California Mesothelioma Lawyer

Experienced Mesothelioma Attorneys in California

Meirowitz & Wasserberg’s mesothelioma attorneys serve clients across California, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento. We’ve represented hundreds of people who received a mesothelioma diagnosis and their families. Our San Francisco office serves clients throughout the state, and we’ll come to you wherever you are.

California reports more mesothelioma cases each year than any other state in the country, according to the CDC. Decades of shipbuilding, oil refining, aerospace manufacturing and naturally occurring asbestos deposits make California one of the most active states for asbestos litigation.

From gathering evidence to document your exposure history to negotiating with defendants, our California mesothelioma attorneys work on your behalf to help you pursue compensation for medical expenses and other diagnosis-related costs. We’ve recovered more than $800 million in verdicts and settlements nationwide.

Why You Need a Mesothelioma Lawyer

Navigating an asbestos claim in California isn’t straightforward. The state generally allows one year from receiving a diagnosis to file a personal injury lawsuit. We ensure your claim is filed correctly and on time. Our attorneys know California’s courts, its asbestos case law and the companies and products responsible for asbestos exposure in the state.

How Our California Mesothelioma Attorneys Help

• Accessing medical and occupational experts who strengthen your case.
• Exploring all mesothelioma compensation options, including asbestos trust funds and veterans benefits.
• Filing claims in the correct jurisdiction for your case.
• Identifying all liable parties, including manufacturers, property owners and contractors.
• Locating employment records, exposure documentation and worksite histories.
• Understanding California’s strict liability framework for asbestos product manufacturers.

Getting the right legal help early makes a real difference in the strength of your case and the total compensation available to you. Our California mesothelioma lawyers are ready to answer your questions today with a free, no-obligation consultation.

Why Choose Our California Mesothelioma Lawyers?

If you’re a California resident who was diagnosed with mesothelioma or the family member of a recently diagnosed person, one of our San Francisco, California, attorneys can represent you. They have extensive knowledge of cases in the state. Our California mesothelioma lawyers also know California law and asbestos exposures in the state, including the ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance and the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in Long Beach.

What Sets Our California Mesothelioma Lawyers Apart

• Our trial team leads our national asbestos practice and has been selected to Super Lawyers every year since 2016.
• Samuel Meirowitz holds Top 100 Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Civil Litigator recognition from the National Trial Lawyers.
• We serve California clients statewide from our San Francisco office.
• We take on cases that other firms decline, including cases with limited exposure documentation.
• We work on a contingency basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case.
• We’re available 24/7 and offer free consultations with no obligations.
• We’ve recovered more than $800 million for mesothelioma clients across the U.S.

We treat every client as an individual, not a case number. If you or a loved one has received a mesothelioma diagnosis in California, our attorneys are ready to help you understand your options today.

Our lead attorneys have earned national recognition, including spots on the Top 100 Trial Lawyers and Top 100 Civil Litigators lists from the National Trial Lawyers. Samuel Meirowitz has earned Super Lawyers selection every year since 2016. Daniel Wasserberg has earned selection to the New York Metropolitan Super Lawyers list every year since 2013. We’re also one of the top filers of asbestos cases in the country, and other national law firms regularly refer their most complex cases to our team.

Our Mesothelioma Settlements and Verdicts

Since our founding, Meirowitz & Wasserberg has recovered more than $800 million in total verdicts and settlements for people who received a mesothelioma diagnosis and their families. While every case is different, our record of mesothelioma settlements and verdicts demonstrates our commitment to helping families like yours.

California Mesothelioma Case Results

How To File a Mesothelioma Claim in California

Filing a mesothelioma lawsuit in California takes preparation, documentation and the right legal guidance. The process has several steps and missing any one of them can affect the strength of your case and the total mesothelioma compensation available to you.

