What Meirowitz & Wasserberg Does for San Francisco Families
Meirowitz & Wasserberg has secured more than $500 million in total compensation for mesothelioma clients across the country, including people with exposure tied to Bay Area shipyards, refineries and military installations. Unlike most states, which allow two to four years to file, California mesothelioma individuals are encouraged to seek legal counsel sooner as the filing window is generally one year. From the moment a client calls us, we move. We start building your case immediately.
San Francisco’s civil court system handles mesothelioma cases through a dedicated Asbestos Department in Department 613 and California courts often grant preference scheduling to mesothelioma patients, allowing cases to move more quickly than standard civil litigation.
“$500M+ Recovered” | “Top-10 Asbestos Case Filer” | “300+ Asbestos Cases” | “24/7 Free Consultations”
San Francisco Mesothelioma Compensation Results
Meirowitz & Wasserberg has secured significant compensation through mesothelioma lawsuits for clients across California and the Bay Area. Our attorneys understand the state’s exposure landscape and California’s asbestos litigation processes.
What Our Clients Have Secured
- $32M+ verdict: Our attorneys obtained a favorable ruling with a person who developed mesothelioma from secondhand asbestos exposure, with the jury assigning liability to premises defendant Kraft Heinz and contractor Metal Masters Inc.
- $18M verdict: Our attorneys secured this verdict for a California woman who developed mesothelioma after using talcum powder throughout her life, one of the largest talcum powder mesothelioma verdicts in the state.
- $5M settlement: A nurse was awarded this amount after she encountered asbestos in junior high and high school buildings in Los Angeles, a case that demonstrates our ability to pursue exposure claims tied to institutional settings.
- $4.3M settlement: Our attorneys negotiated a settlement for a California woman who developed mesothelioma from secondhand exposure as the wife of a produce trucking company owner and operator.
- $39M+ verdict: Our attorneys won this verdict for a person diagnosed following a talc pleurodesis procedure, the largest mesothelioma settlement in Massachusetts history, reflecting what our trial team delivers nationwide.
Our attorneys know how to build winning cases in California courts and how to pursue every dollar of compensation our clients deserve. Our record of results demonstrates our commitment and ability to serve our clients effectively.
GET A FREE CASE REVIEWHow San Francisco Mesothelioma Clients Can Seek Compensation
We advocate for San Francisco mesothelioma clients through filing the claims that best protects your rights. Our attorneys start building your case from the first call.
Compensation Sources for Bay Area Mesothelioma Clients
- Asbestos trust funds: More than 60 active trust funds hold more than $30 billion for people with asbestos-related diseases nationally. Several funds connect directly to companies that supplied asbestos products to Bay Area shipyards, refineries and power plants, including the Johns Manville Trust, the W.R. Grace Trust, the Kaiser Aluminum Trust and the Owens Corning Trust. Our attorneys identify every trust you qualify for and file all claims simultaneously.
- Personal injury lawsuits: If you have a mesothelioma diagnosis, you can file a lawsuit against the companies whose products caused your exposure. San Francisco’s civil court system handles mesothelioma cases through a dedicated Asbestos Department in California courts often grant preference scheduling to mesothelioma patients, allowing cases to move more quickly than standard civil litigation.
- VA benefits: The Bay Area has one of the largest veteran populations in California. Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma may qualify for VA disability compensation and health care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Pursuing VA benefits doesn’t prevent you from also filing a civil lawsuit or trust fund claims.
- Workers’ compensation: If your asbestos exposure happened at a California jobsite, you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. Our attorneys help clients pursue worker’s compensation with other claims where eligible.
- Wrongful death lawsuits: If a family member died from mesothelioma, a spouse, child or domestic partner can file a wrongful death claim in California, with a one year deadline to file from the date of death.
Managing multiple claims at once requires a deep understanding of asbestos litigation, and our attorneys are well-versed in filing trust fund claims, VA paperwork, and lawsuits in tandem. We ensure that no opportunity is overlooked or unnecessarily delayed in providing thorough and timely legal representation.
Where San Francisco Residents Encountered Asbestos
San Francisco’s position as the Pacific Coast’s premier port drove shipbuilding, power generation and commercial construction for more than a century and asbestos ran through all of it. More than 27,000 people died from asbestos-related conditions in California from 1999 to 2017 and San Francisco ranked in the top 15 counties in the state for mesothelioma deaths during that period. The exposure that caused those deaths often happened decades earlier, at jobsites that no longer exist under their original names.
San Francisco Asbestos Exposure Sites
- Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, San Francisco: One of the oldest shipyards on the West Coast, founded in 1849 and by Bethlehem Steel. Workers across multiple trades encountered asbestos in ship construction and repair throughout the facility’s operating history.
