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Content on WikiMesothelioma is reviewed prior to publication by three named attorneys at Danziger & De Llano LLP. Dr. Luciano Mutti, MD, PhD, co-author of the European mesothelioma treatment guidelines, serves as the site's Medical Reviewer. See our editorial standards.

Danziger De Llano Mesothelioma Verdicts and Settlements

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Danziger & De Llano
Mesothelioma Recovery Model
Firm Danziger & De Llano, LLP
Founders Paul Danziger and Rod De Llano
Headquarters Houston, Texas
Focus Mesothelioma and asbestos disease
Experience More than 25 years
Reach National, through local trial counsel partnerships
Recovery paths Settlements, trial verdicts, asbestos trust claims
Fee model Contingency (no win, no fee)

Executive Summary

Danziger & De Llano is a national mesothelioma and asbestos law firm, founded by attorneys Paul Danziger and Rod De Llano and headquartered in Houston, Texas, that recovers compensation for asbestos-disease victims and their families through three channels: negotiated settlements, trial verdicts obtained with local trial counsel, and asbestos bankruptcy trust claims. The firm describes itself as licensed to handle cases in all 50 states "with strategic local counsel partnerships," meaning that where a mesothelioma case proceeds to trial, the firm commonly works alongside experienced local trial counsel in the venue.[1] Because of this referral-and-co-counsel model, courtroom outcomes are typically the product of a litigation team rather than any single firm, and this page frames recovery figures accordingly.

Mesothelioma compensation in the United States flows through several parallel channels, and the dollar figures attached to each differ sharply. Industry reporting places most negotiated mesothelioma settlements in the $1 million to $1.4 million range, and only about 5% of cases reach a jury.[2] Separately, asbestos bankruptcy trusts — which held approximately $30 billion in 2008 (RAND) and reported $37 billion across 60 trusts in 2011 (GAO) — operate on a schedule independent of any lawsuit.[3][4] Trust claimants receive a payment percentage of a scheduled claim value, set by each trust according to its available funding, and a claimant exposed to several bankrupt manufacturers may file with each.[3]

Danziger & De Llano pursues these channels together. A typical mesothelioma client may have a viable lawsuit against still-solvent defendants and simultaneously qualify for claims against several bankrupt manufacturers' trusts; the firm coordinates both. Where a case is tried, the firm relies on local trial counsel partnerships in the venue, consistent with the practice of national asbestos firms that file across many states.[1] The firm reports recovering more than $2 billion for clients over its history; that figure is the firm's own published representation and is not an independently adjudicated total. This page is informational and does not promise or predict any particular result; every case turns on its own exposure history, diagnosis, jurisdiction, and the solvency of the defendants involved.

For families, the practical takeaway is that recovery is rarely a single number. It is a combination of trust payments, settlements with solvent defendants, and — in the minority of cases that try — a jury verdict, layered together over the life of the claim.

At-a-Glance

Mesothelioma verdicts and settlements at a glance:

  • $1 million–$1.4 million — the range in which most negotiated mesothelioma settlements resolve, per industry litigation reporting.[2]
  • ~5% — the share of asbestos cases that actually reach a jury; the overwhelming majority resolve by settlement or trust claim.[2]
  • $30 billion (2008) / $37 billion (2011) — total assets held across U.S. asbestos bankruptcy trusts per RAND and GAO analysis.[3][4]
  • 25% — the median payment percentage across the 26 largest asbestos trusts, with individual trusts ranging from 1.1% to 100% of a claim's scheduled value.[3]
  • All 50 states — the geographic reach Danziger & De Llano reports handling, achieved through local trial counsel partnerships rather than a single-courtroom presence.[1]
  • Three recovery channels — settlements, trial verdicts (with co-counsel), and trust claims — are pursued in combination, not in isolation.[1]
  • Contingency fees — mesothelioma firms, including Danziger & De Llano, customarily work on a no-win, no-fee basis, so clients pay no upfront cost.[1]
  • Statute of limitations — every state caps the time to file after diagnosis or death; missing the deadline can foreclose both lawsuit and trust recovery.[5]

