what are meso cases actually worth - anybody settled

I appreciate you asking this directly because the financial side is real and it matters. My dad's case valued out higher than I expected, honestly, partly because of his exposure timeline and the stage he was diagnosed at. Stage IV definitely impacts settlement discussions, though I won't get into exact numbers since that's between him and his legal team.

What I can tell you from managing his care and watching this process unfold since March is that your work history matters way more than people realize. The VA connection is good, they'll have records. Your specific role on the Oriskany, those boiler uptakes, the years you spent there - that's all documentation they'll build on. Our attorney pulled service records, shipyard documents, actual asbestos product specs from that era. It took months but it painted a real picture of exposure.

Hull tech on a carrier in the 70s through 90s? That's solid exposure history. The pleurectomy in August helps too because it shows progression and actual intervention, not just a diagnosis sitting there.

General range talk I've seen discussed with other families has been anywhere from low six figures to higher depending on stage at diagnosis, how much your occupation documentation supports the exposure claim, and honestly which firm you're working with matters. Some are more aggressive in settlement negotiations than others. I'd make sure whoever the VA connected you with is actually experienced in maritime asbestos cases specifically, not just general mesothelioma.

Don't rush the legal stuff even though it feels urgent. We held off on major decisions about my dad's treatment timeline until we understood what we were actually dealing with financially. Changed how we approached everything after October when he moved to palliative care.

The thing that caught me off guard with my dad's case is how much the specific ship documentation matters. He was on the USS Nimitz starting in '78 and the Navy actually has records of which compartments had known asbestos products installed during certain years, so his lawyers could prove he wasn't just around it but in spaces where they documented the stuff. That specificity pushed his valuation up compared to cases with more general "worked near insulation" exposure.

Your Hull Tech role on the Oriskany is actually pretty solid documentation-wise because those boiler uptakes are so specific. When your legal contact starts digging, they'll probably request your service records through NARA and cross-reference them with Navy asbestos surveys from that time period. My advice based on watching this unfold: get copies of everything yourself too, not just let the lawyers handle it. We found old maintenance logs my dad had kept that showed dates he was in specific spaces, and that mattered more than I would've expected.

The settlement ranges vary wildly depending on stage at diagnosis, latency period, and whether you had other exposures (smoking history, occupational stuff after military). But honestly the ballpark for someone with documented military asbestos exposure and Stage III or IV typically runs broader than people assume. Your pleurectomy in August means they'll be looking at your current functional status too.

Don't feel rushed answering their questions. These cases take time and the lawyers know it. We waited three months just for initial case assessment but that wasn't wasted time, it was them building the file properly.

Yeah man I get it. I'm in the same spot waiting on my VA claim from November, still nothing, so I understand wanting to know what you're actually dealing with financially. Can't plan anything when you don't have real numbers.

Look, settlements vary wildly depending on your stage at diagnosis, how aggressive they're treating it, your age, and honestly how solid your exposure documentation is. I've heard everything from low five figures to well into six figures but that's a huge range and it matters what your actual case looks like. Stage, prognosis, all that stuff.

What I will say is get everything organized now. I kept copies of my discharge papers, medical records from Camp Lejeune showing what units were where and when, and I took photos of old barracks I could still access showing where the asbestos insulation was. Sounds obsessive but when they're building your case they need that stuff and it speeds things up. The VA is slow enough without having to track down your own documentation later.

The person they connected you with should be able to give you actual ranges once they know your stage and situation. They deal with this every day so they'll have realistic numbers based on cases like yours. Don't settle for vague answers from them. Ask specific questions about what stage II with your exposure history typically looks like. And honestly get a second opinion from another firm if you can. I'm still fighting the VA process but I'm glad I didn't just take the first offer that came at me.

You did the pleurectomy already which is good. Recovery matters too for how they value the case.

Same ship, same timeline basically. Got my diagnosis in June too and had the surgery in August so we're running parallel here. The legal stuff starts moving pretty fast once they get your file.

I can't speak to exact settlement numbers because mine's still in process, but what I learned from talking to the attorney they connected me with is that Navy shipboard exposure is actually one of the stronger cases. The Oriskany had asbestos everywhere and the Navy documented it. Hull tech like you was hands on with that material constantly, especially around engineering spaces. That matters.

What I found out is the range really does depend on stage and your specific health situation now. Stage II with a successful pleurectomy puts you in a different position than advanced disease. Your work history and documentation of exposure is solid. USS Oriskany records are good for proving what you were exposed to.

The attorney explained that they look at your age, your prognosis from the doctors, what your medical costs are gonna be, and how long you're expected to live. They also factor in what comparable cases have settled for. I'm not getting into specific numbers because honestly it changes case by case and I don't want to give you false hope or bad intel.

What I'd say is don't sign anything without understanding it completely. Ask them to explain it in plain English, not legal speak. I made them go through their whole evaluation three times before it clicked. Get everything in writing. And if something doesn't feel right about how they're handling it, you can shop around. You've got time.

How's your recovery going post surgery.

Dad got diagnosed in March and we went through the legal process starting in June, so we're maybe a few months ahead of where you are. The honest answer is that settlement amounts vary wildly and depend on so many factors that it's almost impossible to give you a real ballpark without knowing your specific case details.

What I can tell you from our experience is that the attorneys do care about documenting your exposure history really carefully. Your work on the USS Oriskany as a hull tech around boiler insulation is actually pretty significant in terms of exposure documentation, which matters. They'll want specifics about how often you were working with asbestos products, whether you were removing it or just around it, what your ventilation was like. We spent hours going through Dad's work records with his lawyer and honestly it felt tedious but I understood why they needed it.

The settlement range I've seen discussed by other families in similar situations has been anywhere from low five figures to high six figures depending on things like your age, stage of disease at diagnosis, prognosis, and whether you have other health complications. But that's such a huge range it's almost useless information. What matters more is that your attorney gives you a realistic estimate based on comparable cases they've actually handled.

One thing that helped us was asking the lawyer directly about their experience with Navy asbestos cases specifically and what they typically see settle for. They should be able to give you at least a range based on cases similar to yours. Don't be shy about asking. And honestly, recovery from pleurectomy takes time so maybe don't stress too hard about the legal numbers right now while you're still healing.

How are you doing post-surgery? That recovery can be rough.