Getting Justice for U.S. Army Asbestos Exposure
A proud U.S. Army veteran, Alan was still working to support his family when a mesothelioma diagnosis forced him into retirement. The costs of cancer care were devastating, and at one point, his family wasn’t sure where their next meal would come from.
After a recommendation from friends, Alan and his wife Connie decided to file a mesothelioma lawsuit with Sokolove Law to make ends meet. With our help, the family was able to recover enough compensation to cover his care costs and keep the family financially afloat.
My favorite memory is standing at her door and seeing her walk in from the other room. The first time we ever met, a month after that we started dating, and a month after that we got married. I love you. Love you.
My name’s Alan Bonnan. My name is Constant Bonnan. I never thought I would be affected by something like mesothelioma. As an infant, my dad worked on a hydroelectric dam. As I got older, I would help him with brake jobs. Back then, asbestos was the thing for brakes.
The entire household changed once he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. When you’re looking at the man who has been your rock your entire marriage and to see him laid open like that… Yeah, mesothelioma changed our lives drastically.
He was let go from his work. He couldn’t work like that anymore. We should be getting ready for grandkids. We should be planning for our little vacations. We should be doing so many things.
About a month after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, we contacted Sokolove Law to get them to help us. One of the reasons we need the lawyers is because we don’t speak lawyer. We don’t know the intricate twists and turns that the lawyers understand with our laws. This was new to us. It was amazingly efficient. We would have been lost without the firm coming to our help and being able to say, "We know what to do for you. We know how to file. We know every step you need to take, and we will be there for you." They made that promise to us and they kept it the entire way.
A lot of states have statutes of limitations on filing. Once you find out, he only had a year to be able to file. Otherwise, there are no repercussions for the companies that have done this. They took care of everything because they knew what needed to be done. It’s very important for people to reach out because you do not realize how much it is going to affect you in your day-to-day life. We suddenly had no income coming in. We were worried about what we were going to do for insurance for him because when the job ends, there goes the insurance.
You have to be able to consider every financial expense that you’re having right now, but you also have to think about this is not something that right now is going to be going away and the bills are going to keep coming. What are you going to do 10 years from now, or what is your family going to do when you’re gone? His number one priority since he found out is making sure that I’m taken care of and that our sons are taken care of. He’s a man of strength, honor, stubbornness, and mischievousness, but it’s taking everything and reducing you, and there’s nothing we can do except try to hold those dam waters back.
Just keep fighting, and that’s how we have to look at it. I really don’t care that they say no cure or that they say it’s terminal. I am not going to let it kill me. We filed a mesothelioma lawsuit because we knew it was more than we could handle on our own. These companies need to be held accountable. Hiring Sokolove Law was one of the best decisions we ever made. I would suggest that families use Sokolove Law because they’re an extremely knowledgeable firm. They made sure to match us with somebody who would work well with us. We never felt alone.
“Filing has been worth it for us because it is now allowing us to put everything we can into his care,” said Alan’s wife Connie. “It's relieved a burden for us that would've been insurmountable on our own.”
Alan was just one of over 9,300 asbestos exposure victims who have turned to Sokolove Law. To date, our asbestos law firm has secured more than $5.5 Billion for families impacted by mesothelioma.
Getting Mesothelioma Legal Support
About a month after Alan’s diagnosis, the family made the decision to seek legal guidance. At the time, their financial situation was dire. Alan was their main source of income, but now needed long-term care from Connie and their 4 sons. Even affording basic utilities became a challenge.
Alan and Connie had never worked with a law firm, so the idea of filing a lawsuit felt intimidating at first. But from the beginning, Sokolove Law helped guide them through the mesothelioma claim process.
A mesothelioma attorney flew to meet with the Bonnins at their convenience to discuss the case. The Bonnins were struck by not only their attorney’s professionalism, but his personal connection to mesothelioma.
“I remember when he came and talked with us. He had somebody in his family that suffered from mesothelioma as well,” Connie said. “So this is not just his job, this is a passion of his as well, because he knows what the family goes through.”
Their mesothelioma lawyer — and the firm’s track record of helping clients for over 45 years — put them at ease right away. The Bonnins put their trust in Sokolove Law to move forward with the legal process to help make ends meet.
Since 1979, Sokolove Law has secured more than $5.5 Billion for thousands of mesothelioma victims and their families.
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Proving Asbestos Exposure in the U.S. Army & Beyond
Mesothelioma cases are complex, often involving exposure that happened decades earlier across multiple job sites and environments. At Sokolove Law, we have a warehouse’s worth of evidence needed to help prove asbestos exposure on our clients’ behalf.
In Alan’s case, his attorneys learned the veteran's life was defined by hard work — and exposure to many products that contained asbestos.