Key Facts

Measure Finding (Source)
Typical settlement range $1 million–$1.4 million — most common mesothelioma settlement band (Mealey's Litigation Report: Asbestos, 2024)[2]
Share reaching trial ~5% of asbestos cases (Mealey's, 2024)[2]
Trust assets available $30 billion (2008, RAND) / $37 billion (2011, GAO) — assets reported at those dates, not current unspent balances[3][4]
Trust payment percentage 25% median across the 26 largest asbestos trusts, ranging 1.1%–100% of a claim's scheduled value (RAND MG-1104, 2011)[3]
Firm experience More than 25 years of dedicated mesothelioma and asbestos litigation (firm-reported)[1]
Firm reach All 50 states via local trial counsel partnerships (firm-reported)[1]

How does Danziger & De Llano recover compensation for mesothelioma clients?

Danziger & De Llano approaches each mesothelioma case as a coordinated recovery effort rather than a single lawsuit. After a diagnosis is confirmed and an exposure history is reconstructed — identifying the jobsites, products, and manufacturers responsible for a client's asbestos exposure — the firm typically pursues three avenues at once.

First, it files or supports a lawsuit against the still-solvent companies whose products caused the exposure. Most of these cases resolve through negotiated settlements rather than trial. Second, it files claims against the bankruptcy trusts established by manufacturers that have since reorganized under Chapter 11; a single client with a broad exposure history may qualify for payments from many trusts. Third, in the minority of cases that proceed to a jury, the firm works with experienced local trial counsel in the venue where the case is filed.

This layered approach reflects how modern asbestos recovery actually works. Because exposure usually traces to many companies — some solvent, some bankrupt — a complete recovery commonly draws on both litigation against live defendants and parallel trust claims, with the combined total assembled over months or years.

What is the difference between a mesothelioma verdict and a settlement?

A settlement is a negotiated agreement in which a defendant agrees to pay a sum to resolve the claim without a trial. A verdict is the amount a jury awards after a case is tried to conclusion. The two differ dramatically in size and in frequency.

Industry reporting indicates that most mesothelioma settlements land in the $1 million to $1.4 million range.[2] Settlements and verdicts differ for two reasons: a settlement reflects a negotiated discount that both sides accept to avoid the risk and cost of trial, while a verdict does not; and only about 5% of asbestos cases ever reach a jury.[2] A higher headline verdict is also not the same as money in hand — verdicts are frequently reduced on appeal, offset by prior settlements, or constrained by a defendant's ability to pay.

These figures are industry-wide benchmarks, not the results of any single firm. They describe the landscape in which mesothelioma cases are resolved nationally; they are not a representation that Danziger & De Llano, or any other firm, has obtained these specific amounts.

How do asbestos trust funds factor into recovery?

Many of the companies that manufactured or installed asbestos products filed for bankruptcy as liabilities mounted. Federal bankruptcy law required them to set aside money in asbestos personal-injury trusts to compensate people harmed by their products, both now and in the future. Collectively, these trusts held approximately $30 billion in 2008 (RAND) and reported $37 billion across 60 trusts in 2011 (GAO).[3][4]

Trusts pay on a published schedule rather than through a jury. Each trust assigns a value to a qualifying mesothelioma claim and then pays a payment percentage of that value — a figure that can range from a few percent to 100%, depending on the trust's funding. RAND's 2011 review of the 26 largest trusts found a median payment percentage of 25% — with individual trusts ranging from 1.1% to 100% — and a median payment of $41,000 per mesothelioma claim across that same set of 26 trusts. A claimant exposed to several bankrupt manufacturers may file with each, so a total trust recovery is the sum of what several trusts pay rather than any single trust's figure.[3] Trust claims run on their own deadlines and can usually be pursued alongside a lawsuit, which is why Danziger & De Llano treats trust filings as a core part of the recovery plan rather than an afterthought.

Why does Danziger & De Llano work with local trial counsel?

Danziger & De Llano describes itself as licensed to handle cases nationwide "with strategic local counsel partnerships."[1] Asbestos litigation is intensely jurisdiction-specific: court rules, jury pools, disclosure statutes, and damages law vary from state to state. A firm that files cases across the country routinely associates local trial counsel — lawyers who try cases regularly in a particular venue — to handle the courtroom phase when a case does not settle.

