Genetic Counseling for Mesothelioma: What You Need to Know
|

Genetic Counseling for Mesothelioma: What You Need to Know

People with a family history of thoracic cancers like mesothelioma should think about getting genetic counseling. This is the recommendation of researchers from the United States and the United Kingdom. They explored what we know about how changes in a person’s genes passed down through their family can increase their chances of developing cancer. The Power of Genetic Knowledge Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. It most often occurs in the lungs or in the abdominal cavity. With the best conventional treatments, people with this cancer typically have a median survival of a little over a year for mesothelioma in the lungs and about five years for mesothelioma in the abdomen. There is…

States Wrestle with Mesothelioma Laws & Violations
|

States Wrestle with Mesothelioma Laws & Violations

The city of Paterson, New Jersey is facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for putting city workers at risk for deadly mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases. A state labor department inspection determined that Paterson had committed 43 OSHA safety violations, including 13 “serious” violations related to asbestos removal. The labor department says the city failed to properly supervise, train or monitor employees charged with removing asbestos ceiling tiles from a city building. They’re also charged with failing to provide the workers with the proper safety equipment. Asbestos is the primary cause of malignant mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer. Workers exposed to the asbestos now face an increased lifetime risk of developing mesothelioma. Paterson could face fines of $4,500 per day…

Libby Residents Settle Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawsuits
|

Libby Residents Settle Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawsuits

Residents of Libby, Montana who have contracted mesothelioma and other disease from exposure to asbestos will share a $43 million dollar settlement. The settlement is a response to 200 lawsuits filed over the contaminated W.R. Grace & Co. vermiculite mine outside of Libby.  A Montana district court ruled that the state failed to “warn and protect” Libby residents about the dangers of asbestos, which include mesothelioma.  According to the Los Angeles Times, payouts for the 1,300 plaintiffs will range from $500 to more than $50,000. The state did not admit liability as part of the settlement and those who signed it agreed to release the state from future claims. Although the Libby mine has been closed since 1990 and the Environmental Protection…

Mesothelioma Verdicts Highlight the Asbestos Danger
|

Mesothelioma Verdicts Highlight the Asbestos Danger

Some large mesothelioma settlements this summer have resulted in more $25 million for victims of the disease from coast to coast. In New Orleans, former shipyard worker Leopold Granier, Jr. won his $1.5 million suit against Union Carbide, Avondale Shipyards and Cajun Insulation, alleging that the companies were negligent in allowing his exposure to cancer-causing asbestos.  Granier worked at the Avondale shipyard, which was once the largest employer in the state of Louisiana.  The jury found that the companies named in the suit produced products that were a “substantial and contributing cause” of Granier’s mesothelioma.  The shipyard is slated to close in 2013 because of reduced business from the Navy. In San Diego, a 70-year old Navy veteran won a $2.4 million…