Reading Mesothelioma Lawyer
Reading, PA workers exposed to asbestos at the Reading Railroad shops and local industrial sites have legal options. Nemeroff Law Firm has recovered $650M+ for mesothelioma clients nationwide. Get a free case review.
Why Hire Nemeroff Law Firm for Your Reading Mesothelioma Claim?
Nemeroff Law Firm helps families understand exactly what they can pursue and actively goes after every dollar available. The firm has litigated Pennsylvania asbestos cases for more than 30 years and secured landmark rulings at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that expanded workers’ rights across the state. With more than 150 years of combined attorney experience and a Pittsburgh office that keeps the firm well-connected within Pennsylvania’s court system, we bring both local knowledge and national resources to every Reading client.
What Nemeroff Law Firm Does for Reading and Berks County Clients
- Determine the appropriate court for your claim, whether Berks County Court of Common Pleas, another Pennsylvania court or federal court.
- File personal injury lawsuits, asbestos trust fund claims and any other qualifying claims simultaneously.
- Handle all case details from start to finish.
- Identify every liable party, from local employers to national asbestos product manufacturers.
- Investigate your complete work history, including time at the Reading Railroad shops, Berks County factories and any other jobsites where asbestos exposure may have occurred.
The Reading Railroad shops and Berks County’s manufacturing plants put generations of workers at serious risk. An attorney who knows that industrial history can connect a diagnosis to the right companies and products far more effectively than one who doesn’t.
When Should You Call a Mesothelioma Attorney?
Call a mesothelioma attorney as soon as you receive a diagnosis. Pennsylvania law gives people diagnosed with mesothelioma generally two years from the date of diagnosis to file a personal injury lawsuit. Families who lose a loved one to the disease have generally two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim. Building a case means tracing exposure histories that may stretch back 40 to 60 years, requiring thorough legal representation.
Asbestos exposure in Reading may have happened at a single jobsite or across multiple employers over the course of a career. Some workers moved between Berks County facilities and sites in other parts of the state. Nemeroff Law Firm investigates every workplace, every product and every responsible party, no matter where exposure occurred.
The firm also reviews trust fund eligibility from day one. Many Reading clients qualify to file trust fund claims at the same time as a lawsuit, which can mean faster access to compensation without slowing down the primary case. The sooner we get to work, the more your family stands to receive.
Where Does Asbestos Exposure Most Commonly Occur in Reading?
Pennsylvania ranks third in the country for mesothelioma and asbestos-related deaths, according to the CDC. Between 1999 and 2017, 4,762 deaths in Pennsylvania were attributed to mesothelioma and asbestos-related disease. Berks County workers contributed significantly to that toll, particularly those who spent careers in the railroad, manufacturing and construction trades that defined Reading’s industrial era.
Known Asbestos Exposure Sites in Reading and Berks County
- Bethlehem Steel, Bethlehem, PA (nearby regional site where many Berks County workers held jobs)
- Reading Railroad Shops, Reading, PA
Workers at the Reading Railroad shops faced some of the most concentrated asbestos exposure in the region. Locomotive repair and maintenance required constant handling of asbestos-containing brake linings, gaskets, boiler insulation and pipe coverings. Many Berks County workers also traveled to Bethlehem Steel, one of Pennsylvania’s largest and most documented asbestos exposure sites, where asbestos appeared throughout the facility in insulation, pipe coverings, steel molds and refractory materials. Many spent entire careers at these facilities without protective equipment or without ever learning the materials they handled daily could cause a fatal illness decades later.
Occupations & Industries Known for Asbestos Exposure in Reading
Workers across railroad, iron and steel production, and textile manufacturing industries encountered asbestos regularly throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, often in enclosed spaces where toxic fibers had nowhere to go. The railroad industry alone exposed thousands of Berks County workers to asbestos through locomotive maintenance, repair and construction work.
