me what their actual timeline looked like, not what someone told them it would be.