Legally Reviewed by Joseph P. Williams on June 4, 2025
A mesothelioma diagnosis changes everything — for you and for your family. The illness is aggressive, the timeline is urgent, and the legal process can feel overwhelming when you are also facing treatment decisions. New York mesothelioma attorneys at the Williams Law Firm represent asbestos exposure victims across Long Island, throughout New York, and nationwide. Our goal is straightforward: investigate the source of your exposure, build the strongest possible case, and recover the compensation your family needs.
Attorney Joseph P. Williams has spent nearly 25 years representing mesothelioma victims and their families. He has recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients suffering from asbestos-related illnesses. When you work with the Williams Law Firm, you will work directly with an attorney who understands mesothelioma law, knows Long Island’s asbestos history, and handles every aspect of your case personally. We take all mesothelioma cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will not pay any legal fees until we are successful with your case.
⚠ Time-Sensitive — New York Law Limits Your Window to File
Diagnosed with mesothelioma on Long Island? New York’s 3-year statute of limitations runs from your diagnosis date, not your exposure date.
Nearly 25 years representing mesothelioma victims. Millions recovered in verdicts and settlements. Attorney Williams handles every case personally. No fees unless we win.
Choosing the right legal representation after a mesothelioma diagnosis is one of the most consequential decisions your family will make. There are large national firms that handle hundreds of cases at a time. The Williams Law Firm takes a different approach: when you hire Attorney Williams, you work directly with him throughout your case — not with a rotating team of associates or paralegals who do not know your history.
Attorney Williams has devoted nearly his entire career to asbestos litigation. He knows the Long Island industrial sites, the history of asbestos use in Nassau and Suffolk counties, and the New York court system. He has recovered millions of dollars for families across Long Island and is familiar with the specific manufacturers, contractors, and employers who put workers at risk. That local knowledge matters when building your case and pursuing every available source of compensation. The Williams Law Firm handles mesothelioma cases on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Long Island carries a disproportionate asbestos burden. According to the New York State Department of Health, Nassau County alone recorded an estimated 1,403 asbestos-related deaths between 1999 and 2017 — one of the highest county-level totals in the entire state. The death rate from asbestos-related exposure in Nassau County is 5.6 per 100,000 people. Suffolk County ranks among the top three New York counties for asbestos-related deaths as well.
The reason is industrial history. Long Island was home to major aerospace, military, and manufacturing operations throughout the mid-20th century, all of which made heavy use of asbestos-containing materials. Decades later, many of the workers from those facilities — and in some cases their family members — are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma. Between 150 and 200 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed annually in New York State, and Long Island consistently accounts for a significant share of those cases.
Attorney Williams has represented clients with asbestos exposure histories at facilities across Long Island, including:
Exposure did not always happen on the job. Family members of workers who handled asbestos materials may have been exposed through fibers carried home on work clothing. If your exposure history involves any of these sites or industries, you may have a valid claim even if decades have passed since the exposure occurred.
Not everyone diagnosed with mesothelioma worked directly with asbestos. Many Long Island residents were exposed without ever setting foot in an industrial facility. This is known as secondary or take-home exposure, and it most often affected the spouses and children of workers who carried asbestos fibers home on their clothing, hair, and work boots. A wife who laundered her husband’s dust-covered work clothes, or a child who hugged a parent returning from a shift at Grumman or a Nassau County construction site, could inhale enough fibers over time to develop the disease decades later.
New York courts have recognized secondary asbestos exposure as a valid basis for a mesothelioma claim. If you developed mesothelioma and a family member worked around asbestos on Long Island, you may be entitled to compensation even though you were never employed at an industrial site yourself. Attorney Williams investigates household exposure histories with the same rigor he applies to occupational cases, tracing the worker’s job sites and the products they handled to identify the companies responsible.
The Williams Law Firm handles the full range of mesothelioma and asbestos-related claims for Long Island victims and their families. Depending on your situation, Attorney Williams will evaluate which legal paths may be available to you:
These claims are not mutually exclusive. In many cases, Attorney Williams pursues multiple avenues of compensation simultaneously to maximize the recovery for you and your family.
Many of the companies that manufactured or supplied the asbestos products responsible for Long Island exposures have since filed for bankruptcy. As a condition of those bankruptcies, courts required the companies to set aside money in dedicated asbestos trust funds to compensate current and future victims. These trusts collectively hold tens of billions of dollars and continue to pay valid claims today, long after the companies stopped operating.
Filing a trust fund claim is separate from a personal injury lawsuit, and many Long Island victims are eligible for both. Each trust has its own filing requirements, exposure criteria, and payment schedule. Attorney Williams identifies which trusts match your exposure history, prepares the supporting documentation, and files on your behalf. Pursuing trust fund claims alongside a lawsuit is often the most effective way to maximize the total compensation available to you and your family.
