Virginia Mesothelioma Lawyers

Patten, Wornom, Hatten and Diamonstein is a dynamic Newport News, Virginia law firm with a national reputation as pioneers and champions of the rights of asbestos victims. Since 1975, this firm has won landmark decisions, dozens of jury verdicts and thousands of settlements for mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer victims against negligent asbestos product manufacturers. Read more about our firm successes in our Firm News Section.

Robert R. (Bobby) Hatten is the firm's manager and lead trial lawyer with a talented and experienced team of seven fulltime asbestos trial lawyers. Bobby's jury victories for mesothelioma victims were in the top 10 multi-million dollar verdicts of the year for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011-the only Virginia lawyer to have top ten verdicts for all six consecutive years. His peers in the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and Virginia Lawyers Weekly have designated Bobby as a "Courageous Advocate for the Rights of Asbestos Victims" and a "Leader of the Law". Bobby has also been named as the "Norfolk Personal Injury Litigation Lawyer of the Year" for 2012 by Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession.

Patten, Wornom, Hatten and Diamonstein is nationally recognized for their leadership in fighting for the rights of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis victims. View our Asbestos Litigation Record to learn more about our firm's history in handling mesothelioma claims. If you have a mesothelioma claim, contact our attorneys today for a Free Case Evaluation.

Mesothelioma Lawsuits in Virginia

Virginia Asbestos Jobsites

Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure in Virginia

In Bobby's hometown of Newport News, nearly one thousand people have been diagnosed with mesothelioma in the last thirty-five years. Bobby has represented most of these victims and hundreds of victims who were diagnosed in other Tidewater Virginia hospitals including Hampton, Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk.

Asbestos is the only cause of malignant mesothelioma. Unfortunately, in the 19th and into the 20th century, asbestos was very popular with manufacturers due to its resistance to heat. Even after asbestos companies learned that it caused mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other lung diseases, they continued to manufacture asbestos products, such as gaskets, packing, pipe covering, asbestos insulated equipment, brake pads, and drywall. Consequently, malignant mesothelioma, asbestos related cancer and asbestosis have reached epidemic levels in Virginia; leading causes include exposure to asbestos:

• In the shipyards
• Aboard naval vessels, while serving in the military
• In large industrial plants

The shipbuilding industry in Virginia is one of the primary sources of asbestos exposure. Because of the numerous shipyards, such as the Newport News Shipyard (the largest private shipyard in the world), the Norfolk Naval Shipyard (the largest naval shipyard in the world), and the Horne Brothers Shipyard, and Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, hundreds of Virginia shipyard workers and dozens of family members have died from mesothelioma.

The numerous Virginia shipyards, especially in and around Norfolk and Newport News, as well as the U.S. Naval Base, are also responsible for exposing the crewmen on Navy ships to asbestos. Many have since contracted asbestos related cancers such as mesothelioma. Whether aboard ship, while stationed in Virginia or based in Newport News, or during an overhaul in the Norfolk Navy Yard, the close quarters and poor ventilation, along with countless tons of asbestos materials, have caused thousands of cases of Mesothelioma in Navy Veterans.

Firm Success

Our success in asbestos litigation has gained Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein both national and local recognition. For instance, several of our attorneys, including Robert R. Hatten, Donald N. Patten and William W.C. Harty, have been named "Super Lawyers," a title given to only 5% of practicing attorneys. For more on our awards and recent legal happenings, visit our news section.

Serving victims of asbestos exposure, the lawyers at Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein are dedicated to fulfilling your legal needs. Feel free to call us today at (888) 664-1783 or fill our our free case evaluation form.

Robert R. Hatten Seriously Outstanding only 5% selected each year visit superlawyers.com

William W.C. Harty Seriously Outstanding only 5% selected each year visit superlawyers.com

Donald N. Patten Seriously Outstanding only 5% selected each year visit superlawyers.com

THE VIRGINIA STATE BAR RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT REQUIRE ALL ATTORNEYS TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT AND DISCLAIMER TO THEIR CASE RESULTS. SETTLEMENT AND VERDICT IN ALL CASES DEPEND ON VARIOUS FACTORS AND CIRCUMSTANCES, WHICH ARE UNIQUE TO EACH CASE. THEREFORE, PAST RESULTS IN CASES ARE NOT A GUARANTEE OR PREDICTION OF SIMILAR RESULTS IN FUTURE CASES WHICH PATTEN, WORNOM, HATTEN & DIAMONSTEIN AND ITS LAWYERS MAY UNDERTAKE.