Mesothelioma Blog

  • Court Denies Chemical Plant Owner’s Argument Against Mesothelioma Liability

    Malignant mesothelioma victims have a history of exposure to asbestos, the mineral that causes the disease, and that exposure can occur in many different ways. Some victims have worked directly with materials contaminated with the carcinogen, cutting tiles or pipes and inhaling the dust that it raised. Others have worked in environments where asbestos was …Read More

  • Asbestos in Linotype Machine Blamed for Man’s Mesothelioma

    In the years prior to the 20th century, people were not aware that asbestos caused malignant mesothelioma and other illnesses. Its dangers were simply not known so manufacturers used it freely, relying on the substance to increase durability and to insulate against fire, heat and sound. This was true of many types of equipment, including …Read More

  • Concessions Worker Struck Down by Malignant Mesothelioma

    Asbestos was once highly valued for the strength and fire resistance it added to structures, but in the mid-1970s the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed it as a powerful carcinogen, responsible for malignant mesothelioma and many other serious and deadly diseases. While the use of the deadly material was severely curtailed, the EPA’s announcement did …Read More

  • Second-Hand Asbestos Exposure During Teen Years Blamed for Man’s Mesothelioma

    Alfred Mata was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma when he was 64 years old, but unlike most victims of the rare, asbestos-related disease, the California man had not personally worked with or near asbestos. Instead, the toxic material was carried into his family’s home on his father’s work clothing during Alfred’s teen years. Alfred and his …Read More

  • Asbestos Company Fails in Effort to Overturn $14.6 Million Mesothelioma Award

    Barbara Barr co-owned an auto parts and repair store for years, and her involvement in that business put her in constant contact with the asbestos that led to her eventual diagnosis with malignant mesothelioma. A California jury hearing the details of her exposure agreed that her illness was caused by the negligence of Parker-Hannifin Corporation …Read More

  • Psychiatrist Cites “Fear and Panic” About Risk of Mesothelioma

    Being seated on a jury requires paying attention to evidence, and sitting on a jury in a mesothelioma case means learning a great deal about the disease from expert witnesses. Many witnesses will speak to the role of asbestos in the disease’s development, the amount of asbestos contamination present in a product or environment, or …Read More

  • $10.3 Million Awarded to New Orleans Longshoreman Following Mesothelioma Diagnosis

    A New Orleans man spoke eloquently of his heartbreak at learning he’d been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and the jury hearing his testimony responded, awarding him $10.3 million in compensation from the stevedoring and shipping companies that had put him at risk. Longshoreman with Mesothelioma Speaks of Years of Asbestos Exposure Though the jury seated …Read More

  • Mesothelioma Lawsuit Spotlights Asbestos Risk from Hair Dryers

    Though many believe occupational risks from asbestos exposure are limited to environments like construction, factory work and mining, the mineral has caused mesothelioma and other deadly diseases in people working in a wide range of job settings. Because it insulates so effectively, asbestos was used in all types of heat-generating equipment, including toasters, coffee pots, …Read More

  • Veteran’s Widow Seeks Justice for Mesothelioma Death

    Linda Hammell’s late husband Arthur was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma more than fifty years after he was exposed to asbestos, but the former Navy reservist still remembered having been exposed to asbestos during his years in the military. Though he died before his lawsuit could be heard, he provided deposition testimony about his exposure to …Read More

  • “Systematic Fraud” Leads to $72.5 Million Mesothelioma/Asbestos Settlement

    A thirty-year saga that saw manufacturing giant BASF and its law firm battle thousands afflicted by mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases came to an end after the company agreed to pay victims a $72.5 million settlement. The defendants admitted to having hidden evidence of asbestos contamination in their talc products. As part of the settlement, …Read More

  • Mesothelioma Case to Be Retried After Judge’s Decision Deemed “Unreasonable”

    Imagine having a jury decide that an asbestos company is not liable for your mesothelioma based on a judge’s unwillingness to let them review essential evidence. That is exactly what happened to a Philadelphia widow who was seeking compensation in the death of her husband from the rare, asbestos-related disease. Upon review of the case, …Read More

  • Virginia Vet’s Claim Illustrates Complexity of Mesothelioma Lawsuits

    Every lawsuit is unique, but pursuing a personal injury claim accusing a company of causing malignant mesothelioma is particularly complex, and especially when the victim is a Navy veteran. This is because most Navy veterans were exposed to asbestos while working onboard ships, thus raising the question of whether each case should be pursued under …Read More

  • Conflicting Testimony from Asbestos Defendant Works to Mesothelioma Victim’s Benefit

    When a person diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma files a personal injury lawsuit against an asbestos company, they’re warned that the defendants will do everything they can to win. Asbestos companies argue that there’s no evidence that their product caused the victim’s illness, that there’s no proof their product was used at all, and sometimes even …Read More

  • Mesothelioma Lawsuit Blames Talc Used in Ceramics Studio for Illness

    Though most cases of malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and other asbestos-related diseases track back to occupational exposure to the carcinogenic material, an unfortunate number of victims’ exposure comes from helping friends or family members, laundering clothes, and other non-occupation-related activities. That’s what happened to Stanley Peterson, who was diagnosed with the rare and fatal form of …Read More

  • Mesothelioma Widow’s Appeal Results in New Trial

    When mesothelioma victims first decide to pursue justice from those responsible for their fatal illness, they’re warned that the journey will be long and challenging, but worthwhile in the end. A good example of the emotional rollercoaster that these lawsuits represent can be seen in the case of James Clevenger, a Navy veteran and maintenance …Read More

  • Virginia Legislature Rights Wrong, Passes Law to Protect Mesothelioma Victims

    The Virginia state legislature has taken steps to right what they viewed as an intolerable legal wrong: They passed a new state law that would have permitted a mesothelioma victim’s family to pursue justice against the asbestos companies responsible for his illness. Though it is too late for the law to benefit the family of …Read More

  • University Accused of Negligence in Professor’s Mesothelioma Death

    Traditionally, an employee who has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma following workplace exposure is not permitted to file a personal injury lawsuit against their employer. This is a result of laws around worker’s compensation, which provides no-fault insurance coverage to employees in exchange for them not being able to sue their employers. But a 2013 …Read More

  • Judge Orders Asbestos Company to Produce Evidence for Mesothelioma Trial

    Eric and Christine Slonim are seeking compensation from two film editing machine companies that they blame for her malignant mesothelioma, but to win their case they need proof that the companies’ products were contaminated with asbestos. In response to the couple’s suit the companies refused to cooperate and denied the couple’s request that they provide …Read More

  • Mesothelioma Victims Win Punitive Damages from Johnson & Johnson

    A group of mesothelioma victims who filed a lawsuit against consumer giant Johnson & Johnson, blaming asbestos in the company’s iconic baby powder for their illness, got their first victory in 2019, when a jury awarded them $37.3 million collectively in compensatory damages.  But their search for justice was not over. They also sought punitive …Read More

  • Barber’s Wife Dies of Mesothelioma Blamed on Asbestos in Talcum Powder

    The familiar sight of a barber sprinkling talc on a client’s neck seems harmless and normal, but according to Eddie and Mildred Germain it was exposure to that white powder that caused their wife and mother’s mesothelioma and death. Now they are seeking justice from the companies that failed to warn them that the product …Read More