Mesothelioma Lawyer Blog

During the bankruptcy proceeding of a company that provided valves, gaskets and other products coated in asbestos for the U.S. Navy, a $75 million trust was established to help those who were exposed to asbestos and have mesothelioma.

Our mesothelioma lawyers for years have been helping our U.S. veterans, who have suffered the effects of exposure to asbestos, which was once a popular material used in all kinds of residential and commercial construction, as well as naval uses and car parts. Companies that used this natural mineral found that it was dangerous to employees, but too often ignored those risks.

Researchers and doctors eventually discovered that exposure to asbestos was harmful to employees and others who may have been nearby. Asbestos is a flaky mineral that can easily become airborne and ingested.

A frustrating aspect of asbestos exposure that results in mesothelioma is that it can linger for years or decades inside a person without any outward symptoms. As the asbestos forms tumors and mesothelioma, the person may discover some of the symptoms -- heavy coughing, fluid build-up and chest pain. By then, the cancer is typically in its later stages.

So, even though the cancer can take decades to form, once a person is diagnosed with mesothelioma, they live only an average of 12 months. For such a long-working form of cancer, it can kill quickly, once discovered. Researchers have been trying to develop treatment options that may result in a cure or at least a prolonging of life, but thus far haven't found one.

As our Mesothelioma Lawyer Blog has reported recently, scientists are looking at many options to determine if there is a potential cure for this deadly cancer.

This is the situation that many of our veterans are in today. They served our country faithfully for years or decades, only to face a life-threatening health crisis later in life. Now, in retirement, they are suffering from illnesses that resulted from that service time.

Because of laws that are designed to protect the government from lawsuits, suing the Navy can be pointless due caps on damages. But companies that contracted with the Navy have been exposed to litigation.

In this case, it involves Leslie Controls, which provided gaskets, valves and other products containing asbestos between the 1940s and 1980s for the Navy. The company has been slammed with lawsuits, causing it to file for bankruptcy protection. As part of a recent reorganization plan, the company dedicated $75 million, placed into a trust, for victims who were exposed to asbestos.

Asbestos has been linked not only to mesothelioma, but other respiratory illnesses as well. The company is protected from lawsuits while the bankruptcy proceeding is taking place, but experts believe the lawsuits will continue once the bankruptcy is completed.

This company understands that its products have harmed many people and killed others. Exposure to asbestos is dangerous and companies that regularly used it have been facing lawsuits from sick people and families of those who have died as a result. If you or a family member was exposed to asbestos during service in the armed forces, it is time to seek legal representation.

Continue reading "Longtime Navy Supplier Sets Up $75 Million Trust For Veterans With Mesothelioma" »

The Meso Foundation -- Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation -- recently announced it had added an additional $500,000 to put toward researching mesothelioma, bringing the total investment to about $7.6 million.

Our mesothelioma lawyers have reported recently about several efforts that are being made to increase the amount of funding and research done to try to not only find a cure for mesothelioma, but learn how to better detect it and stop it from developing.

Exposure to asbestos is the leading cause of mesothelioma. And while it is no longer actively used in insulation and other products, as it was throughout the 20th Century, it is still contained in many buildings throughout the country.

There is a constant wave of veterans and older adults who were exposed to asbestos when it was being used throughout the middle of the century. Vermiculite tainted with asbestos was being churned out of mines and shipped to manufacturing plants nationwide, causing many people to be exposed without knowledge of the effects.

As the years went on and people became ill with mesothelioma -- a form of cancer that is incurable -- researchers began looking at what was happening. They found that asbestos was the cause. Many businesses were warned, but did nothing. So, their employees were left to work in this environment without knowing the effects.

While asbestos has now been effectively banned from use in the United States and many other countries, there are still many older buildings, even some that have been renovated in recent years, that still contain asbestos.

This opens up different types of health hazards. For one, if a person lives or works in a building containing asbestos, it's possible that the mineral can flake off and get into the ventilation system and lead to exposure that way. If workers are called in to renovate a building or clear out known asbestos, done improperly, it could lead to workers and the public being exposed.

That's why there are specially trained workers who can remove asbestos from buildings to ensure it is done correctly. Even a small amount of asbestos exposure can lead to a diagnosis of mesothelioma one day.

But the Meso Foundation wants to know more about this incurable form of cancer. After 46 applicants attempted to prove that they should get the money to find a cure or at least more treatment options, five were chosen.

All projects were reviewed and ranked by members of the foundation's board. Projects will look at the molecular characteristics of mesothelioma tumors to see how defective genes impact malignant cells. Another project will look at how the body's proteins respond to chemotherapy cell death.

