Asbestos Poisoning, Lung Cancer... Mesothelioma. My Grandma received millions in compensation when Grandpa died. This is their story, their attorney and what they went through to win their settlement against wrongful death. How they found an asbestos lawyer and what the lawyers needed to know.

The Mesothelioma case lawyer dug deep into his history reaching all the way to when Grandpa  was only 16 years old working in the shipyards in Bremerton, Wa. Bob and Grandma Betty met here in California back in 1945. They were friends to start. Betty and Bob had a group of friends that would hang out together everyday. Betty's best friend Joe was actually dating Bob at time but Bob was away visiting his parents in Washington so Joe wasn't expecting Bob to come back home to California for New Years to find that Joe had brought another man friend with her to Betty's party, which was also her birthday.

Eventually, things all worked out and Betty and Bob became life long partners and eventually moved up to Bremerton where Bob had gotten a job as a shipyard worker. Bob was a straight edged man, he never smoked a cigarette one day of his life and he seemed absolutely healthy most of his life. They had a big family, five children: a set of twins, two other boys and 1 girl who all grew up here.

Betty, being a family girl didn't want to stay in Bremerton because it was too far away from her family which meant everything to her, so Bob being the good soul he was moved them back to California and took various jobs as a carpenter. Their family burgeoned, their kids grew up and had their kids and now are on to great great grandchildren.

They lived genuinely healthy and happy lives together but one day Grandpa fell very ill. Again, he was fit as a horse, he never smoked, never did drugs, he was a hard worker and well loved member of his community, a faithful man with strong family values.

The day prior to falling ill he had been in the yard planting orange and lemon trees for Betty. The next day Grandpa was tired, he was in pain, he was having a hard time breathing, he was stricken with disease which seemed to befall him overnight.

Betty felt concerned, after all he was just as healthy as could be the day before and never showed any sign of having cancer, asbestos poisoning, lung cancer... Mesothelioma. When the doctor had diagnosed Bob with lung cancer, even the doctor was surprised so they started asking questions and looking through Bob's medical records.

They told him that the cancer had already metastasized and Grandpa was given about 6 months to live and was advised by his doctor that it would be in their best interest to get a lawyer. Further test had revealed that Bob was a victim of Mesothelioma, a form of asbestos cancer, lung cancer, something that the industry had known about for years but never bothered to tell anyone that asbestos causes lung cancer and is a silent killer. There were no symptoms of Mesothelioma until it is already too late.

They took the advice of their doctor and called a lawyer, today known as Paul & Hanley LLP. It was from there that this story really takes off.

They thumbed through the yellow pages looking for someone to take there case and came across a lawyer named Carlos Guzman. At the time, he wasn't a very popular case attorney but when Grandma and Grandpa told them they had been advised by their doctor they started their investigation and were told to hang tight for them to call back.

Not too long after that, they called back and told them that they would take their case but they needed to move quickly because of the limited amount of time that Grandpa had left. Betty was advised that they were going to dig into every aspect of Bob's life all the way back to when he was a kid.

Bob was asked recall every place he had ever worked at, he even gave the lawyer a tour of San Diego citing every place he had ever worked in, when he worked there and how long he worked there. They needed to know everything!

After that Betty and Bob were asked to meet with a panel of attorneys up in Irvine (I believe, if I can remember correctly) but by this time Mesothelioma had drastically taken its toll on Grandpa so Betty said that they just couldn't make it up there because it was just too hard on Bob. So they lawyer had said "Okay we can come down there, do you have room for 45?"

Betty replied, "Yes of course" So the next day to Grandma Betty's surprise people started showing up at their home with chairs and cameras, TV sets and clearing out all the furniture in their living room and dining room area. When Betty had asked what was going on, their case lawyer had replied, "Well Betty, I told you it was going to be an inconvenience for you to have 45 lawyers in your home." And good old Grandma Betty with her delightful little laugh replies, "Oh but Carlos, I thought you said 4-5."

Nonetheless they proceeded having the meetings in their home where Betty was asked to not be in the room with Bob while they were asking him questions. At this time, he was in a wheel chair and it was granted that Betty could stay as long as she didn't make a peep.

For days, Bob was questioned about where he had been, where he worked, about his habits, anything and everything under the sun. When he got two tired they would take a break and continue as long as Bob could handle it. There were cars lined up down the street, people coming in and out all day long. The neighbors were curious as to what was going on but where asked that they leave them to their business for the time being.

After so much of it Betty expressed her concern to Bob and said to him, "Bob, you don't need to do this, it's too much for you." But Bob insisted that they finish. He said to her, "No Betty, I can do this, I am doing this for you."

After a few more days, Betty asked that they be done. It was just too stressful for them and Bob needed to have his time with his family. Bob refused to live the last days of his life in a hospital so the family honored his wishes and moved his bed into the kitchen next to the sliding door. They moved his favorite chair out on the the patio where he could over look all of Clairemont down to La Jolla and spend his last few days in peace.

Every night Bob sat outside over looking San Diego, Betty by his side. The family would come by and see how he was doing, chit chat and just have those final moments with him. In the end Grandpa Bob was constantly given morphine to easy the pain and make the transition less painful. Betty being the sweet soul she is, beyond request of Bob had said, "You know Bob maybe it would be better that you go to the hospital now, you are in too much pain and they can help you there."

The drug that the in home nursed recommended could only be given in the hospital and she felt it was time. Betty was afraid that the hospital would not be very comfortable for her husband to spend his last days in but was pleasantly surprised to see that the hospital room was very comfortable. It had rugs and nice furniture and enough seating and beds so that the family could come and go as they please and stay as long as they needed.

So after Bob had settled in, the family decided that it was time to go get something to eat. They hadn't eaten all day. Betty didn't want to leave but Bob had told her it was okay and that they needed to eat. While they were out Grandma Betty had gotten the call.

Grandpa had passed away. When they asked if she would like to come see him, she said, "No my dear, I want to remember my Bob as he was when he was alive."

Though his death can never be justified and his life can never be given back, what he did he did for his wife Betty and for all his family. She received a settlement in the millions. Though Grandma will not leak the exact amount she received, she said, "You never know what life will throw at ya honey and it was hard but thank the Good Lord because if it hadn't been for Bob and Carlos, I just know that living my life without him would have been so much harder."

As I looked on at Grandma Betty fighting back her tears, I knew then that the love that they had was a love that is one in a billion. And because of Grandpa Bob and Grandma Betty's endurance, trust and understanding, they were able to set a president for other people who had fallen victims to Mesothelioma.

Today you see the commercials on TV about Mesothelioma and Grandma Betty just laughs now. She says, "How funny it is that you find yourself in these situations that turn out to help thousands in the end, there are no two ways about it."

I love that line, she says it often with her contagious laughter, "There aint no two ways about it."