Tennessee Mesothelioma Lawyer

Prolonged asbestos exposure at industrial Tennessee job sites has put workers at risk of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Patients diagnosed with mesothelioma can work with a Tennessee mesothelioma attorney to receive financial compensation.

Legally reviewed Melissa Crowe Schopfer

on March 18, 2024

Recommended Tennessee Lawyer Simmons Hanly Conroy

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Filing a Mesothelioma Claim in Tennessee

Tennessee residents who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma may be eligible to receive financial compensation through a lawsuit. Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma — and manufacturers of asbestos-based products hid the deadly risks from employees and consumers for decades.

Nearly 900 people in Tennessee died from mesothelioma between 1999 and 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

An experienced Tennessee mesothelioma lawyer can help you file a lawsuit to access justice and financial compensation from manufacturers of asbestos-based products.

When looking for a Tennessee mesothelioma attorney, it’s important to select a firm with the experience, reputation, and resources to advocate for you.

Thankfully, Mesothelioma Hope has partnered with an experienced law firm that can help mesothelioma patients like you: Simmons Hanly Conroy.

Tennessee Mesothelioma Law Firm

Our sponsor firm, Simmons Hanly Conroy, is one of the nation’s leading mass tort firms. They handle large-scale personal injuries — cases where big and powerful companies hurt dozens, hundreds, or thousands of unknowing people.

The attorneys at Simmons Hanly Conroy have decades of experience, and they aim to provide their clients with first-class legal services.

To date, the firm has recovered over $120 million on behalf of those with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases in Tennessee alone. A few of the firm’s recent mesothelioma settlement amounts are highlighted below.

Tennessee Mesothelioma Settlements Recovered by Simmons Hanly Conroy

$3.2 millionU.S. Army veteran
$2.73 millionU.S. Air Force veteran
$2.35 millionU.S. Navy veteran
$1.57 millionMechanic

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Asbestos Exposure Sites in Tennessee

There are thousands of dangerous asbestos sites in Tennessee. The state’s top mesothelioma lawyers maintain extensive databases that list these sites.

Examples of asbestos sites in Tennessee include:

3M Company, Chattanooga
Alcoa Aluminum Plant, Alcoa
Beatrice Foods, Nashville
Borden Mills, Kingsport
Bridgestone Tire Manufacturing Company, Nashville
Firestone Plant, Memphis
Fort Motor Plant, Nashville
Garden Apartments, Oak Ridge
General Motors Corporation, Memphis
Holiday Inn Hotel, Centennial Park, Nashville
Hyatt Regency, Knoxville
Schlitz Brewery Office Building, Memphis
Union Carbide Chemical Plant, Oak Ridge
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
U.S. Water Department, Memphis
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Power Plant, Cumberland City
Vanderbilt Hospital, Nashville
Western Electric, Memphis

There are many other dangerous sites not listed above. Contact a Tennessee mesothelioma lawyer right away if you have been exposed to asbestos at a work site. You can access financial benefits to cover medical expenses with a lawyer’s help.

Know Your Rights: Tennessee Mesothelioma Lawsuits

A mesothelioma lawsuit seeks financial payments from manufacturers of asbestos-based products.

Victims of mesothelioma and their loved ones may receive millions of dollars in compensation from lawsuit.

A Tennessee mesothelioma attorney can file a lawsuit on your behalf at no cost to you.

Who Is Eligible to File a Mesothelioma Claim in Tennessee?

In addition to Tennessee residents, mesothelioma patients who may have been exposed to asbestos while working in, living in, or visiting the state might qualify to file a claim for financial compensation.

Additionally, anyone who’s been diagnosed with other serious asbestos-related diseases — such as lung cancer or asbestosis — may also qualify to file a claim with the help of a Tennessee mesothelioma attorney.

Finally, surviving family members, loved ones, or anyone with control over a mesothelioma victim’s estate or power of attorney may also be able to file a claim.

With the help of a Tennessee mesothelioma lawyer, asbestos victims can see if they’re eligible to receive compensation through a lawsuit.

Mesothelioma Settlements and Verdicts in Tennessee

Mesothelioma lawsuits can either settle out of court or through a trial.