It is everyone's hope that this research continues and researchers and scientists may one day be able to know more about the cancer so that it may be detected and cured in its earlier stages. This will prevent patients from having to hear the bad news of a diagnosis decades after exposure.

Continue reading "Mesothelioma Foundation Awards $500,000 to Research Cure For Mesothelioma" »

As U.S. troops are getting settled in statewide after a long and deadly eight-year war in Iraq, it's a good time to talk about the risks that troops and veterans have of being diagnosed with mesothelioma.

This deadly and incurable form of cancer is more common in veterans, but it remains to be seen whether this current generation of soldiers will be exposed to asbestos and other materials that cause this form of cancer.

Our mesothelioma lawyers have seen many examples of older veterans who served our country faithfully for decades, only to have a frustrating end of their lives because of exposure to asbestos. In decades past, asbestos was commonly used in Navy shipyards.

Because it was a natural mineral and was flame-retardant, it was useful in making sure fires didn't break out aboard the ships. It was used domestically in insulating homes, coating pipes and in common products, such as car parts, ceiling tiles and ceramics.

But years later, as researchers found people were getting sick, exposure to asbestos was determined to be the root cause. In many cases, corporate bosses found out about the risks, but did little to address them. Many people were left to suffer.

When a person is exposed to asbestos, even a small amount or for a short period of time, the fibers can create tumors years later. They don't necessarily create noticeable symptoms, but can linger for years or decades before people are diagnosed. In some documented cases, people have been exposed to asbestos 50 years earlier before they are diagnosed with mesothelioma. By the time they are diagnosed, they usually only live another 12 months.

In other countries where military members may be deployed, the same restrictions on asbestos may not be in place. In the United States, asbestos is not officially banned, but it is no longer used. Presumably, the same rules apply to U.S.-owned military bases worldwide, as well. But cities and towns in other parts of the world likely have less stringent guidelines.

Mesothelioma is a constant issue because new forms of dangerous material that can cause it are being discovered every day. While older generations may be more likely to get this form of cancer from deacade-old exposure to asbestos, younger generations may not be any safer. Our veterans, who have put their lives on the line for our freedom, should be especially taken care of when they return home from duty. As troops continue come back from combat, our mesothelioma lawyers hope they don't come back to discover they are ill.

Continue reading "U.S. Troops and Veterans At Risk For Mesothelioma" »

As our mesothelioma lawyers have reported time and again, mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that takes decades to develop and is typically deadly within a matter of months once diagnosed.

Research has shown that mesothelioma has a direct link to asbestos, a natural mineral that for the better part of the 21st Century was used as insulation, in brake manufacturing, on naval ships, and in construction and building materials.

While asbestos is no longer actively used, it is still present in many buildings and old products. Laws have been created to regulate the use of asbestos and force both construction workers and developers to properly remove and transport this dangerous material.

When people break the laws and put the environment and human lives in danger, they can be prosecuted. That happened recently in Upstate New York. According to NBC News, a developer violated the Clean Air Act after workers allegedly handled large amounts of asbestos in violation of the law.

The 28-year-old is charged with hiring employees who had no training in asbestos removal to clean out a dumpster at a warehouse he owns in Livingston County. A grand jury indictment states the man now faces two counts of violating the Clean Air Act, which are punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was first investigated in December, when an inspector from the state visited the property after a complaint was lodged. The inspector saw large quantities of asbestos near a dumpster where employees worked. Nearly 100 bags of dried asbestos were found on site and were confirmed to be asbestos after testing.

The Clean Air Act is a federal law, but state laws also regulate how developers and construction workers must dispose of asbestos. It has been recognized as a major hazard, and while it is no longer actively being used, improperly disposing of the material can allow it to go airborne, which exposes all who come in contact with it to the risk of mesothelioma.

Many of the people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma today were exposed to asbestos as long as 50 years ago and didn't know the harmful effects it could cause. The next generation of mesothelioma patients may very well be unknowing people who were exposed to asbestos when workers improperly removed it, resulting in exposure.

Such exposure is preventable. Construction companies must do a better job of following the law. Regulations require that companies must hire specially-trained people who know how to remove asbestos without it damaging the area or getting into the air. When employers cut corners to save money, it puts everyone in danger. In other cases, apartment residents, students at school, or employees in older buildings where removal operations are ongoing could be unknowingly exposed to deadly conditions.

Continue reading "New York Developer Indicted On Charges After Asbestos Exposure" »