January, 2023

ADAO Calls on Congress After Revelations of Asbestos Exposure

January 30, 2023 | Throneberry Law Group

A detailed investigative report by ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to investigating abuse of power, revealed how chemical giants have been lying about worker safety at their facilities. The report details decades of chemical company failures to provide enough protection for workers at Chlor-alkali plants, including a longtime contract janitor who got exposed to asbestos while pregnant. According to the janitor who worked at the Olin Corp. chemical plant, she scraped dry asbestos off the locker room floor. She also threw away protective suits, which were sometimes contaminated with asbestos. All this she did without any protective gear. According to the janitor, the company never informed workers about the dangers of asbestos.

For many years, workers across the U.S. did not discuss the dangers they were exposed to in asbestos-dependent chlorine plants. But after ProPublica revealed unsafe practices at a plant in Niagara Falls, New York, workers across America who worked at other chlorine plants voiced their concern about how the dangerous material was handled at their workplaces. Former lab analysts at a Texas plant revealed that workers there raised issues about potential asbestos exposures with safety managers in 2018. A contract pipe fitter who worked at the Olin Corp revealed that asbestos would fly and land everywhere. The pipe fitter did not experience lung problems, but his sister did. The sister worked various jobs in the company and spent time in places where workers handled asbestos. She was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away in 2017 at 64.

In response to ProPublica’s report, Linda Reinstein, the President and Co-Founder of the Asbestos Disease and Awareness Organization (ADAO), a nonprofit dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure, issued a statement calling on Congress to enact a U.S. ban on asbestos. According to Linda, a U.S. ban on asbestos is decades overdue, and this latest report by ProPublica is another example of unnecessary exposure, diseases, and death. ADAO calls on Congress to pass the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN).

How Much Asbestos Exposure Causes Mesothelioma?

January 28, 2023 | Throneberry Law Group

Asbestos is a mineral found in soil and rock. This mineral is made up of tiny fibers which can be inhaled or ingested. After someone is exposed to asbestos, they may end up developing different diseases. Mesothelioma is one of the common diseases people suffer after exposure to asbestos. If you or a loved one has received a mesothelioma diagnosis, you may wonder how much asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma. You probably think that something else caused your or your loved one’s mesothelioma, especially if you or your loved one have not been exposed to asbestos for a prolonged period.

So, how much asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma? Any level of asbestos exposure is dangerous and can cause mesothelioma. It is possible to develop mesothelioma even after exposure to asbestos once or for a short time. However, prolonged asbestos exposure increases the risk of developing mesothelioma. Most people who develop mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos for several years. Unfortunately, asbestos fibers can relocate in different body parts after prolonged exposure and lead to different forms of mesothelioma.

Do All the People Who are Exposed to Asbestos Develop Mesothelioma?

Tips to Help You Recover the Compensation You Deserve in Your Mesothelioma Claim

January 17, 2023 | Throneberry Law Group

Every year, there are approximately 3,000 new mesothelioma cases in the United States of America. If you or someone dear to you was diagnosed with mesothelioma after asbestos exposure, you might have the right to file a claim and recover compensation. However, just because you are entitled to compensation does not mean you are guaranteed to recover the compensation you deserve. Defendants in mesothelioma cases are known to do whatever they can to deny liability and get out of paying out compensation. The following are some of the things you can do to ensure you recover the compensation you deserve in your mesothelioma claim:

Act Quickly

Each state has a statute of limitations for mesothelioma claims. A statute of limitations sets the amount of time you have to bring forward a legal claim. The statute of limitations for mesothelioma claims can be one year, two years, three years, four years, five years, or even six years. You need to submit your mesothelioma claim before the statute of limitations on your case runs out. If you file your claim after your time has run out, your claim may be rejected.

Mesothelioma Caregivers: Adjusting Holiday Expectations

January 14, 2023 | Throneberry Law Group

After someone is diagnosed with mesothelioma, they need someone to care for them. Typically, the role of a mesothelioma caregiver is to help a mesothelioma patient with daily tasks as they progress through treatment. The complications of mesothelioma and mesothelioma treatment can make it challenging for patients to do most things independently. A spouse, parent, child, friend, or neighbor are just a few of the people who can be mesothelioma caregivers.

Being a caregiver to someone with mesothelioma can result in different feelings. It can cause different challenges. According to most caregivers, taking care of someone with mesothelioma during the holidays makes the holidays feel different. This article shares some helpful tips that can help mesothelioma caregivers navigate the holiday season.

Tip #1: Admit That Things Feel Different

Effects of a Mesothelioma Diagnosis on Family and Friends

January 6, 2023 | Throneberry Law Group

Asbestos exposure can cause a type of cancer called mesothelioma. A mesothelioma diagnosis does not only affect the patient. It also affects the patient’s family and friends. This article discusses some of the effects a mesothelioma diagnosis can have on different family members and friends.

How Can a Mesothelioma Diagnosis Affect Spouses?

After learning of a mesothelioma diagnosis, one of the first people a patient may want to discuss the illness with is their spouse. However, the truth is that discussing mesothelioma with a spouse may not be easy. After receiving the news, a spouse may feel the same way their sick spouse feels. A spouse may feel scared. They may also feel sad, anxious, or helpless. Some spouses even go into denial and choose not to talk about the sickness.