How to File a Mesothelioma Claim in California

1. Obtain a medical diagnosis: Before you file a claim, you need an official mesothelioma diagnosis from a qualified physician. This serves as the foundation of your case and starts the clock on California’s filing deadline.
2. Consult a California mesothelioma attorney: An attorney reviews your exposure history, identifies liable parties and determines which type of claim fits your situation. The sooner you reach out, the more time your legal team has to build a strong case.
3. Determine the claim type: Depending on your situation, you may have a personal injury lawsuit, a wrongful death claim, an asbestos trust fund claim or a veterans benefits claim. Many California clients pursue more than one of these at the same time.
4. Collect evidence: Your attorney gathers medical records, employment history, worksite documentation and expert testimony to support your claim. California cases often involve multiple defendants, so thorough evidence collection matters.
5. File within the deadline: Under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 340.2, California generally requires that you file a personal injury claim within one year of your mesothelioma diagnosis. Missing this deadline can permanently bar your claim.
6. Begin legal proceedings: California courts prioritize mesothelioma cases and schedule trials on a fast track, often within 120 days of filing. Your attorney handles all negotiations, hearings and court appearances on your behalf.
7. Secure compensation: If your case resolves successfully, you’ll receive a damages award covering medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering and other losses outlined in your claim.

California fast-tracks mesothelioma cases. Under  California Code of Civil Procedure Section 36, courts can grant trial preference to plaintiffs with a terminal illness, meaning your case can reach trial in as little as 120 days from filing, compared to the 18-24 months typical in many other states.

Video

What are the Different Types of Claims for Mesothelioma Lawsuits?

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In the asbestos litigation, the Mesothelioma litigation, there are two paths to recovery. One is through the court system: that’s litigation, filing a lawsuit, a tort claim. Another path to recovery is bankruptcy trust claims. That’s an administrative process where we file claims and try to get them approved. I’m going to explain each one. First, the lawsuit. When we file a lawsuit, we may file a products liability claim. We may file a premises liability claim. We may even file a case against suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, and others. The genesis of all this is usually the product manufacturer, but sometimes they may not be available. They may already be in that bankruptcy trust system, and in that case, we’re still going to try to get whoever’s available within the litigation process. In the litigation format, we’re typically pursuing a few different paths of liability. The most common is products liability- who manufactured the product? Another is premises liability- where did the accident or injury occur? Another is contractor liability- which company was installing the asbestos you were breathing in? Another is suppliers, wholesalers, retailers- at the outset of a case, you never know who’s going to be available. That’s why you’ve got to hire a professional. We will sit down with you, take the time to meet with you, talk to you, figure it all out, and do the research on our end. Whoever we can include in your asbestos case, we will, because the more shares there are to develop a recovery for you, the better off we’re going to be able to do for you. That’s in the client’s best interests. The bankruptcy trust claims are different from litigation. I think most people know that, but I want to take a moment to explain it. These are companies that were once being sued in the tort system in courts, but they went in front of judges and said, “Judge, bankruptcy judge, our liabilities exceed our ability to pay. We don’t have enough money for all of these claims. Please help us reorganize.” There’s actually a special provision in the bankruptcy code that allows them to do that now. So, these companies will form trusts. These trusts pay victims of asbestos exposure, and they pay a different amount for Misela and lung cancer. We don’t need to get into that right now, but there are different proofs required. One of the big misunderstandings is that there’s one big asbestos trust. That’s just not true. Some television advertising maybe makes people think that, but these are all individual trusts from individual companies. If you give me a call, I can talk to you about which one you may have been exposed to and which one might be available for you as compensation for your injury.

California Statute of Limitations

California Code of Civil Procedure Section 340.2 governs the filing deadline for asbestos personal injury claims. California generally sets the deadline at one year from the date of your mesothelioma diagnosis to file a personal injury lawsuit.

Under the discovery rule built into §340.2, the clock begins not at the date of asbestos exposure, often decades earlier, but on the date you knew, or reasonably should have known, that asbestos exposure caused your illness. For most people who receive a mesothelioma diagnosis, that means the clock starts at diagnosis.

For wrongful death claims, California generally gives family members one year from the loss of a loved one to file. Asbestos trust fund claims have their own filing deadlines, set by each trust, that operate separately from California’s lawsuit deadline. A missed court deadline doesn’t automatically end a trust claim, but it can affect your compensation options. Speak with our legal team as soon as possible.