His father was a mechanic, and Alan often worked on asbestos car brakes as a teenager with his dad. After high school, Alan enlisted in the U.S. military, another common source of exposure for veterans
When Alan's tour of duty ended, he was routinely exposed to asbestos as a civilian. With Connie staying home to care for the children, Alan put in long hours repairing brakes, working in factories, and performing maintenance at job sites with asbestos.
“My wife has said many times since this ordeal began, how could I not have it based on all the exposure that I've had?”
– Alan Bonnin, U.S. Army Veteran & Firm Client
Why Experience Matters in Mesothelioma Cases
Having handled more than 9,300 asbestos cases, our attorneys know how to file strong lawsuits from start to finish. This meant that Alan’s family could focus on providing the best care possible for him without worrying about the legal process.
Our mesothelioma attorneys handled all the steps of their lawsuit, like:
- Gathering work and exposure history
- Filing the mesothelioma lawsuit
- Handling communications with the defendants during discovery, negotiations, and more
- Managing all of the legal deadlines
- Pursuing mesothelioma compensation from all of the companies responsible
"Hiring Sokolove Law was one of the best decisions we ever made," said Alan. "I didn't do much other than pick up a telephone, and I didn't even do that — my wife did that for me. Beyond that, the firm took care of everything.”
The support the couple received during the mesothelioma lawsuit process helped ease the burden on the family during an already difficult time.
“They did it all,” Connie added. “I cannot imagine what we would've had to go through to take care of even a fraction of what they took care of for us.”
Receiving Compensation for Mesothelioma
For families facing mesothelioma, the financial pressure often comes quickly and unexpectedly, adding stress at a time when they’re already dealing with a serious diagnosis and changing day-to-day realities.
“We didn't know at one point where our next meal would come from,” Connie remembered.
Because of Alan’s extensive exposure history, he was eligible for multiple mesothelioma settlements from the companies that made the asbestos products he was exposed to.
“When the first check came in, I can remember how relieved I was knowing that we didn't have to worry about the electricity being shut off,” explained Connie.
Alan also felt a sense of justice from the settlements after learning that asbestos-related companies had hidden the deadly health risks for decades. Alan, like so many other clients we’ve helped, had no idea that the asbestos products he worked with earlier in life could cause cancer.
“Companies did this knowing it was dangerous, but knowing they weren't going to have to deal with it, somebody else was going to have to,” Alan recalled. “These companies need to be held accountable.”
How Alan Used His Mesothelioma Compensation
With his legal team working to negotiate settlements from multiple companies, the Bonnins started to get compensation quickly, giving them peace of mind about their financial situation.
Alan’s diagnosis had cost them their main source of income, and mesothelioma treatment costs were unexpectedly high. Between chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hospital stays, and basic living expenses, their finances were drained.
With the compensation they received, the Bonnins were able to:
- Afford necessary medical costs
- Cover essential expenses
- Maintain stability for their family
- Plan for their children’s future
Alan was also able to support the well-being of extended family members too. He used the first mesothelioma settlement payouts to help his brother, who was in danger of losing his housing.
“That should let you know everything there is to know about my husband,” Connie said. “Here he is battling mesothelioma, and he will fly from Tennessee to Washington State to help his older autistic brother keep his home. That's all you need to know.”
Encouraging Mesothelioma Patients to Take Action
Alan and Connie chose to share their story, so other families affected by mesothelioma know that support is available. Working with an experienced law firm like Sokolove Law can provide relief from the stress that comes with a diagnosis.
“I think any family that is battling with mesothelioma needs to litigate,” Connie recalled. “They need to find somebody to champion them, because there's so much that you will be going through. It would be overwhelming to do it alone.”
The Bonnins also stressed that mesothelioma treatment costs and other expenses can be devastating, even for the most well-prepared families.
“It's very possible that you may need settlements from lawsuits just to be able to survive,” Alan remembered. “People don't realize it will get expensive. It may not be so bad at the beginning, but it will get expensive.”
Stories like Alan and Connie’s show how the results from taking legal action can help families focus less on financial logistics and more on each other.
Taking the First Step After a Mesothelioma Diagnosis
After a 3-year battle with mesothelioma, Alan Bonnin passed away on March 21, 2025. While Alan is no longer with us, his determination to support his family while battling cancer will never be forgotten.
Sokolove Law was proud to help Alan recover compensation to afford care, get accountability, and keep his family secure after his passing. For more than 45 years, we’ve supported thousands of other families facing mesothelioma like the Bonnins.
With Sokolove Law, your mesothelioma lawyers take on all the work of a lawsuit for you, making it much easier. You don’t have to pay upfront or hourly costs — we only get paid after we recover compensation for you.
Call (800) 647-3434 now or fill out our contact form to learn how we may be able to help you or a loved one after a mesothelioma diagnosis.
