Mesothelioma and Asbestos News Updates

Here are some of the mesothelioma and asbestos news stories that we are currently following:

Firefighters reach settlement with city in asbestos lawsuit (January 20, 2012): A group of Washington firefighters have reached an agreement with the city of Everett after filing a $9 million asbestos lawsuit. Under the agreement, the city will pay for any medical tests the firefighters could require as a result of asbestos exposure that may have occurred during a training program run by the city.

Shipyard worker wins Washington mesothelioma lawsuit (January 19, 2012): A Washington ship worker has won his mesothelioma lawsuit against his former employer. Roger Hammet was awarded $1.45 million after a jury found that Sea-Land Service Inc. was responsible for the mesothelioma diagnosis Hammet received after working on the company’s ship.

New York woman files asbestos lawsuit after husband’s death (January 14, 2012): A New York woman has filed an asbestos lawsuit against her husband’s former employers after he died from lung cancer. Carolina Malone alleges in her lawsuit that Alcoa Inc. exposed her husband to asbestos while he worked for the company, which caused him to develop cancer.

Environmental agency files asbestos lawsuit against contractor (January 11, 2012): The U.S. Department of Environment Protection (DEP) has filed an asbestos lawsuit against a Pennsylvania contractor. The lawsuit alleges that Lovett Contracting improperly removed nearly 3,000 feet of asbestos insulation from a commercial building and failed to properly dispose of the materials.

Actor Steve McQueen to be honored by asbestos awareness group

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) has announced that it will honor the life of actor Steve McQueen with its Warren Zevon “Keep Me In Your Heart” Memorial Tribute Award. McQueen died in 1980 from mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos.

Accepting the award on her late husband’s behalf, Barbara McQueen expressed her gratitude to the ADAO for their work in spreading awareness of the health risks of asbestos:

Steve’s death was a long and painful ordeal and my heart goes out to those who have been exposed to asbestos as well as their loved ones. We’re all in the same family and I commend ADAO for the great work they do on behalf of asbestos awareness.

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Mesothelioma and Asbestos News Updates

Asbestos and Mesothelioma Lawsuits

  • Tough choice looms for people suing over 9/11 health claims: to apply for gov’t aid or not (December 25, 2011): More than 1,600 people who filed lawsuits claiming that their health was ruined by dust and smoke from the collapsed World Trade Center must decide by Jan. 2 whether to keep fighting in court, or drop the litigation and apply for benefits from a government compensation fund. Although the fund would cover ailments such as asthma, scarred lungs and other respiratory system problems, patients who develop mesothelioma or other forms of cancer are not eligible for compensation.
  • Asbestos victim awarded $2M in mesothelioma lawsuit (December 21, 2011): A New York man who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in December 2010 was awarded $2 million in a mesothelioma lawsuit filed against his former employer. Gerald Failing received the verdict after a jury found a materials company for responsible for exposing him to cancerous asbestos fibers.
  • Settlement reached in Missouri mesothelioma lawsuit (December 15, 2011): A mesothelioma lawsuit filed against U.S. Engineering Co. in Missouri has been settled for $10 million. Nancy Lopez filed the lawsuit alleging that the company failed to follow proper procedures in removing asbestos from the courthouse where she worked.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos News Updates

Asbestos exposure alleged at British university in Lincoln

  • Former worker alleges asbestos safety violations by companies (November 22, 2011): A Montgomery College student has alleged that asbestos safety violations were commtted by several asbestos abatement companies where he worked. Ernest Ojito alleges six companies throughout Marlyand, Washington D.C. and Virginia put workers at risk by exposing them to asbestos while ignoring federal safety requirements.
  • British university fined for alleged asbestos exposure (November 17, 2011): The University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom has been fined for failing to take adequate steps to remove asbestos from four of its buildings. The British Health Service Executive fined the university more than £22,000 after it was discovered that officials at the university took four years before ordering asbestos removal from the buildings.
  • Asbestos victim awarded $2M in mesothelioma lawsuit (November 8, 2011): An Australian man who was diagnosed with mesothelioma was awarded more than $2 million in his asbestos lawsuit. The Australian Supreme Court awarded Simon Lowes the sum after he alleged that he was exposed to asbestos as a young child at an orphanage.
  • High rates of mesothelioma found among Iron Range workers (November 3, 2011): An ongoing study has found 82 deaths from mesothelioma in the Iron Range of Minnesota, up from the 63 previously reported in 2010. Lead researchers for the study have found the mesothelioma rate is considerably higher than it should be for the region.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos News Updates

Here are some of the mesothelioma and asbestos stories that we are currently following:

Patients with gene mutation may face increased mesothelioma risk

Researchers have uncovered evidence that patients with a specific genetic mutation may face an increased risk of developing mesothelioma and some other forms of cancer. The study by scientists at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center and the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia was published in the August 2011 issue of the journal Nature Genetics.

The researchers found that individuals who carry a mutation of the BAP1 gene are more likely to develop mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos than individuals without the mutation. The study also found that individuals with the BAP1 mutation may be more likely to develop melanoma of the eye, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer or renal cancer.

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Sept. 11 workers face lasting health risks from Ground Zero toxic dust

Emergency workers and other personnel who were present at the site of the 9/11 attacks may be at risk of developing mesothelioma or other diseases from the toxic dust that was spread by the attacks. Ten years after the attacks, Ground Zero workers have already begun to show signs of respiratory diseases and other illnesses that may worsen into cancer or other conditions as time goes on.

According to a study conducted by scientists at Rutgers University (PDF), the dust that was spread after 9/11 contained a number of hazardous substances, including asbestos, gypsum, glass fibers, lead and other metal particles. Exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma—a deadly cancer of the chest or abdomen—and many other cancers or respiratory diseases. Gypsum—which is found in drywall—has been linked to respiratory problems, while lead and other metals can be toxic to the brain.

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Mesothelioma documentary examines asbestos industry

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) has announced that it will be livestreaming the documentary "Breathtaking" on September 26th. The film examines the death of the father of Ontario fimmaker Kathleen Mullen, who directed the movie, and explores issues surrounding the continued use and mining of asbestos, despite its known health risks.

Join the free online screening and live discussion of "Breathtaking" by Kathleen Mullen on September 26 at 6:30 pm EST or watch the trailer for the film below.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos News Updates

Here are some of the mesothelioma and asbestos stories that we are currently following:

Mesothelioma lawsuits numbers continue to rise in U.S.

According to a new report published by Reuters news service, the number of mesothelioma lawsuits filed in the U.S. has continued to rise in recent years. According to one estimate, the total liability for the asbestos industry could eventually stretch to $75 billion in damages and settlements to victims of asbestos-related diseases.

Although some have reported that the number of new cases of malignant mesothelioma have fallen in recent years, projections by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Health Statistics show the number of deaths from mesothelioma and asbestosis continuing to rise through at least 2016.

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