California Courts for Mesothelioma Cases

California courts handle more mesothelioma cases than almost any other state. Several courts have developed streamlined processes to move these cases forward quickly. Filing in the right court matters. Your attorney will assess the appropriate jurisdiction based on where you were exposed to asbestos and where the defendants ran their operations.

Asbestos Trust Funds

Asbestos trust funds are financial reserves that some companies set up as part of the bankruptcy process to compensate people exposed to their asbestos products. When manufacturers faced lawsuits for the harm their products caused, many chose to file for bankruptcy and created these trusts to pay current and future claims. Today, more than $30 billion remains available across more than 60 active asbestos trust funds in the U.S., according to the RAND Corporation and the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

California Asbestos Trust Funds

• Johns Manville Trust: One of the largest asbestos trusts in the country, covering insulation and building materials that California construction and shipbuilding industries heavily relied on.
• Kaiser Aluminum Trust: Relevant to workers at California industrial facilities where Kaiser operated.
• Owens Corning Trust: Covering insulation products that California construction and manufacturing companies relied on heavily.
• W.R. Grace Trust: Covering vermiculite and other asbestos-containing products that California industries depended on.

Filing a trust fund claim doesn’t reduce or replace what you can recover through a lawsuit. Many California clients pursue both at the same time depending on the companies involved in their exposure. Trust fund payouts average between $30,000 from a single trust and $600,000 from multiple combined trusts, though your specific recovery depends on your exposure history and the trusts you’re eligible for. Our California mesothelioma attorneys can identify every trust fund you qualify for and handle the filing process for you.

Asbestos Exposure Sites in California

According to the CDC, California has a long industrial history that has put thousands of workers in direct contact with asbestos. The state ranks first in the country for total mesothelioma cases. The risks of asbestos exposure were especially high at shipyards, oil refineries, military bases and construction sites across the state. Many of these sites operated during the peak decades of asbestos use, from the 1940s through the 1970s, and workers often had no idea of the danger. The sites below are examples, not a complete list. If you worked at a California facility that is not named here, our attorneys can still investigate your exposure history.

Los Angeles Area

Los Angeles was one of the most industrially active regions in California during the peak decades of asbestos use. Workers at shipyards, oil refineries and public schools encountered asbestos regularly.

• ExxonMobil Refinery, Torrance: Maintenance workers and contractors encountered asbestos insulation on industrial equipment throughout the refinery.
• Long Beach Naval Shipyard, Long Beach: Shipbuilders and repair workers found asbestos in pipe insulation, boiler rooms and hull coatings throughout the facility.
• Los Angeles Harbor shipyards, San Pedro: Commercial shipbuilding and repair operations used asbestos extensively as insulation and fireproofing materials.
• Los Angeles Unified School District: Dozens of older schools that crews built before the 1980s contained asbestos in insulation, ceiling tiles and flooring that exposed teachers, custodians and students.
• Tesoro Refinery, Carson and Wilmington: Refinery workers handled asbestos-containing insulation on pipes, furnaces and heat exchangers during regular maintenance

San Francisco Bay Area

The Bay Area’s shipbuilding and oil refining industries made it one of the most significant asbestos exposure regions in the country. Many mesothelioma veterans trace their exposure to the naval facilities in this region.

• Chevron Refinery, Richmond: Refinery workers and maintenance crews handled asbestos-containing insulation on pipes, boilers and processing equipment.
• Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco: Navy personnel and civilian workers encountered asbestos in ship construction and repair operations throughout the facility.
• Kaiser Shipyards, Richmond: Tens of thousands of workers built ships here during World War II, and asbestos was used to insulate pipes and as fireproofing on nearly every vessel.
• Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo: One of the oldest naval shipyards on the West Coast, where workers handled asbestos insulation in boiler rooms and engine compartments.
• Shell Oil Refinery, Martinez: Workers encountered asbestos in heat-resistant materials throughout the refinery during construction and maintenance operations.