Most people facing a mesothelioma diagnosis have never been involved in litigation. The process can feel unfamiliar, but the Williams Law Firm handles every step so you can focus on your health. Here is what to expect when you contact us:
We begin with a free consultation to review your diagnosis, your work history, and any known asbestos exposure. Attorney Williams will investigate the origins of your illness — identifying the manufacturers, contractors, or employers responsible for the asbestos products you encountered. We then file your lawsuit in the appropriate New York court and pursue compensation through either a negotiated settlement or trial. Mesothelioma cases filed in New York are generally fast-tracked given the serious nature of the illness, and many clients begin receiving compensation within months of filing. You can learn more about how long mesothelioma cases typically take and what records your attorney will need to get started.
New York law gives mesothelioma victims three years from the date of diagnosis to file a personal injury lawsuit. For wrongful death claims, the three-year window runs from the date of death. These deadlines are strict — missing them typically means losing the right to recover compensation entirely. If you or a family member has recently been diagnosed, contacting an attorney as soon as possible is one of the most important steps you can take. If you are unsure whether you have a claim, our page on knowing if you have a mesothelioma case and when to file can help.
Every mesothelioma case begins with a detailed investigation. Attorney Williams starts by building a thorough exposure history — going back decades if necessary — to identify every product, worksite, and employer that contributed to the diagnosis. He understands the Long Island industrial landscape: the aerospace facilities in Bethpage, the shipyard work at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for workers who commuted from Nassau and Suffolk, the construction trades, and the schools and public buildings where maintenance workers were routinely exposed.
Once the exposure sources are identified, Attorney Williams works to match them to the responsible manufacturers and contractors. Many of these companies no longer exist as independent entities — they have been acquired, dissolved, or reorganized into bankruptcy trusts. Knowing how to navigate those trusts, and which ones apply to Long Island exposure histories, is a significant part of recovering maximum compensation for clients. In cases that proceed to litigation, Attorney Williams prepares every case with the same rigor he would bring to trial.
Seek treatment at a specialized center. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that requires care from physicians with specific experience treating it. Leading medical centers in the New York region that treat mesothelioma include Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, NYU Langone Health, and Stony Brook University Hospital on Long Island. Stony Brook’s oncology program is the closest major academic medical center to most Long Island patients and offers access to clinical trials and multidisciplinary mesothelioma care.
Document your work and exposure history. Before memories fade, write down every employer, worksite, and product you can recall from your working years. Include dates, job titles, and the names of supervisors or coworkers who may have witnessed your exposure. This information forms the foundation of your legal claim.
Contact a mesothelioma attorney before the statute of limitations runs. New York’s three-year window begins at diagnosis — not at exposure. Waiting too long limits your options and the evidence available to your attorney. An early consultation costs nothing and preserves your rights.
New York gives mesothelioma victims three years from the date of diagnosis to file a personal injury lawsuit. For wrongful death claims, the three-year period runs from the date of the victim’s death. These deadlines are strictly enforced — missing them means losing the right to recover compensation. If you have recently been diagnosed or lost a family member, contacting an attorney promptly is critical.
Yes. Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years between asbestos exposure and diagnosis. New York’s statute of limitations is measured from the date of diagnosis, not the date of exposure, specifically to account for this delay. Many Long Island workers who were exposed in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s are only now being diagnosed and are entitled to pursue claims.
Compensation in mesothelioma cases may include medical expenses, lost income and earning capacity, pain and suffering, and costs of future care. Wrongful death claims may also recover funeral costs and compensation for the family’s loss. In addition to lawsuit verdicts and settlements, compensation may be available from asbestos bankruptcy trust funds and, for veterans, through VA benefits programs. Attorney Williams evaluates all available sources and pursues them simultaneously where possible.
Most clients never have to appear in court. Attorney Williams handles all court filings, depositions, and negotiations on your behalf. He comes to you for consultations and can meet at your home or a location that is convenient given your health. Many mesothelioma cases in New York resolve through negotiated settlements rather than trial, allowing clients to receive compensation without the stress of a courthouse appearance.
The Williams Law Firm handles all mesothelioma cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay nothing upfront and owe no legal fees unless we recover compensation for you. There are no hidden costs or retainer fees. You can consult with Attorney Williams at no charge to understand your options before making any decisions.
Many asbestos manufacturers have gone through bankruptcy and established trust funds specifically to compensate victims. These trusts hold billions of dollars and continue to pay claims long after the companies ceased operations. Attorney Williams has experience identifying which trusts apply to Long Island exposure histories and filing claims on behalf of clients. A company being out of business does not end your right to compensation.
Attorney Joseph P. Williams has dedicated nearly 25 years to representing mesothelioma victims and their families across Long Island and New York. He has recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients exposed to asbestos at Long Island’s most significant industrial and commercial sites. The Williams Law Firm takes every mesothelioma case on a contingency fee basis — there are no fees unless we succeed on your behalf.
If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, time matters. Contact the Williams Law Firm today for a free consultation. You can reach us at (855) 575-6376 or submit a free case evaluation here.
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