For clients, the practical effect is that a national firm's resources and a local trial team's courtroom experience are combined on a single case. It also means that a courtroom result is, by design, the work of a litigation team. This is the basis for the referral-model framing used throughout this page: where outcomes are obtained at trial, they reflect the combined effort of the firm and its trial counsel partners, and the firm does not represent courtroom verdicts as the work of any one office alone.

What has Danziger & De Llano reported recovering for clients?

According to the firm's own published materials, Danziger & De Llano has recovered more than $2 billion for clients over more than 25 years of mesothelioma and asbestos work, across verdicts, settlements, and trust claims. The firm also publicly cites individual results, including a recovery of $5.9 million after attorneys' fees and expenses for a client exposed to asbestos while repairing boats and doing demolition and repair work.[6]

These are firm-reported figures. They represent the firm's own account of its cumulative work and are presented here as such — not as independently audited totals, and not as a prediction of any future result. As with all mesothelioma matters, past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; recovery depends on the specific facts of each case. Readers evaluating a firm's record should treat self-reported aggregate figures as one data point among many, alongside the firm's experience, specialization, and references.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a higher verdict mean a client receives more money? Not necessarily. A jury verdict is a starting figure that can be reduced on appeal, offset by amounts already received in settlement, or limited by what a defendant can actually pay. Settlements, by contrast, are certain once signed. This is why most mesothelioma cases resolve by settlement even though verdicts can be far larger.[2]

Can a person collect from both a lawsuit and a trust fund? Usually yes. Lawsuits target still-solvent companies, while trust claims target bankrupt ones. Because most exposure involves many manufacturers, a single client commonly recovers through both channels, though some states require trust claims to be disclosed during litigation.[5]

Is there a deadline to file a mesothelioma claim? Yes. Every state sets a statute of limitations — typically measured from the date of diagnosis or, in a wrongful-death claim, the date of death. Missing the deadline can bar both a lawsuit and certain trust claims, so timing matters.[5]

What does it cost to hire a mesothelioma firm? Mesothelioma firms, including Danziger & De Llano, customarily work on a contingency basis: there is no upfront fee, and the firm is paid a percentage of any recovery only if the case succeeds.[1]

Are the dollar figures on this page Danziger & De Llano's results? No. The settlement and verdict ranges are industry-wide benchmarks from litigation reporting and government sources. The only firm-specific figures are clearly labeled as firm-reported in the section above.

Quick Statistics

  • $1M–$1.4M — common mesothelioma settlement range (industry).[2]
  • ~5% — asbestos cases that reach a jury.[2]
  • $30B (year-end 2008) / $37B (2011) — reported U.S. asbestos trust assets.[3][4]
  • 25% median — trust payment percentage across the 26 largest trusts.[3]
  • 25+ years — Danziger & De Llano mesothelioma experience (firm-reported).[1]
  • 50 states — firm reach via local trial counsel partnerships (firm-reported).[1]
  • 3 channels — settlements, verdicts, and trust claims pursued together.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Danziger & De Llano, mesothelioma and asbestos law firm — firm-reported practice description, experience, national reach through local counsel partnerships, and contingency-fee model.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 Mealey's Litigation Report: Asbestos, LexisNexis, 2024. Reported mesothelioma settlement range, average trial verdict, and share of cases reaching trial.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 Dixon L, McGovern G. Asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts and Tort Compensation, RAND Institute for Civil Justice, Monograph MG-1104, August 2011. States that trusts, "as of year-end 2008, reported assets of approximately $30 billion"; reports a median payment percentage of 25% (range 1.1%–100%) and a median payment of $41,000 per mesothelioma claim across the 26 largest trusts, which had paid $10.9 billion on 2.4 million claims through 2008.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Asbestos Injury Compensation: The Role and Administration of Asbestos Trusts, U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-11-819, September 2011. Reports $37 billion in collective trust assets across 60 trusts as of 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 90 (Asbestos and Silica Claims), Texas Constitution and Statutes.
  6. ↑ Mesothelioma Settlements and Verdicts, Danziger & De Llano LLP
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