Asbestos & Mesothelioma Law Blog

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.

Things to Know if You are Considering a Mesothelioma Clinical Trial

December 27, 2022 | Throneberry Law Group

There is still no cure for mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is an illness that occurs after a person is exposed to asbestos, a dangerous substance that was widely used in the U.S. before the late 19^th century. However, the good news is that several treatment options are available for mesothelioma patients, and more treatments are being researched. Usually, researchers use clinical trials to investigate more effective treatments. A clinical trial can happen at a specific cancer center or in different cancer centers across the U.S. and other countries.

If you are considering enrolling in a mesothelioma clinical trial, you are likely feeling excited and frightened at the same time. While enrolling in a clinical trial might mean receiving the best treatment and helping other mesothelioma patients, the truth is that a clinical trial is not like a regular visit to the doctor. However, if you understand what to expect, it can prepare you.

The following are some crucial things to know if you are considering a mesothelioma clinical trial.

Mesothelioma and Improper Asbestos Disposal

December 27, 2022 | Throneberry Law Group

The disposal of asbestos must be tackled in a specific manner. Improper disposal of asbestos can put people at risk of suffering asbestos exposure, thus developing asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma. Even if the fibers are outdoors, they can be kicked up high enough for someone to inhale them. Because of how dangerous improper asbestos disposal can be, it is crucial for anyone removing asbestos to involve a professional. Asbestos abatement professionals are highly trained to follow the correct procedures. On top of putting the lives of others at risk, anyone who disposes of asbestos improperly faces serious fines or penalties if they break one of the laws regulating asbestos removal and disposal. Asbestos abatement professionals are highly trained to follow the laid down rules.

Homeowners and Asbestos Abatement and Disposal

Sometimes landowners decide to remove and dispose of asbestos on their own. However, this is risky. If a property owner believes they have asbestos on their property, certain steps must be taken to ensure the dangerous mineral is removed and disposed of in a safe manner. If a landowner decides to handle the removal and disposal of asbestos on their own, they put a lot of people in danger. They also risk facing fines and penalties if they break one of the laws regulating asbestos removal and disposal.

Understanding the Mesothelioma Attorney-Client Agreement

December 19, 2022 | Throneberry Law Group

The importance of hiring a lawyer after a mesothelioma diagnosis can never be over-emphasized. After you or a loved one is diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is crucial that you find an attorney who is, among other things, experienced, compassionate, and a good communicator.

If you have already found the right lawyer to help you with your mesothelioma case, the next step is to seal the deal with them by signing an attorney-client agreement. However, before signing an attorney-client agreement, it is vital that you understand what an attorney-client agreement is and the provisions of such an agreement.

What is an Attorney-Client Agreement?

What are the Signs of Asbestos Exposure?

December 9, 2022 | Throneberry Law Group

Asbestos was once widely used in the United States of America. This material is not yet banned in the U.S., but its use has drastically reduced over the years. When asbestos is contained, it is generally not harmful. On the other hand, if asbestos is damaged or disturbed, it can pose serious health risks. If asbestos is disturbed, asbestos fibers can become airborne. When asbestos fibers become airborne, people can inhale them and develop serious health conditions.

Who is Most Likely to Get Exposed to Asbestos?

Long ago, asbestos was widely used in several industries across the United States. The people who worked in industries that frequently used asbestos were at the greatest risk of being directly exposed to asbestos. If, for example, a person worked as a shipyard worker, construction worker, demolition worker, carpenter, or painter, they might have been at a greater risk of being directly exposed to asbestos. Even today, people working in certain industries are at great risk of being directly exposed to asbestos.

Signs You Hired the Wrong Mesothelioma Lawyer

November 30, 2022 | Throneberry Law Group

A mesothelioma victim or their family can file a personal injury claim and recover compensation from the party that is to blame for the asbestos exposure. It is not a legal requirement to retain an attorney during a mesothelioma case, but it is advisable to do so. Mesothelioma cases can be difficult to prove and usually involve large companies with unlimited resources. It is best not to risk trying to prove a mesothelioma case or going against these large companies without the help of an attorney. However, hiring just any attorney is not enough. One must hire the right attorney to increase the chances of seeing a positive outcome in a mesothelioma case.

So, how do you know you hired the right or wrong mesothelioma attorney? If you hired an attorney to help you with a mesothelioma case, the following are some of the signs you should look out for that indicate you hired the wrong attorney;

Sign #1: Bad Communicator