- Hunters Point Naval Shipyard: Workers faced dual contamination from asbestos in ship insulation, pipe lagging and boiler systems and from radioactive materials brought in for decontamination after nuclear testing. The EPA designated the site a Superfund location and cleanup controversies have continued for decades. The site sits on naturally occurring asbestos deposits, adding a layer of risk that extends beyond standard shipyard exposure.
- J.T. Thorpe & Sons, San Francisco: This industrial insulation contractor operated across the Bay Area and used asbestos extensively in its insulation work, exposing both its own workers and those at the facilities it serviced.
- Pacific Gas & Electric, Hunters Point Power Plant: PG&E operated this power generation facility in the Hunters Point neighborhood, where maintenance workers and contractors encountered asbestos in boilers, turbines and electrical insulation throughout the plant’s operational history.
- Pacific Gas & Electric, Potrero Power Plant: This PG&E facility in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood used asbestos extensively in its power generation equipment and building systems, putting maintenance and electrical workers at serious risk throughout the mid-20th century.
- San Francisco construction sites: San Francisco’s commercial and residential construction boom from the 1950s through the 1980s relied heavily on asbestos-containing materials including insulation, floor tiles, ceiling tiles and joint compound, putting workers, electricians, plumbers and renovators at risk.
- San Francisco Unified School District buildings: Many older school buildings across San Francisco used asbestos in floor tiles, ceiling materials, pipe insulation and boiler rooms. Students, teachers, custodians and maintenance workers who spent years and careers in these buildings faced regular exposure risks.
- Treasure Island Naval Shipyard: This San Francisco Bay facility served as a naval base and shipyard with documented asbestos use in building materials and ship maintenance operations.
- W.R. Grace, San Francisco operations: W.R. Grace processed vermiculite contaminated with asbestos from Libby, Montana at California facilities, exposing workers to asbestos fibers throughout its processing operations before filing for bankruptcy in 2001.
California sits on at least 235 identified asbestos deposits and 45 of the state’s 58 counties contain naturally occurring asbestos. That geological reality shaped which industries chose California and how deeply asbestos penetrated the state’s workforce. If you worked at any of the sites below, a diagnosis today may still connect directly to that exposure.
Secondary exposure also affected San Francisco families. Workers who came home from Hunters Point, PG&E facilities or Bay Area construction sites carried asbestos fibers on their clothing, tools and hair, putting family members at risk without ever setting foot on a jobsite. Our attorneys know how to build these claims and have won millions for clients in exactly this situation. If any of these sites connect to your diagnosis, call us now.
Filing a Mesothelioma Lawsuit in San Francisco
Filing a mesothelioma lawsuit should occur as soon after diagnosis as possible to grant our attorney’s efficient time to collect documentation and prepare your case. California courts prioritize mesothelioma cases and often schedule trials within 120 days of filing.
How We Handle Your San Francisco Mesothelioma Case
- Immediate case evaluation: We review your diagnosis, medical records and work history at no cost from the moment you call. Through gathering as much evidence as possible, we can potentially identify the responsible party and secure financial relief.
- Parallel filing strategy: We file trust fund claims, VA disability paperwork and your personal injury lawsuit simultaneously to save valued time.
- Exposure investigation: Our team traces your asbestos exposure across Bay Area jobsites, Navy installations and any other locations where you encountered asbestos, building a detailed timeline that connects your diagnosis to the responsible companies.
- Court selection: San Francisco County Superior Court and Alameda County Superior Court both handle Bay Area mesothelioma cases. Our attorneys select the jurisdiction that gives your case the best outcome based on where your exposure occurred and where defendants operated.
- Settlement or trial: California courts often resolve mesothelioma cases within 120 days of filing. When defendants offer fair compensation, we move quickly to close. When they don’t, we take them to trial.
San Francisco families facing a mesothelioma diagnosis carry enough weight without the pressure of a one-year legal deadline. Contact us today, our attorneys will begin working immediately to pursue the compensation you deserve.
Meirowitz & Wasserberg’s San Francisco Mesothelioma Attorneys
San Francisco mesothelioma clients need attorneys who understand California’s filing requirements, know the Bay Area’s specific industrial exposure history and have the trial record to make defendants take every case seriously. Meirowitz & Wasserberg delivers all three from our SoMa office at 95 Third St. Partners Samuel Meirowitz and Daniel Wasserberg hold active California licenses and handle San Francisco cases personally.