San Diego Area

San Diego’s large military presence and active shipbuilding industry made it a significant source of asbestos exposure for Navy personnel and civilian workers alike.

• Camp Pendleton, San Diego County: Marines and civilian workers encountered asbestos in barracks, hangars and mechanical systems across the base.
• MCAS Miramar, San Diego: Military personnel and maintenance workers encountered asbestos in aircraft hangars, mechanical systems and older base buildings.
• National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego: One of the largest shipbuilders on the West Coast, where workers encountered asbestos in insulation, piping and fireproofing materials.
• Naval Base San Diego: Navy personnel encountered asbestos aboard ships and in shore facilities throughout the base.
• Todd Shipyards, San Pedro: Shipbuilders and repair workers handled asbestos insulation and fireproofing materials throughout ship construction and overhaul operation.

Central Valley and Other California Locations

Asbestos exposure wasn’t limited to coastal cities. Inland California had its own significant exposure sites, including mining operations and industrial facilities.

• Atlas Asbestos Mine, Coalinga (Fresno County): The largest asbestos mining operation in California. The mine was active from the early 1960s through 1979 and produced chrysotile asbestos, the fibrous mineral used in most commercial asbestos products, for industrial use nationwide. Miners, nearby residents and off-roaders faced direct exposure to raw fibers. The EPA designated the area a Superfund site. Because the latency period between exposure and diagnosis is 20 to 60 years, new mesothelioma diagnoses continue to be reported.
• Clear Creek Management Area, San Benito and Fresno Counties: A roughly 75,000-acre area with naturally occurring asbestos in the soil and rock. The Bureau of Land Management restricted recreational access in 2008 after EPA testing showed that off-roading and hiking kicked up airborne fibers to levels associated with elevated mesothelioma risk. Former workers, geologists and recreational users in the area before access restrictions may have exposure histories.
• El Dorado Hills, El Dorado County: A residential community built on top of a natural asbestos deposit. Residents, construction workers, landscapers and children playing outdoors have faced exposure from naturally occurring asbestos that development, gardening and weather can disturb. EPA and ATSDR studies in 2005 and 2011 confirmed elevated airborne asbestos in the area. 
• KCAC Mine (King City Asbestos Co.), Monterey County: A smaller asbestos mining and processing operation. Former miners, processors and workers at facilities that handled KCAC products may be eligible to pursue mesothelioma claims under California’s strict liability framework for asbestos product manufacturers.
• Edwards Air Force Base, Kern County: Military personnel and civilian contractors were exposed to asbestos in aircraft hangars, test facilities and older base infrastructure.
• Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Eureka: Workers at this Northern California facility were exposed to asbestos in insulation around turbines, pipes and other heat-generating equipment.
• Mojave Power Station, Mojave: Power plant workers handled asbestos-containing insulation materials on boilers and steam systems throughout the facility.
• Pacific Gas and Electric plants, statewide: PG&E workers encountered asbestos insulation on turbines, boilers and piping at power generation facilities across California.

High-Risk Occupations for Asbestos Exposure in California

California’s industrial boom from the 1940s through the 1970s created steady work for hundreds of thousands of people across the state. But many of those jobs came with a hidden danger. Workers in certain occupations faced regular contact with asbestos on the job, often without any warning from their employers about the health risks. Understanding occupational asbestos exposure can help you connect your diagnosis to a specific workplace or industry and strengthen your claim.

