Why Wilentz?

Results achieved in prior matters are not meant to be a guarantee of success as the facts and legal circumstances vary from matter to matter.

Wilentz attorneys have been handling asbestos cases in New Jersey and New York for over 40 years. We were among the first firms in New Jersey, New York, and the nation – to file asbestos claims. Since then, we remain at the forefront of the fight for just compensation for the victims of asbestos-related diseases. Our dedication to this cause has allowed us to gain experience, knowledge, data, documentation and other resources, all of which we bring to every matter we handle, both through litigation in state and federal courts and through the asbestos bankruptcy settlement trusts.

We have extensive knowledge of New Jersey’s and New York’s industrial history and significant databases of local sources of asbestos exposure. Our client-centered team treats every asbestos victim individually and understands that each case is first and foremost, about a person and his or her family, not just about a news-making verdict that may remain in the court system, tied up in appeals, for years beyond.

We understand the devastation that mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases cause not only to the patient, but to his or her family as well, and we strive to make the legal process as least disruptive as possible. We make home visits, and we are always mindful of a patient’s medical care schedule.

As a result of handling asbestos-related matters for decades, and because we are concentrated in New Jersey and New York; we have extensive familiarity with local resources including the variety of world-class medical care available to patients with asbestos-related illnesses.

Our History

Wilentz attorneys are pioneers in asbestos personal injury litigation. We were among the first in the country to file asbestos cases, dating back to 1977. Since then, we have uncovered many of the asbestos industry’s frauds and cover-ups regarding the hazards of asbestos, and we have recovered over $2 billion in aggregate settlements and verdicts for our injured clients. 

As a result of more than 40 years of experience and ongoing caseload and investigations, we have a depth of knowledge of the historical use of asbestos products in New Jersey and New York – not only in commercial, institutional and residential construction, but utilities, manufacturing, and transportation. As part of our commitment to serve New Jersey and New York asbestos victims, we have compiled an extensive database of asbestos exposures in this area.

We pride ourselves on our long history of fighting for veterans – the men and women who fought for us, and whose fate should not have included an asbestos-related illness. And we pride ourselves on our committed work on behalf of union members – the men and women who drove the great economic engines of industry in New Jersey and New York.

Databases and Information

In our decades-long history of recovering compensation for asbestos victims, we have amassed millions of documents and thousands of deposition and trial transcripts of witnesses, industry representatives experts, and others, as well as detailed databases of information about the industrial, commercial, and residential use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. This resource is essential for pursuing asbestos-related claims, both through litigation and through the Asbestos Bankruptcy Settlement Trusts.

Client Focused

Our strategy for each case is informed by the needs and interests of the client. We are always prepared to fight for our clients’ rights in court, but we are not driven to always go for the headline-grabbing verdict. We know that these eye-popping verdicts come with years of appeals and re-litigation, while the victims spend these years without the much-needed financial support that is their right, or the peace of mind of a resolution to their case. It is always the choice of a fully informed client whether or not to accept a settlement or go to trial.

We take a holistic approach to our client service, and we do more than simply process a client’s claim. We can connect clients to available medical care, and we advise them on workers compensation claims, estate planning, and a number of other issues that arise for patients and their families as a result of asbestos-related illnesses.

Being local allows us to build strong cases

Because we have concentrated our attention on the states in which we are based, New Jersey and New York, we have gained an intimate knowledge of the process, the system, and the players in these states. We also have the advantage of our extensive databases of information and documentation about asbestos manufacturers, users, and locations in New Jersey and New York. Our legal strategy is informed by these unique resources.

New Jersey

Wilentz has been practicing law in New Jersey for over 100 years, and we are intimately familiar with New Jersey’s history, its industrial and commercial landscape, and its people.

In the 20th century, New Jersey’s role as an industrial powerhouse came with a dark side in the form of widespread manufacture and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products.

Asbestos products were popular in industry, transportation, and commercial and residential construction. Asbestos was touted as ideal for a vast range of applications because it is heat resistant, and performs well as an insulator, and because it does not corrode and is resistant to chemicals. Unfortunately, it was also included in many products just as a filler or binder. So asbestos products are throughout structures built in or before the 1970’s.

New Jersey has a heavy concentration of occupational settings that used asbestos extensively, including shipyards and military bases, pharmaceutical manufacturers, refineries, industrial product manufacturers, and construction sites. As a result, hundreds of thousands of workers and military personnel – and their families – were exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos.

The following occupational settings have a high likelihood of asbestos exposure and the appearance of mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases:

  • Shipyard workers and veterans
  • Industrial workers
  • Utility workers
  • Workers in the construction and building trades
  • Refinery, foundry, and steel workers
  • Maintenance workers
  • Chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and beverage workers 

New York

Wilentz attorneys have been at the forefront of the fight for just compensation for New York victims of asbestos-related illnesses. We were co-lead trial counsel in the first New York Consolidated Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Trial in 1990, and in the first New York Powerhouse Consolidation in 1993, recovering $17.9 million and $110 million, respectively.

In the years since, we fought for the rights of thousands of victims of asbestos on behalf of New Yorkers.

If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos and have experienced any of these symptoms or illnesses, you could be eligible to file a claim. Schedule a free consultation or phone a member of the Wilentz team today.