Mesothelioma settlements typically award between $1 million and $1.4 million on average. Victims receive money faster than through a trial.
Mesothelioma trial verdicts take longer than settlements since juries must decide the case. Trial verdicts may award more money than a settlement ($5-$11.4 million on average), but only if the jury sides with the mesothelioma victim. If the jury sides with the companies being sued, the victim gets nothing.

Two notable Tennessee mesothelioma verdicts include:

$20 million to a deceased woman’s survivors who argued that she was exposed through contact with asbestos fibers on her father’s clothes. The aluminum plant her father worked at heavily relied on asbestos.
$1.4 million to a widow after the jury found that asbestos-containing products made by a company contributed to her late husband’s mesothelioma.

A Tennessee mesothelioma attorney can determine if a verdict or settlement is best for your case.

Asbestos Rules and Regulations in Tennessee

Tennessee asbestos laws and regulations mirror the United States federal National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP).

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD) Division of Occupational Safety and Health enforces all work-related safety and health regulations in the state.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s (TDEC) Division of Air Pollution Control and local air pollution control agencies administer and enforce all other asbestos requirements.

A mesothelioma law firm in Tennessee can see if these laws may affect your case.

Statutes of Limitations in Tennessee

Statutes of limitations are laws that limit how much time a person has to file a lawsuit. Once this deadline passes, it is no longer possible to file a mesothelioma personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.

However, this rule isn’t always so cut and dry. Statutes of limitations are very complex, with many variations by state.

Contacting an experienced Tennessee mesothelioma attorney promptly after diagnosis or the death of a loved one will help ensure that your filing is within your state’s limit.

Asbestos Trust Funds in Tennessee

In the event that a mesothelioma lawsuit cannot be filed due to the statutes of limitations, victims can file an asbestos trust fund claim to access compensation.

Bankrupt manufacturers of asbestos-based products were forced by the court system to set aside money in trusts if they wanted to stay in business.

The trusts allow mesothelioma victims to access compensation, and in return, the bankrupt manufacturer cannot be sued.

Asbestos trust funds are managed by these manufacturers, which set their own deadlines to file claims. They do not follow regular statutes of limitations.

More than $30 billion is available in asbestos trust funds today.

See if you can file an asbestos trust fund claim by speaking to a Tennessee mesothelioma lawyer.

Tennessee VA Information for Mesothelioma Victims

Tennessee veterans with mesothelioma may qualify for government benefits in addition to legal compensation.

Tennessee veterans are at a higher risk of mesothelioma than the general population since the U.S. military relied on asbestos through the 1980s.

The state of Tennessee is home to a number of military bases that previously used asbestos-containing products on a regular basis. Shipyards in Tennessee also put veterans at risk since Navy ships relied on hundreds of asbestos-containing products.

Tennessee VA Benefits

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) understands the dangers of mesothelioma among veterans. Veterans with mesothelioma can apply for VA benefits to receive health care and financial payments.

Common VA benefits include:

Burial and funeral services
Disability compensation
Health care
Pension plans

The VA also partners with the country’s best mesothelioma doctors who help treat veterans.

Tennessee veterans can apply for VA benefits by reaching out to the following offices.

Veterans Benefits Administration

Nashville Regional Office, Nashville

VA Medical Centers

Memphis VA Medical Center, Memphis
James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mountain Home
Tennessee Valley Healthcare System – Alvin C. York (Murfreesboro) Campus, Murfreesboro
Tennessee Valley Healthcare System – Nashville Campus, Nashville

Community-Based Outpatient Clinics

Athens VA Clinic
Campbell County VA Clinic
Clarksville VA Clinic
Columbia VA Clinic
Covington VA Clinic
Dannie A. Carr Veterans Outpatient Clinic
Dover VA Clinic
Dyersburg VA Clinic
Gallatin VA Clinic
International Plaza VA Clinic
Jackson VA Clinic
Morristown VA Clinic
Nonconnah Boulevard VA Clinic
Roane County VA Clinic
Rogersville VA Clinic
Savannah VA Clinic
Tullahoma VA Clinic
William C. Tallent VA Outpatient Clinic

Veterans Centers

Chattanooga Veterans Center
Clarksville Outstation
Johnson City Veterans Center
Knoxville Veterans Center
Memphis Veterans Center
Nashville Veterans Center

Veterans can contact these offices by visiting the VA’s official website (va.gov).