Jobs Linked to Asbestos Exposure in Reading and Berks County
- Auto mechanics
- Boilermakers
- Bricklayers and masons
- Carpenters and construction workers
- Electricians
- Factory maintenance workers
- Insulation installers
- Iron and steel workers
- Machinists
- Pipefitters and steamfitters
- Railroad workers
- Welders
Reading also sits close to several major Pennsylvania industrial hubs, including Bethlehem and Allentown. Many Berks County workers held jobs at facilities across the region over the course of their careers, which means asbestos exposure may have occurred at multiple sites in multiple counties or even across state lines.
Secondary Asbestos Exposure in Reading
Workers at local industrial sites carried asbestos fibers home on their work clothes, boots and skin after every shift. Family members who laundered those clothes, embraced a returning worker or simply shared a household faced real exposure without ever setting foot on a jobsite. This take-home exposure, also known as secondary asbestos exposure, affects spouses, children and other household members of Reading workers across Berks County.
Nemeroff Law Firm represents people diagnosed with mesothelioma through secondary exposure and pursues the same negligent companies responsible for the original workplace hazard. If someone in your household worked at a Reading-area industrial or railroad facility before the mid-1980s and you received a mesothelioma diagnosis, secondary exposure may play a significant role in your case. Contact Nemeroff Law Firm today for a free case review.
Am I Eligible for Mesothelioma Compensation?
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, Pennsylvania law gives you the right to hold those companies financially accountable and Nemeroff Law Firm pursues every available source of compensation for you and your family.
Nationally, mesothelioma settlements average between $1 million and $1.4 million, according to Mealey’s Litigation Report. When cases go to trial, verdicts average $20.7 million. Asbestos trust funds offer an additional source of compensation, with average payouts around $180,000 to $200,000 per trust, according to the RAND Corporation. Many Reading clients qualify to file claims with multiple trusts simultaneously, which can significantly increase total compensation.
Asbestos Verdicts and Settlements for Reading Clients From Nemeroff Law Firm
Nemeroff Law Firm has recovered more than $650 million nationally for people diagnosed with mesothelioma and their families across more than 3,000 cases over more than 40 years of practice. The firm’s Pennsylvania results include some of the largest mesothelioma verdicts and settlements in state history, built on a foundation of landmark court victories that expanded workers’ rights across Pennsylvania.
Recent Pennsylvania Results From Nemeroff Law Firm
- $10 million: Trial verdict for a mechanic
- $7.5 million: Settlement for an operator
- $7 million: Verdict for a commercial carpenter
- $6 million: Settlement for a machinist
- $5.5 million: Settlement for a boilermaker
- $5.5 million: Settlement for a steel mill worker
- $4.5 million: Settlement for a university mechanic
- $4.12 million: Settlement for a laborer
- $4 million: Settlement for a welder
- $3.9 million: Settlement for a mechanic
- $3.84 million: Settlement for a boiler and turbine engineer
- $3.3 million: Settlement for a hospital technician
In Tooey v. A.K. Steel, Nemeroff attorneys persuaded the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that workers could pursue civil claims against negligent employers for illnesses that took decades to develop. That ruling directly opened doors for Pennsylvania mesothelioma clients who might otherwise have had no legal recourse. More recently, in Herold v. University of Pittsburgh, Nemeroff attorneys won again at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, securing compensation for a former university employee despite complex statutory language that could have blocked the claim entirely.
Behind every result is a family that trusted Nemeroff Law Firm to fight for them when it mattered most. Our firm’s Pennsylvania track record reflects a commitment to pursuing every available claim, from personal injury lawsuits to trust fund filings, until clients receive the full compensation they deserve.
Explore your legal options now with a free case review
The Process of Filing an Asbestos Claim in Reading
The key to processing a mesothelioma claim is finding an attorney familiar with Pennsylvania’s courts and asbestos litigation landscape. Pennsylvania’s courts have recently expanded employer liability in mesothelioma cases, creating new opportunities for Reading clients that didn’t exist even a few years ago. We stay current on every development in state law and apply those changes to strengthen every client’s case. Contact Nemeroff Law Firm today to find out what your family may recover.
