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Court Says World Trade Center Worker’s Mesothelioma Lawsuit Can Proceed
When Kenneth Last was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, it was no mystery as to where his exposure had come from. He had worked as a sub-contracted employee at the World Trade Center when it was under construction, and he blamed his exposure on general contractor ALCOA’s use of asbestos-containing materials where he had worked. Though
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Massachusetts Legislators Weigh Closing Loophole That Has Barred Mesothelioma Claims
The legislators in the state of Massachusetts are considering a change to a law that has effectively blocked mesothelioma victims from seeking justice from companies that exposed them to asbestos. The state courts currently must adhere to a construction tort statute of repose that places a six-year limit on construction-related asbestos claims.
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Teachers Who Feared Mesothelioma File First Amendment Class Action Suit
Teachers are among those most at risk for malignant mesothelioma, a fact made painfully clear in Philadelphia, where a teacher was diagnosed with the rare and deadly cancer. Multiple school buildings have been shut down for remediation and the issue is a growing concern. This week it was revealed that the Philadelphia school district docked
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Conference Attendees Hear Details of Mesothelioma Breath Test Study
For asbestos-exposed individuals, the specter of mesothelioma is always lurking in the background. Every cough or discomfort raises alarm bells that it could be the first sign of a deadly diagnosis. Researchers have been exploring the utility of a screening breath test to help allay these fears and provide an early detection tool. They reported on their
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Judge Rules Mesothelioma Worker’s Lawsuit Against Avondale Shipyard Can Proceed
Felton Robichaux’s malignant mesothelioma diagnosis came after years of working as a land-based insulator and carpenter at Avondale Shipyard. He filed suit against the company and the shipyard responded by seeking dismissal of the case. Though they argued that his claim under state law was precluded by the rules of the Longshore and Harbor Workers’
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Validity of 2009 Mesothelioma Staging Study Confirmed
Back in 2009, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer presented a model they’d developed to help stage malignant mesothelioma cases. Since then, additional data has been added to the model’s database to continue enhancing its accuracy. This week, the group’s members attending its annual conference in Singapore learned that the model is
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Court Denies Asbestos Company’s Motion to Overturn $35 Million Mesothelioma Verdict
In November of 2022, mesothelioma victim James McWilliams heard a New York jury order a valve manufacturer to pay him $35,000,000 in damages, including $23 million for past and future pain and suffering. The defendant, Jenkins Bros., filed a motion to order a new trial or revise a verdict they called “clearly excessive.” Last month
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Jury Takes Just 20 Minutes to Award Mesothelioma Victim’s Family $40 Million
In January of 2020, Bruce Torgerson succumbed to malignant pleural mesothelioma after an 18-month battle. He left behind two adult children, grandchildren, and a wife who was suffering from Alzheimer’s. Late last month, a 12-person jury in Cook County, Illinois awarded his survivors $40,750,000 in damages from three companies that they blamed for having negligently
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Aggressive Mesothelioma Surgery Combined with Chemotherapy Linked to Worse Outcomes
Identifying the right treatment plan is one of the many challenges faced by mesothelioma patients and their physicians. Those whose tumors are operable need to decide whether to pursue an aggressive form of surgery that removes the affected lung or to go with a less invasive procedure. A report issued today suggests that those who
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Study Says Adding Immunotherapy to Chemotherapy Improves Outcomes for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Attendees at the 2023 Best of ASCO Seattle meeting were treated to exciting news from a recent Phase III mesothelioma study: presented revealed that patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma treated with a chemoimmunotherapy regimen experienced significantly improved overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone.
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Researchers Explore Inhalable Gene Therapy for Mesothelioma
Because asbestos has been used all over the world, malignant pleural mesothelioma has become a global problem. The search for effective treatments is being conducted all over the world, and researchers from the Hyogo College of Medicine recently shared positive results from a study of an inhalable gene therapy.
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Overview of Peritoneal Mesothelioma Highlights Advances in Treatment
Though malignant mesothelioma is always considered a fatal form of cancer, advances in the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma – which affects the lining of the abdominal cavity – have offered significant improvements in survival. A group of researchers from the National Institutes of Health recently published an overview that summarized the current state of knowledge.
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Will New MicroRNA Therapy Discovery Halt Mesothelioma Tumor Growth?
Researchers from Purdue University have developed a new cancer therapy that may hold the key to slowing the growth of deadly mesothelioma tumors. The scientists revealed that after tricking cancer cells into absorbing a small portion of RNA that blocks cell division, the aggressive cells did not increase in size for three weeks. By contrast,
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Massachusetts Developer Indicted After Demolition Risks Mesothelioma for Thousands
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has issued 104 indictments to a developer it fears raised the risk of malignant mesothelioma to thousands. The company is accused of illegally demolishing a former elementary school, spreading asbestos dust to a large neighborhood and exposing its own workers to the carcinogenic material at the same time.
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Complicated Jurisdictional Issues Resolved in Mesothelioma Claim
A mesothelioma diagnosis is devastating to both the individual victim and their family. In addition to all of the medical issues, the question of whether to seek compensation from those responsible looms large. Those who choose to move forward face a new set of challenges, with each individual situation carrying its own unique aspects. For
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Asbestos Company Attempts to Evade Liability for HVAC Technician’s Mesothelioma Death
In May of 2021, mesothelioma claimed the life of 82-year-old Benedict Silvestri. The New York man had spent years working as an HVAC technician, and his family blamed asbestos contained in the equipment he worked on for his illness and death. One of the companies named in their personal injury lawsuit was Rockwell Automation, which was
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Mesothelioma Victims’ Families Reach Settlement with Asbestos Company
While many other defendants remain, the families of two Dupont plant employees who died of malignant mesothelioma have reached a settlement with Armstrong International.
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Insulation Contractor’s Mesothelioma Death Spurs Family to Act
After years of working as an insulation contractor at shipyards in California, Hawaii, and Washington state, Dennis Freeman died of malignant mesothelioma. His family members filed lawsuits against multiple companies, seeking compensation for his suffering and their loss. Though several defendants petitioned to have the cases against them dismissed, the U.S. District Court for the
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Despite Company’s Objections, Mesothelioma Widow Can Add Wrongful Death and Punitive Damages Claims
In November of 2020, Ruth and Arnold Pritt filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against several companies, including John Crane, Inc. After Arnold’s death, Ruth filed an unopposed motion to substitute herself as plaintiff, and then filed a motion to amend the original claim to add claims for wrongful death and punitive damages. Though Crane objected to
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Kentucky Court of Appeals Revives Case of Daughter’s Mesothelioma
Malignant mesothelioma, the rare and deadly form of cancer, can strike anybody exposed to asbestos, whether that exposure occurs in the workplace or is carried home on a worker’s clothing. Last month the justices of the Court of Appeals of Kentucky reviewed a long-argued case involving a young woman’s mesothelioma death: Upon analysis, they reversed
