How are attorney fees handled in asbestos litigation?
Getting a lawsuit to trial may take several months or two or more years depending on the court. Preparation for the trial will require the hiring of expert witnesses to educate the jury about medical and other issues in the case. The cost of travel and depositions may run into several thousand dollars. Ordinarily, the lawyer representing the plaintiff advances all initial costs associated with suit preparation and trial. Some expenses may be recovered if there are early settlements with some defendants. Attorney fees are usually based on contingency fee contracts where the lawyers receive some percentage of what is recovered for the victim. In this scenario, if there is no recovery, there is no fee.