Veterans can also get key information for their VA claims — such as how, when, and where they were exposed to asbestos — by working with a Tennessee mesothelioma attorney.

From there, Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) trained by the VA can help veterans file for benefits using this information.

AML and VFW Service Officers in Tennessee

VSOs often work with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion (AML) to help veterans access VA benefits.

These organizations have more than 700 offices located across Tennessee.

Offices found in the state’s largest cities include:

American Legion
Disabled American Veterans
Fleet Reserve Association
Marine Corps League
Retired Enlisted Association
Veterans of Foreign Wars

Veterans can work with VSOs at these offices (and Tennessee mesothelioma attorneys) to file for VA benefits and other forms of compensation.

Connect With a Tennessee Mesothelioma Lawyer in Tennessee

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, working with a Tennessee mesothelioma attorney is the best way to get the compensation you may deserve.

An experienced Tennessee mesothelioma lawyer can help you:

Identify the work sites or locations where you were exposed to asbestos
Obtain medical and military records
Build an asbestos claim that maximizes your chances of securing compensation
File your claim within the proper Tennessee statute of limitations

To learn more about how a Tennessee mesothelioma lawyer can help, get a free case review today.

Melissa Crowe Schopfer, Simmons Hanly Conroy Attorney

Reviewed by:Melissa Crowe Schopfer

Partner, Simmons Hanly Conroy

Fact-Checked
Legal Editor

Melissa Crowe Schopfer is a partner at Simmons Hanly Conroy. Over the past 10 years, Melissa has worked on over 500 cases and recovered more than $100 million in settlements and trial verdicts on behalf of her clients. She has represented families impacted by mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases in almost every state.

Asbestos Trial Team Leader
Practicing Attorney for 15+ Years
Has Recovered Over $100 Million

Written by:Jenna Tozzi, RN

Director of Patient Advocacy

Jenna Tozzi, RN, is the Director of Patient Advocacy at Mesothelioma Hope. With more than 15 years of experience as an adult and pediatric oncology nurse navigator, Jenna provides exceptional guidance and support to mesothelioma patients and their loved ones. Jenna has been featured in Oncology Nursing News and is a member of the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators & the American Nurses Association.

ReferencesLast modified: 18 Mar 2024

Center for Economic and Policy Research. “Highest to Lowest Share of Blue Collar Jobs By State.” Retrieved from: https://bluecollarjobs.us/2017/04/10/highest-to-lowest-share-of-blue-collar-jobs-by-state/. Accessed on December 19, 2022.
The Daily Times. “Suit settled against ALCOA in Blount woman’s 2009 mesothelioma death.” Retrieved from: https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/suit-settled-against-alcoa-in-blount-woman-s-mesothelioma-death/article_2cdee7d4-b94d-5922-8efa-0bb10ae6e23c.html. Accessed on December 19, 2022.
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Tennessee-Demographics.com. “Tennessee Cities by Population.” Retrieved from: https://www.tennessee-demographics.com/cities_by_population. Accessed on December 19, 2022.
Tennessee Department of Health. “Asbestos.” Retrieved from: https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/environmental/environmental-health-topics/eht/asbestos.html. Accessed on December 19, 2022.
United States Census Bureau. “QuickFacts.” Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/TN. Accessed on December 19, 2022.
U.S. Department of Transportation. “The Economic Importance of the U.S. Shipbuilding and Repairing Industry.” Retrieved from: https://www.maritime.dot.gov/sites/marad.dot.gov/files/docs/resources/3641/maradeconstudyfinalreport2015.pdf. Accessed on December 19, 2022.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “Locations.” Retrieved from: https://www.va.gov/directory/guide/state.asp?dnum=ALL&STATE=TN. Accessed on December 19, 2022.
U.S. Government Accountability Office. “Asbestos Injury Compensation: The Role and Administration of Asbestos Trusts.” Retrieved from: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-11-819. Accessed on December 19, 2022.