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Auto Parts Retailer Fails in Attempt to Dismiss Mesothelioma Claim
Can a retail operation that sold asbestos-contaminated parts be held responsible for a customer’s mesothelioma? The family of Gail Chandler is exploring that question. They won a recent court decision that allowed their case against Parts Warehouse and its alternate entity Lamus-Lundlee to move forward.
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Specific Exercise Plan Improves Quality of Life in Mesothelioma Patients
Exercise is probably the last thing on mesothelioma patients’ minds. Most are elderly, and likely to have been sedentary before their diagnosis. Facing surgery, chemotherapy, and other interventions, the idea of lifting weights or increasing their physical activity may seem silly, unpleasant, or even impossible. But a recent study revealed that a carefully crafted program
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Despite Asbestos Company’s Arguments, Jury’s Verdict Stands in Mesothelioma Case
Immediately after a New York jury found in favor of a mesothelioma victim and his wife, awarding them $2 million in damages, one of the defendants in the case filed a motion asking for the award to be thrown out despite the jury’s verdict and for a new trial to be ordered. Upon review of
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Study Reports Doubling of Mesothelioma Burden Over Past 30 Years
Despite the best efforts of asbestos advocates and health protection agencies across the world, the absolute number of malignant mesothelioma cases has doubled since 1990. That is the conclusion of a report published this week in the journal Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology.
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Turbine Manufacturers Deny Responsibility for Mesothelioma
Following the mesothelioma death of her husband Kirk, Joanne Reulet is facing off against multiple asbestos manufacturers. Just last week she was handed a victory against companies disputing the cause of his death, and this week she won a round against General Electric Company and ViacomCBS Inc. (formerly known as Westinghouse Electric Corporation). Both companies
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Surgery Decision Looms Large for Mesothelioma Patients
When you’ve been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, your instinct may be to take your time and weigh your medical options. Unfortunately, the aggressive nature of the asbestos-related disease means decisions need to be made quickly, including regarding the type of surgery to have. With both available approaches that each offer advantages and disadvantages, the
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Mesothelioma Claim Leads to $6 Million Verdict Against Ford
As a manufacturer of asbestos-contaminated brakes, Ford Motor Company is frequently named as a defendant in mesothelioma claims. In most cases, those lawsuits are filed by professional mechanics and hobbyists exposed to the dust while doing repair work on Ford vehicles. But this week the family of a deceased Ford employee successfully sued the company,
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Asbestos in Bendix Brakes Blamed for NYC Transit Authority Worker’s Mesothelioma Death
From 1962 to 1987, mesothelioma victim Roy Barbarino was employed at the New York City Transit Authority, moving up from helper to an “A” level worker responsible for maintaining, installing, inspecting, testing, altering, and repairing vehicles. Over the years he was exposed to workers performing engine and brake repair, and after his death his wife
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Innovative Treatment Approach Delivers Promise for Mesothelioma and Other Advanced Cancers
There’s no such thing as a good cancer, but some are particularly bad: malignant mesothelioma is one, and there are many other cancers that are notoriously hard to stall or stop once they reach an advanced stage. But an innovative company headquartered in Germany has tested a new oral monotherapy that shows real promise for
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New York Factory Blamed for Residents’ Mesothelioma Deaths
One week after reporting on asbestos contamination in OxyChem’s Niagara Falls chlorine plant, Pro Publica has revealed that neighbors of another of the company’s New York plants have been sickened by malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. The publication reports that since the 1990s, the company has been named in multiple personal injury lawsuits, many
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Italian Researchers Identify Key Difference in Mesothelioma Cells
Malignant mesothelioma is a uniquely aggressive and challenging form of cancer. The rare, asbestos-related disease has proven itself resistant to almost all standard cancer treatments, and while some researchers work to modify those protocols, others are investigating what it is about the disease that protects it. Now a group of researchers from the University of
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Court Rejects Asbestos Companies’ Efforts to Deny Mesothelioma as Cause of Death
Despite the extensive legal and scientific record, companies accused of causing mesothelioma and asbestos-related deaths aggressively defend themselves against personal injury lawsuits, going so far as to question victims’ cause of death. A recent case filed by Joanne Reulet on behalf of her late husband Kirk demonstrates this, with asbestos companies arguing against the testimony
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Immunotherapy or Palliative Therapy? Mesothelioma Patients and End-of-Life Care
A diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma is heart-wrenching. The rare asbestos-related disease is always considered fatal and is extremely fast-moving and aggressive. This leaves patients and their families with a difficult decision: should they ask physicians to prolong survival at all costs, or opt for hospice and palliative therapies that focus on quality of life?
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Study Shows Improvements to Immunotherapy May Help Mesothelioma Patients
Immunotherapy’s positive results and FDA approvals have offered hope for patients diagnosed with cancers of all kinds, including malignant mesothelioma. Yet few people know that the innovative protocol’s side effects can be just as harmful as those caused by chemotherapy. A collaboration between researchers at Harvard University and a Swiss cancer research consortium may offer
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Mesothelioma Victim Continues Pursuit of Japanese Auto Brakes Company
When George Sweikhart was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, he filed suit against several companies he accused of negligently exposing him to asbestos. Among these was Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd. and its subsidiary, Akebono Brake Corporation (ABC), whose asbestos-contaminated brakes he’d worked with throughout his career. Since being named, the company has made several attempts
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Workers Fearing Mesothelioma Break Their Silence on Chlorine Plant
In a remarkable profile featured on National Public Radio’s website, longtime employees of a now-shuttered chlorine plant in Niagara Falls, New York detailed their fear of mesothelioma after years of exposure to asbestos, and of their employer OxyChem’s resistance to taking protective measures on their behalf.
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Hurricane Ian’s Destruction Raises Concerns Over Mesothelioma Risk
The state of Florida is slowly recovering from Hurricane Ian’s destruction, but as people begin to remove debris, asbestos experts are expressing concern about the risk of malignant mesothelioma.
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Mesothelioma Widower Successfully Prevents Asbestos Company Evasion
Ruby Lee Marie Falgout died of malignant mesothelioma last August. Before her death, she and her husband John identified the cause of her illness as asbestos exposure from when she laundered John’s clothing. They filed suit against Avondale, the shipyard where John had worked, but the company tried to evade responsibility. Last week a court
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New Computer Platform May Help Match Mesothelioma Patients with Cancer Trials
Learning you have a fatal disease is just one of the overwhelming aspects of being diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. Many patients ask about inclusion in a clinical trial in hopes these innovative treatments will offer success, but identifying the right state-of-the-art study for a particular patient can be a challenge. Now, a new computer platform
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Innovative Blood Test May Lead to Earlier Mesothelioma Diagnosis
For most mesothelioma patients, early diagnosis leads to more effective treatment and longer survival. But symptoms of the rare, asbestos-related disease don’t present until the tumors are well established, and more advanced the disease presents treatment challenges. A new test developed by healthcare company Grail may offer an important tool in the quest for earlier
