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Despite Asbestos Company Appeal, Court Rules Mesothelioma Widow Can Keep $17 Million Jury Award
Nearly two years after a Washington state jury ordered Scapa Waycross to pay a mesothelioma widow almost $17 million in compensation, a Washington appeals court denied the company’s request to throw out the verdict. Though the asbestos company argued that the jury’s decision was based on “pure speculation” about the cause of Kevan Holdsworth’s illness,…
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Johnson & Johnson Subsidiary Refiles Bankruptcy Case with $8.9 Settlement Offer
When Johnson & Johnson formed its subsidiary LTL Management, its sole purpose was to carry the company’s talc liabilities into Chapter 11 bankruptcy: the move put thousands of mesothelioma and ovarian cancer victims’ personal injury claims on hold. Those claimants got new hope when the Third Circuit rejected the controversial move, but now the company…
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Shipyard Decries Expert Witness Assertions About Asbestos’ Role in Mesothelioma
A malignant mesothelioma lawsuit generally focuses on the victim’s exposure to asbestos and the defendant’s negligence in allowing it to happen, or failing to warn of the mineral’s dangers. Asbestos company strategies vary, with many working to have expert witness testimony blocked on the grounds that it goes too far in its assessment of asbestos’…
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General Electric Attempts to Exclude Expert Testimony in Mesothelioma Case
James Grant Gooding died of malignant mesothelioma on March 22, 2020, less than three weeks after he filed a personal injury lawsuit against several companies he blamed for having exposed him to asbestos. His survivors enlisted expert witnesses to support their wrongful death claim, and in response General Electric filed a motion to exclude their…
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Japanese Researchers Identify a Significant Indicator of Mesothelioma Survival
Patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma navigate a confusing and complicated path. Though the disease is always considered fatal and expected survival is notoriously brief, patients tare offered a range of potential treatments based on the specifics of their condition. A recent study conducted by Japanese researchers has identified an important predictor of survival in…
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Asbestos Manufacturer Argues Against Jury’s Mesothelioma Award
Ronald and Judith Wilgenbusch filed a personal injury lawsuit against Metalclad Insulation LLC and other companies filing Ronald’s diagnosis with malignant mesothelioma. The couple won their lawsuit, with the jury assessing economic damages of $795,000 and noneconomic damages of $1.75 million dollars. This award was apportioned between the various named parties, but Metalclad objected to…
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New York Cancer Center Tests Use of Photodynamic Therapy for Mesothelioma
Malignant mesothelioma has proven resistant to every cancer treatment. Physicians using varying combinations of chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and immunotherapy have been able to extend survival for some patients, but have not yet found a way to stop the aggressive cancer from claiming the lives of its victims. Now researchers at the Roswell Park Cancer Center…
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After $20 Million Mesothelioma Award, Asbestos Companies Await Punitive Damages Decision
A Connecticut jury wasted no time in deciding that two companies were responsible for the mesothelioma death of John Peckham, a temporary worker exposed to asbestos in their products sixty years earlier. Mr. Peckham died 18 months after his diagnosis with the rare, asbestos-related disease, and the jury ordered the companies to pay his survivors…
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Case Report on Patient’s Mesothelioma Journey Highlights Importance of Occupational History
A recently published case study of a 56-year-old mesothelioma patient has highlighted the importance of informing healthcare professionals about occupational history. Lack of knowledge of the patient’s occupational asbestos exposure combined with his history of hypertension distracted emergency department personnel from his other symptoms, delaying diagnosis and treatment of his mesothelioma.
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Miami Research Suggests Social Determinants Play Role in Mesothelioma Survival
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer that is always considered fatal. But patients’ overall survival varies significantly: some patients die within weeks of diagnosis and others can enjoy multiple years more life. A recent study published in the journal JAMA Network Open suggests that those differences are often impacted by social disparities and lack…
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Seeking End to Mesothelioma Risk, Anti-Asbestos Advocates Launch Day of Action
Despite exposure to asbestos leading to malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other serious and deadly diseases, lobbying efforts by the chemical industry have led to its continued use in the United States. While the EPA considers banning its use, anti-asbestos advocates are taking matters into their own hands: they have announced a day of…
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New York Supreme Court Allows $15 Million Verdict to Stand
In 2018, Munir Seen was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. He pursued legal action against 26 different companies and individuals, later adding joint compound manufacturer Kaiser Gypsum. By the time the case went to trial, only Kaiser remained as a defendant and Mr. Seen had died. The jury awarded his estate $15 million, with 70% of…
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$10.4 Million Mesothelioma Award Upheld by Louisiana Court
When David Strauder, Jr. died of malignant mesothelioma, he left behind two bereft adult daughters. The women filed suit against the companies that had exposed their father to asbestos in the state of Louisiana and won a $10.4 million verdict against Union Carbide Corporation, the only defendant that remained. The company filed an appeal arguing…
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Court Denies Boiler Manufacturer’s Attempt to Evade Two Separate Mesothelioma Claims
The asbestos insulation found in mid-20th-century boilers is frequently blamed for malignant mesothelioma, as those who worked with or near the boilers had no way to avoid breathing in the toxic fibers. Despite this, boiler manufacturers frequently try to evade liability for the harm they caused. Recently a single manufacturer filed to have two separate…
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EPA Release Suggests Decision on Asbestos Ban is Close
A newly-released document from the Environmental Protection Agency indicates that the agency is much closer to making a final decision regarding the regulation of chrysotile asbestos under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The EPA has released additional data related to the proposed rules change and has opened a 30-day period for comment from the…
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Mesothelioma Researchers Announce Meaningful Improvement from Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy Treatment
Researchers from Merck, the pharmaceutical company behind the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda), have announced that first-line treatment that combines their product with chemotherapy met the primary endpoint of a phase 2/3 trial, achieving clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival in patients diagnosed with unresectable advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma.
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German Mesothelioma Study Suggests HITOC Benefits Outweigh Risks to Kidneys
Finding the most effective treatment for malignant mesothelioma is a significant challenge. The rare and deadly form of cancer is notoriously resistant to chemotherapy and other traditional cancer treatments, leaving researchers to weigh the relative risks of more innovative or aggressive treatments. A study conducted by German researchers has concluded that the benefits of localized…
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Asbestos Bans Lead to Global Decline in Malignant Mesothelioma
According to research published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the global incidence of malignant mesothelioma is on the decline. Using several databases, researchers looked at 185 countries to determine the overall trends, as well as differences in incidence based on sex, asbestos exposure, and countries’ gross domestic product and human development indexes. In analyzing their results, the…
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Remarkable Gel-Based Approach Offers New Hope for Mesothelioma Patients
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. The cancer’s tumors are uncommon in the way that they grow and take shape: because they adhere to the surface of the mesothelial membranes, they are difficult to remove surgically. They also do not respond well to systemic chemotherapy, leaving doctors with little…
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Two North Carolina Families Ask Court to Consolidate their Mesothelioma Claims
Two families facing the challenges of malignant mesothelioma have asked a North Carolina court to allow them to combine their asbestos claims against 3M Company, Dow Chemical, General Electric, and others. Both accuse the companies of exposing their loved ones to asbestos. Saying that their “cases are about as similar as any two cases could…
