Making the Call to Sokolove Law
Like many mesothelioma patients, David had never hired a lawyer before. In fact, he had never contacted a law firm of any kind. After receiving his diagnosis, one of his doctors encouraged him to seek legal help, advice that ultimately led him to Sokolove Law.
While sitting in a doctor's office, David decided to make the call. Our response immediately stood out. Within days, a team was meeting with him, gathering information about his exposure history, and helping him understand what came next.
I started working on stuff when I was seven years old. I worked on Pontiac Tempest and did a head gasket when I was seven. I worked on big trucks and farm tractors and automobiles.
My name is David Rosedale and I got a mesothelioma working on equipment, which would've been brakes, clutches, and gaskets. I started at a young age and been doing it my whole life.
I went into urgent care and I was having kind of a hard time breathing and I thought maybe it was allergies, and when I went to urgent care, they said that the left lung was collapsed, so they rushed me over to the hospital.
I was put in the hospital. They drained two liters out of the left lung. There was a biopsy done when they did that, and then it came back positive for mesothelioma. The doctor that told me that I had mesothelioma. She said, you need to get a lawyer.
And I just happened to look on my phone and I had seen the ad on tv, so I called it when I was in the doctor's office, Sokolove Law sent people out within a day to take my statements and see what was going on, and they got right on it and they handled the case professionally.
To file a lawsuit is worth it because it's a life altering experience and without the compensation, I mean you're pretty well lost. I decided to pursue the mesothelioma lawsuit because I needed to provide for my family and I was not going to be able to work.
Hiring Sokolove Law was a good choice because we were able to get the outcome that we needed.
When I was going through treatment with the legal process, they worked around my treatments and were conscious of my health concerns, so it was not a problem. I would recommend, if you're a victim of this, to pursue litigation — because the big companies knew this was a problem a long ways back, and it was a monetary concern on their part to keep using the product.
The product is still coming in from overseas. It has not stopped, and the damage that it causes is irreversible and you only have one life, so you want to do the best you can for your family.
For someone who didn't know what to expect from a mesothelioma lawsuit, that quick action made a lasting impression. Sokolove Law began building his case while he focused on treatment and spending time with his loved ones.
David is just one of thousands of asbestos exposure victims who have turned to Sokolove Law for help. To date, our asbestos law firm has secured more than $5.5 Billion total for mesothelioma clients and their families.
"I would recommend Sokolove Law because they came out to me within a day, got on the ball, and did everything very professionally. I don't think I would've gotten that anywhere else.”
– David, Dairy Farmer & Firm Client
From Tractors, Trucks, and Brakes to Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma cases often involve exposure that happened decades before a diagnosis. Clients turn to us for help identifying where exposure occurred, what products were involved, and which asbestos-related companies may be responsible.
For David, that investigation uncovered a lifetime of exposure tied to the equipment he worked on throughout his life. Growing up on a dairy farm, he learned how to repair machinery at an early age and continued working on tractors, trucks, farm equipment, and automobiles for decades.
Looking back, David traced much of his contact to everyday maintenance tasks. "The asbestos exposure happened from breathing in the dust off brakes, clutches, and gaskets," he explained.
Like countless farmers and mechanics, David never knew those everyday tasks could eventually lead to cancer. Many of the products he worked with historically contained asbestos, and the dust released during repairs became part of the job.
By uncovering the companies that manufactured and supplied the asbestos-containing products David encountered on the job, Sokolove Law was able to build a strong case linking his diagnosis to years of exposure.
Since 1979, Sokolove Law has secured more than $5.5 Billion for thousands of mesothelioma victims and their families.
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Finding a Legal Team He Could Trust
Mesothelioma is difficult enough without having to navigate a lawsuit at the same time. Between doctor appointments, treatments, travel, and everyday responsibilities, many families simply don't have the time or energy to manage a complex legal claim on their own.
For David, one of the biggest benefits of working with the mesothelioma attorneys at Sokolove Law was knowing that they could handle every step of filing a lawsuit on his behalf, from investigating his exposure history to gathering evidence and negotiating with the companies responsible.
