For the children and spouses of mesothelioma victims, both the illness period and its aftermath are typically characterized by a myriad of powerful emotions-including fear, anger, guilt and regret. It is also common for the constant stress of the grieving and bereavement periods to be compounded by financial struggles and an overwhelming list of new responsibilities.
Losing a loved one is devastating enough. Families of asbestos cancer victims don’t deserve to suffer the logistics of their tragic loss too. This ongoing series is dedicated to providing information and guidance to the newly bereaved as well as those anticipating the loss of a loved one in the near future.
Over the course of the next month, we’ll feature articles covering topics including: legal rights of asbestos’ victims families, benefits available to asbestos-injured veterans’ dependents, making hospice and palliative care arrangements for a terminally ill loved one, providing support to a family member suffering from mesothelioma, coping with grief, types of bereavement and what to expect from each, helping the terminally ill draft advance directives and other final documents-and more.
Families of Meso Victims-PART TWELVE
In this final installment of our series, we’ll wrap things up by summarizing just why standing up for your lost love one with the help of an asbestos cancer lawyer is so important and how to get started. Remember that families of victims who were unable to begin or complete the process of taking legal action by filing a mesothelioma claim still have options for either taking over or initiating action themselves. As long as you are within your state’s statute of limitation, it is not too late to stand up for what’s right.
- Taking or following through with legal action on behalf of your loved one can be an important and greatly effectual step in the grieving process. The time period spent mourning the death of someone close to you-called bereavement-varies in length and nature for everyone. But no matter how and for how long you grieve, much focus should always be placed on coping process during this difficult experience. Part of coping after a loss is making the decisions and taking the actions necessary to move forward.
- Feelings of anger during bereavement are not uncommon. Anger is a normal part of the grieving process. But for victims of negligent or illegal asbestos exposure-and their surviving family members-it can be especially pronounced. It is often said that the key to releasing anger is forgiveness. While this holds true, taking appropriate action towards a sense of justice can also play an important role in situations where the deceased individual was a victim-whether of a violent crime or asbestos cancer. A lawyer can help you in seeking that sense of justice through the civil court system.
An asbestos cancer lawyer can help you decide how to proceed legally. Your attorney will be able, though a thorough investigation, determine who the liable party (or parties) was in your loved one’s case. Those responsible for immorally exposing the victim to asbestos will be named as defendant(s) in a wrongful death suit and forced to, in some way, answer for the negligent actions of the past. For most victims’ families, this brings some sense of justice and satisfaction. Even though, sadly, nothing can bring back the person you have lost, moving through grief and the coping process is absolutely critical to your own mental and emotional health.