Daniel Wasserberg has spent his career building a trial record that asbestos defendants across the country recognize. The National Trial Lawyers named him a Top 10 Asbestos Mesothelioma Trial Lawyer, and his results speak to why. He doesn’t treat settlement as the default outcome. He prepares every San Francisco case as if a jury will decide it, which is exactly what gives our clients leverage when defendants calculate what they’re willing to pay. Bay Area clients who work with Dan get an attorney who treats their case with the same intensity he brings to any courtroom in the country.
Samuel Meirowitz brings a prosecutorial foundation that shapes how he builds every California case he handles. His four years as a Bronx District Attorney developed a trial instinct that most civil attorneys never acquire, and he has applied it to landmark asbestos verdicts including a $3.8 million federal court victory that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld. Super Lawyers has recognized Sam every year since 2016. He understands that California’s one-year deadline demands a different kind of urgency from day one, and he builds every San Francisco case with that clock in mind.
Partner Kush Shukla holds active bar admissions in Florida, New York and New Jersey, including the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the Southern District of Florida. He earned his law degree from Fordham University School of Law and brings experience across complex asbestos litigation, product liability and toxic tort cases. Kush speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese fluently. In a city as linguistically diverse as San Francisco, that reach matters. Our full team communicates in 15+ languages, ensuring every Bay Area family gets clear, direct counsel from the moment they call.
Samuel Meirowitz
Founding Partner
Licensed in California
Former Bronx DA Prosecutor | Top 100 Trial Lawyers | Super Lawyers
Daniel Wasserberg
Founding Partner
Licensed in California
Top 10 Asbestos Mesothelioma Trial Lawyer | Super Lawyers
San Francisco Mesothelioma Lawyer FAQs
How does California's discovery rule affect my mesothelioma filing deadline?
California uses a discovery rule, meaning the one-year clock starts when you knew or reasonably should have known that your illness connects to asbestos exposure, not necessarily the exact date of your diagnosis. That distinction can matter in cases where a diagnosis comes in stages or where the connection to asbestos exposure takes time to establish.
If you miss California’s one-year deadline under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 340.2, there are still ways to secure financial recovery. Call now, and our attorneys can start building your case.
What makes San Francisco's court system different for mesothelioma cases?
San Francisco County Superior Court handles mesothelioma cases through a dedicated Asbestos Department in Department 613. California courts prioritize mesothelioma cases and often schedule trials within 120 days of filing, moving cases forward faster than almost any other state. Our attorneys know this court’s procedures and use every scheduling advantage it offers to move your case forward as quickly as possible.
I worked at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Do I have a valid mesothelioma claim?
Yes. Hunters Point is one of the most extensively documented asbestos exposure sites in the country. Workers there encountered asbestos in ship insulation, pipe lagging and boiler systems from the 1940s through the yard’s closure. The site also served as the Navy’s Radiological Defense Laboratory, creating dual contamination risks unlike any other shipyard we’ve covered. Our attorneys know Hunters Point’s exposure history thoroughly and know how to connect that history to the manufacturers responsible. Call us now because California’s one-year deadline applies from the date of your diagnosis.
What trust funds connect specifically to Bay Area asbestos exposure sites?
Several major asbestos trust funds connect directly to companies that supplied asbestos products to Hunters Point, PG&E power plants and Bay Area refineries. These include the Johns Manville Trust, the W.R. Grace Trust, the Kaiser Aluminum Trust and the Owens Corning Trust. Many Bay Area clients qualify for multiple trusts simultaneously and our attorneys file all claims at once rather than in sequence. Trust fund claims can resolve faster than lawsuits and add between $300,000 and $400,000 per trust to your total compensation.
Can I file a San Francisco mesothelioma claim if my exposure came from talcum powder rather than a jobsite?
Yes. Mesothelioma from talcum powder and other consumer products qualifies for a lawsuit in California. Our attorneys won an $18 million verdict for a California woman who developed mesothelioma after using talcum powder throughout her life, one of the largest talcum powder mesothelioma verdicts in the state. California courts have a strong record of holding consumer product manufacturers accountable and our attorneys know how to build these cases from the ground up.
Does filing in California rather than another state affect how much compensation I can recover?
It can. California courts have a strong history of significant mesothelioma verdicts, and the state’s dedicated asbestos court system moves cases forward quickly. However, if your exposure happened outside California, another state’s courts might give your case a stronger foundation. Our attorneys assess all prior instances of asbestos exposure and file in the court that applies to the specifics of your case.
About The Author
Daniel Wasserberg
Founding Partner
Daniel Wasserberg, a founding partner of Meirowitz & Wasserberg, is a Best Lawyers-recognized and Super Lawyers-rated mesothelioma attorney with over 20 years of experience. Named a Top 100 Trial Lawyer and Top 10 Asbestos-Mesothelioma Lawyer, he leads the firm's national asbestos practice.
