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Widow Awarded $16 Million in Asbestos Lung Cancer Case
When Steve Kotzerke was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma lung cancer, the non-smoker traced his deadly cancer to exposure to asbestos supplied by Canadian supplier Asbestos Corporation Ltd. Following his 2022 death at the age of 67, his widow filed a lawsuit against the company on behalf of their family. Last week, a Washington state Superior Court judge
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Delay in EPA Asbestos Hearing Worries Mesothelioma Advocates
Since Donald J. Trump was sworn in again as president, asbestos and mesothelioma advocates have been quietly concerned about what would happen to the recent progress made toward an asbestos ban. Though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Biden administration issued a new rule prohibiting the ongoing use of chrysotile asbestos, the new leaders
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Asbestos Lung Cancer Victim Asks for $30 Million in Punitive Damages
Last October, a Connecticut jury found Johnson & Johnson (J&J) guilty of negligence and awarded asbestos lung cancer victim Evan Plotkin $15 million in compensatory damages. Now, Plotkin’s attorney is asking a judge to order the company to pay $30 million in punitive damages. In a hearing this week, J&J argued that its actions did
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Washington State Supreme Court Won’t Review $4.7 Mesothelioma Verdict
In 2022, a Washington state jury awarded $5.75 million to the family of mesothelioma victim Thomas R. Sorrentino. Though the award was reduced to $4.7 million, Volkswagen AG appealed the decision, and after their argument against liability was rejected by an appeals court, they asked the state’s Supreme Court to review their case. Last week,
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Researchers Identify New Target in Mesothelioma Treatment
Because malignant mesothelioma has proven to be so resistant to traditional cancer treatments, researchers spend a significant amount of time searching for what makes the rare form of cancer’s cells respond differently from others. A recent study by European researchers identified a new way to improve the impact of chemotherapy in killing mesothelioma tumor cells.
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RNA Sequencing Study Reveals Mesothelioma Cell Differentiators
Researchers have long known that mesothelioma tumor cells have diverse characteristics. These differences, known as cell heterogeneity, have a direct impact on how the disease progresses and what treatments will work best, and understanding them is essential to the successful development of targeted therapies. The differences have also made accurate diagnosis much more challenging. A
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Widow Prevails in Asbestos Case Against Late Husband’s Former Employer
Joseph Sanders died of colon cancer in 2018 after having years of occupational exposure to asbestos and other toxins while working for CSX Transportation, Inc. An Illinois jury recently awarded his widow, Annette, $2.2 million in damages after agreeing that the company had been negligent in its failure to provide him with a safe workplace.
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Despite Objections from Shipyard, Mesothelioma Victim Permitted to Pursue Claim
Nolan J. Lebouf Jr. was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma after having worked at the Avondale Shipyard in the 1970s and 1980s. He filed a personal injury lawsuit in Louisiana state court seeking damages from the shipyard for its failure to warn of the dangers of the asbestos he was exposed to or to protect him
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Mesothelioma Advocacy Group Fears Governmental Cuts to Research Funding
In the face of draconian cuts to thousands of federal jobs and programs, the nation’s only nonprofit charity organization dedicated to ending mesothelioma is ringing alarm bells about the future of funding for mesothelioma research. The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation’s Executive Director has requested that its entire membership and mailing list contact their congressional representative to
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Swiss Mesothelioma Case Referred to Country’s High Court
The survivors of a Swiss mesothelioma victim will take their father’s legal claim to the country’s high appeals court after the country failed to provide them with a fair hearing in February 2024. Marcel Jann’s son and widow requested a revision of the federal court after the European Court of Human Rights had condemned Switzerland’s
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$500,000 Fines for “Willful Violations” that Put Workers at Risk of Mesothelioma
After an investigation that uncovered work practices that put many construction workers at risk of malignant mesothelioma, the New Mexico OSHA Bureau has ordered the city of Albuquerque to pay $500,000 in penalties. According to officials from the state’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (OSHA), the city demonstrated “plain indifference” to the rules regarding asbestos
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Mesothelioma Researchers Find that Gold Triggers Robust Immune Response
Researchers worldwide have long been frustrated by the challenge of treating malignant mesothelioma. The rare asbestos-related disease is notoriously resistant to traditional treatment approaches, and even new strategies using immune checkpoint blockades have provided a limited response. However, a recently published study from a global collaboration of scientists points to a gold complex as a
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Former Hairdresser Files Talc Mesothelioma Claim Against Multiple Defendants
A former hairstylist diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma has filed a claim against multiple cosmetic and talc companies, accusing them of negligence and fraudulent concealment of the presence of asbestos in their products. New Mexico resident Hector Maese says he was exposed to the products both occupationally and outside of work.
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Man Diagnosed with Mesothelioma Blames Union Carbide Product for Illness
After years of working for Noble Drilling Corporation, James M. Alford was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. He blames his illness on drilling mud additives made by Union Carbide Corporation and has named the company in his personal injury lawsuit. Though Union Carbide tried to get the case against them dropped, the U.S. District Court of
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Ex-FDA Head Testifies Against Johnson & Johnson in Asbestos Bankruptcy Case
A Houston bankruptcy court heard testimony from a former head of the FDA as Johnson & Johnson continues seeking bankruptcy protection against liability for ovarian cancer and malignant mesothelioma diagnoses. David Kessler pushed back against the company’s assertion that their talcum powder product never contained asbestos.
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Italian Researchers Explore FABP5 Protein’s Role in Mesothelioma Cancer
Malignant mesothelioma is an extremely aggressive form of cancer. The rare, asbestos-related disease has proven resistant to traditional cancer treatments. To overcome this challenge, researchers are exploring mesothelioma’s intricate molecular makeup, hoping that understanding its mechanisms will lead to better therapeutic options. Italian researchers recently explored mesothelioma cancer cells’ ability to change their metabolism to
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Noted Oncology Group Updates Guidelines for Treating Pleural Mesothelioma
Earlier this year, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, issued its latest guidelines for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. The first update since 2018, the new guidance represents a significant shift that reflects advancements from 110 studies conducted between 2016-2024. The new guidelines represent a sea change in how surgery and immunotherapy
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Mesothelioma Risk at U-Haul Facility Leads to $231,000 Fine
Fear of malignant mesothelioma is a known concern for auto mechanics, who often risk asbestos exposure from contaminated parts. But in Spokane, Washington, employees of a U-Haul franchise were put at risk from asbestos-containing floor tiles and glue in the facility where they were working, and this has led to their employer being ordered to
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Colorado Contractor Faces 10 Years in Jail After Creating Mesothelioma Risk
A Denver-area contractor has been sentenced to ten years in jail after creating a significant mesothelioma risk for his employee and residents of a multi-family apartment building. Lance Slayton was charged with intentionally causing a hazardous substance incident and for knowingly endangering neighbors within the building after he sent an unlicensed employee who was unaware
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California Couple Seeks Justice from Asbestos Companies and Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.
In late December, California couple Philip A. Monroe and Frances R. Monroe filed a personal injury lawsuit against multiple asbestos companies that they blame for his diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. Among those named are Air & Liquid Systems Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Foster Wheeler, John Crane, Inc., Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, and Honeywell International, Inc.