How Nemeroff Law Firm Handles Your Reading Mesothelioma Claim
- Schedule a free case review to discuss your diagnosis, work history and potential exposure sites in Reading and Berks County
- Assign investigators to reconstruct your complete asbestos exposure history across every employer and job site
- Identify all liable parties including local employers, product manufacturers and any companies connected to your Reading-area exposure
- File all qualifying claims simultaneously, including personal injury lawsuits and asbestos trust fund claims
- Manage discovery, negotiations and all court deadlines on your behalf from start to finish
Most mesothelioma lawsuits resolve within 12 to 18 months of filing. Trust fund claims can move faster and run parallel to a lawsuit, opening multiple compensation streams at the same time. Nemeroff attorneys evaluate every case-specific factor before filing to make sure each client starts in the right place.
Get Help From Our Experienced Mesothelioma Attorneys
Nemeroff Law Firm removes the legal burden entirely, with attorneys bringing more than 150 years of combined experience to every case and carry some of the most prestigious recognition in the field, including membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates, Super Lawyers designations and a “Hall of Fame” rating from The Legal 500.
The firm’s proprietary databases of asbestos-containing products and exposure sites help attorneys uncover difficult-to-trace exposure sources that other firms miss. In-house investigators reconstruct each client’s full work history in detail, connecting specific products, employers and time periods to establish clear liability. A network of medical experts supports every claim with testimony that ties a diagnosis directly to asbestos exposure.
We work on a contingency fee basis. Clients pay nothing up front and owe no legal fees unless the firm wins. The firm’s Pittsburgh office keeps attorneys close to Reading and Berks County clients and well-positioned within Pennsylvania’s court system. For clients who can’t travel, Nemeroff attorneys come to them, meeting at home or connecting via phone or video call.
Call Nemeroff Law Firm today to schedule a free case review and begin building your case today.
FAQs on Hiring a Mesothelioma Lawyer in Reading
Pennsylvania gives people diagnosed with mesothelioma generally two years from the date of diagnosis to file a personal injury lawsuit. Families who lose a loved one to mesothelioma have generally two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim. The Nemeroff Law Firm recommends calling an attorney the same day you receive a diagnosis so the firm can begin investigating your exposure history and identifying liable parties right away.
Reading’s railroad, iron and steel production and manufacturing industries put thousands of Berks County workers at serious asbestos risk throughout the 20th century. Railroad workers, boilermakers, machinists, pipefitters, insulators and factory maintenance workers faced the highest levels of exposure, often in enclosed spaces where asbestos fibers built up in the air with nowhere to go. Construction workers, electricians and welders also encountered asbestos regularly across Reading-area job sites. If you worked in any of these trades before the mid-1980s, asbestos exposure may factor into your diagnosis.
Most mesothelioma lawsuits resolve within 12 to 18 months of filing, though timelines vary depending on the number of defendants, the complexity of the exposure history and whether a case goes to trial. Trust fund claims can often move faster and run parallel to a lawsuit. When a client’s health makes speed a priority, Nemeroff Law Firm treats that urgency as a central part of the legal strategy, working to reach a resolution as quickly as possible without sacrificing compensation.
Nemeroff Law Firm works on a contingency fee basis, which means clients pay no legal fees unless the firm wins compensation for them. The firm covers all case expenses and only collects fees when it delivers results. Every Reading and Berks County family can access experienced mesothelioma representation regardless of their financial situation. Contact Nemeroff Law Firm today for a free case review with no obligation.
R. Scott Marshall
R. Scott Marshall is an attorney at the Nemeroff Law Firm with 25+ years’ experience. He leads asbestos litigation and landmark appeals for mesothelioma victims.