Just as importantly, the legal process was designed around David's life — not the other way around. His team worked around treatment appointments, respected the demands of running a farm, and kept him informed throughout the case.
Over time, what began as uncertainty became trust. David came to appreciate not only the work his legal team was doing but also the way they approached the relationship.
"They wanted to hear my side of the story and work very hard to see that I was taken care of."
– David, Dairy Farmer & Firm Client
The Legal Settlements That Took the Pressure Off
For many families, the financial strain of mesothelioma starts almost immediately. Between the cost of treatment, travel to appointments, lost income, and everyday household expenses, families often find themselves worrying about finances at the same time they're trying to focus on a loved one's health.
David faced those same concerns after his diagnosis. Like many mesothelioma patients, he wasn't looking for a lawsuit. He was searching for a way to protect his family and manage the financial realities of a disease he never expected to face.
When compensation began arriving, the impact was immediate. "It took all the pressure off. You have time to concentrate on the things that are important: your family and your treatment," David said.
The mesothelioma settlements gave David something he hadn't had since his diagnosis: peace of mind. Rather than worrying about what came next, he was able to focus on his health, his family, and making the most of the time ahead.
The financial recovery also acknowledged the preventable asbestos exposure that led to David's illness and helped hold the responsible parties accountable for the harm their products caused.
How David Used His Mesothelioma Compensation
Beyond helping relieve financial pressure, legal compensation allowed David to keep moving forward with the plans and goals that were important to him. He had spent years building a life around farming, and he wasn't ready to abandon the plans he had worked so hard on.
Before David got sick, he'd been considering the purchase of another dairy farm. The compensation helped make that investment possible and allowed him to move forward with a goal that had been years in the making.
With the compensation he received, David was able to:
- Focus on treatment and spending time with family
- Maintain financial stability during a difficult time
- Continue providing for the people who depended on him
- Move forward with confidence about the future
More importantly, the financial recovery gave him confidence that his family would be taken care of no matter what the future held.
"Sokolove Law was a good company to hire because we were able to get the settlement to take care of the rest of our lives," David said.
What David Wants Others to Know About Sokolove Law
A diagnosis often brings fear, uncertainty, and questions about what comes next. For David, working with an experienced mesothelioma law firm meant having someone in his corner while he focused on treatment and spending time with his family.
Our team quickly began investigating David's work history, drawing on decades of asbestos litigation experience and a vast database of asbestos-containing products, job sites, and other evidence. That research helped us prove asbestos exposure and build a case against the companies responsible for David’s illness.
When asked what he would tell others facing a similar situation, David didn't hesitate to recommend Sokolove Law. He credited our responsiveness, professionalism, and willingness to move quickly when he needed help most.
"I would recommend you contact Sokolove Law because when you have mesothelioma, there's a lot of costs, there's a lot of travel, and there's a lot of things. It is not something that is curable. It is something that you're going to need long-term care."
– David, Dairy Farmer & Firm Client
The support he received helped him navigate an incredibly difficult chapter in his life while pursuing compensation from the companies responsible for his asbestos exposure.
David also hoped his experience would encourage others to take asbestos exposure seriously. "People should know that if you breathe in asbestos, it can cause cancer," he said. "And if it does cause cancer, it's not curable."
Understanding Your Options After a Mesothelioma Diagnosis
David passed away from pleural mesothelioma on April 16, 2025. Throughout his illness, he remained focused on the same priorities that had guided him his entire life: caring for his family, working hard, and making the most of every day.
Sokolove Law was honored to fight for David and his family, ultimately easing the financial burden of treatment and helping protect the future he had worked so hard to build. His story is one of many that reflect why families across the country continue to turn to our firm after a mesothelioma diagnosis.
We've handled more than 9,300 asbestos exposure cases nationwide. There are no upfront costs to work with our firm, and you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Call (800) 647-3434 now or get a free legal case review to learn how we may be able to help you or a loved one after a mesothelioma diagnosis.