• Aerospace and defense manufacturing workers: California facilities that Lockheed, Northrop and Boeing operated employed thousands of workers who encountered asbestos in insulation, gaskets and fireproofing materials used in aircraft and defense systems manufacturing.
• Auto mechanics: Brake pads and clutch components contained asbestos well into the 1980s. California mechanics who serviced vehicles regularly inhaled asbestos dust during brake jobs and clutch replacements.
• Construction workers: California’s postwar construction boom overlapped directly with peak asbestos use. Workers installed asbestos-containing insulation, floor tiles, ceiling materials and roofing products in homes, schools and commercial buildings across the state.
• Insulators and pipefitters: These workers applied and removed asbestos insulation directly, giving them some of the highest exposure levels of any occupation. California’s shipbuilding and refining industries employed large numbers of insulators and pipefitters throughout the peak decades of asbestos use.
• Military personnel: California hosted more military bases than almost any other state. Navy personnel, Marines and Air Force members encountered asbestos in ships, barracks, aircraft hangars and mechanical systems at bases including Camp Pendleton, Naval Base San Diego and Travis Air Force Base.
• Oil refinery workers: Refineries in Richmond, Torrance, Martinez and the Los Angeles basin relied heavily on asbestos insulation for heat-resistant equipment. Maintenance workers and pipefitters had the most frequent contact with the material.
• Power plant workers: Workers at PG&E; facilities, Southern California Edison plants and other power-generation sites handled asbestos insulation on turbines, boilers and steam piping throughout their careers.
• Shipyard workers: Workers at California’s major shipyards in Long Beach, San Francisco, Vallejo and San Diego handled asbestos insulation, fireproofing materials and pipe coverings on a daily basis. Many didn’t know the fibers they inhaled would cause mesothelioma decades later.

California workers in these occupations may also have brought asbestos fibers home on their clothing and hair, putting family members at risk of secondary exposure. If you worked in any of these industries or lived with someone who did, our California mesothelioma attorneys can help you explore your legal options.

California Veterans and Mesothelioma Compensation 

California’s veterans often have two separate paths to compensation: VA disability benefits and a civil lawsuit against asbestos product manufacturers. These claims don’t conflict with each other. Our firm has helped veterans across California pursue both at the same time, and we know how to build the exposure history that makes both claims as strong as possible.

California Asbestos Laws and Legislation

California’s legal framework gives people who received a mesothelioma diagnosis some of the strongest protections in the country. California applies a strict liability doctrine to asbestos product manufacturers. That means you don’t need to prove the manufacturer was negligent, only that the product contained asbestos and that exposure caused your illness. This is a substantially friendlier standard for plaintiffs than the negligence-based standards in many other states.

California Senate Bill 447, signed into law in 2021 and effective January 1, 2022, temporarily expanded the damages an estate could recover in a survival action after a person’s death. Before SB 447, California law didn’t allow estates to recover noneconomic damages like pain and suffering in these cases. SB 447 allowed that recovery, but only for actions filed between January 1, 2022, and January 1, 2026, or those granted trial preference before that window began. Because the provision has expired, survival actions filed on or after January 1, 2026 are limited to economic damages once again, unless the California legislature enacts new legislation restoring the expanded recovery. This change doesn’t affect wrongful death claims brought by surviving family members, which are a separate type of claim under California law.

California Senate Bill 645, which took effect in 2019, created important protections for people with a terminal illness who need to give testimony before trial. SB 645 allows California courts to prioritize the depositions of terminally ill plaintiffs, preserving their testimony for trial even if they pass away before testifying in court. For people who receive a mesothelioma diagnosis, that means their account of their exposure history and the impact of their illness can still reach a jury in their own words.

Frequently Asked Questions About California Mesothelioma Lawyers

What Our Clients Say

We are proud to be dedicated to our clients from start to finish of a case. However, don’t just take our word for it. Read our testimonials to learn more about our former clients’ experiences with us.

Contact Our Experienced California Mesothelioma Lawyers

If you or a loved one has received a mesothelioma diagnosis in California, don’t wait to get legal help. California’s one-year statute of limitations means time matters. Our California mesothelioma lawyers are available 24/7 and serve clients throughout the state from our San Francisco office. Call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation. We work on a contingency basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case.

About The Author

Samuel Meirowitz

Founding Partner

Samuel Meirowitz, a founding partner of Meirowitz & Wasserberg, has been recognized by New York Metro Super Lawyers annually since 2016. A Cardozo School of Law graduate and former prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney's Office, he won the first multimillion-dollar asbestos verdict in a New York federal court in over 20 years.