Mary Ann Speicher Testimonial

Malignant Mesothelioma Client Testimonial of Mary Ann Speicher, Wife of Billie J. Speicher

"On February 28 of 2006 this year, my husband passed away from mesothelioma. Through the speedy and diligent work of Paul & Hanley LLP, my husband was able to enjoy some of the financial gains of our settlement before he died.

Paul & Hanley LLP took a genuine interest in my family.  They did not settle for anything less than the best.  Paul & Hanley did their best to fulfill all of our requests for assistance.

For example, I did not believe that the initial one million dollar settlement was enough of a price for my husband’s life.  There is no price for life.  So, Jerry Paul of Paul & Hanley LLP traveled to Washington DC with my husband to act as counselor for my husband’s US Judiciary Senate Committee testimony.  Here, my husband stressed the importance of dedicating more funds to mesothelioma research.

This helped us feel vindicated for the initial $1 million dollar settlement instead of a greater amount that would better signify support for the priceless damages that I and my husband have sustained.  Paul & Hanley LLP supported our outrage with companies and all parties who have neglected to address the serious implications of asbestos. We were able to start to fulfill our desire to help change the course of future asbestos victims through this testimony.

The medical community needs to have the pulmonologists employ better screening processes to identify asbestos victims.  The government needs to take stronger action against the companies that use asbestos.  And companies need to accept responsibility for the many lives that they are taking.  It was clear Paul & Hanley LLP’s mission was to help us and all interested parties.  They dedicated a strong group of many attorneys to our case who were conscientiously involved in every aspect of meeting our litigation needs.

Jerry Paul is a wonderful, caring person.  His level of dedication was not only exemplified by pursuing a speedy settlement and willingness to diligently try my husband’s case through extensive litigation, but also through his research.

Jerry Paul came to our house and helped my disabled husband jar his memory about the possible asbestos-containing products that he had been exposed to.  Jerry produced a book the size of a phone book comprised of 100’s of product photos and paged through each product and each page until my husband remembered.  Furthermore, my husband requested that Jerry Paul facilitate his joining the Veglin drug treatment clinical trial headed up by Dr. Gill to add over one more quality year of life for my husband.

Veglin was the only non-chemotherapy, non radiation, minimal side effect therapy available. Unfortunately, my husband completed the maximum FDA allowable 2 regimen Veglin treatment and had to resort to chemotherapy in the end.  He died shortly after receiving chemotherapy.

For us, Paul & Hanley was the light at the end of the tunnel."