Boston Mesothelioma

August 2, 2015

Asbestos Exposure an Increasing Risk for Firefighters

Being a professional firefighter is a dangerous job. There is no question every time a firefighter responds to a call, he or she may be asked to rush into a burning hot building that is on the verge of collapsing. There have been many firefighters who were killed in the line of duty trying to rescue people or put out a fire.

There have been cases where roofs or upper floors collapse on firefighters working in the building. We have also seen cases where the fire gets out of control or there is an explosion and the firefighters are severely injured or killed. In addition to the dangers of explosions and falling debris, one of the major causes of serious illness or death for firefighters is smoke inhalation. Many firefighters do not have proper safety gear on, or, if they do, they take it off too soon while still on the scene of the fire and within the area of danger for smoke inhalation. Continue reading

July 11, 2015

Experimenting with Alternative Treatment Options for Mesothelioma

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

There is no question that mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer, and the only known cause is exposure to asbestos. When a person inhales the fibers, those fibers can become embedded in his or her lung tissue, lining of the chest, abdomen and other organs. Once the fibers are embedded, there is virtually no way to detect them.

When a patient presents with asbestos symptoms, a doctor may perform a lung or tissue biopsy, where a portion of the tumor is removed and examined at a histology lab to confirm the presence of asbestos fibers and mesothelioma. Doctors will generally not perform a biopsy on healthy tissues since this type of test is known as a destructive biopsy, which requires the cutting and removal of tissue. Continue reading

July 3, 2015

Historic New England Jail to Become Museum if Asbestos Abatement Occurs

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

An historic New England jail might become a tourist attraction if money can be allocated to handle the much-needed renovations, which include a large-scale asbestos abatement project.

This particular jail, with its stone walls, has housed a variety of prisoners throughout its long history. For example, a tavern owner was sentenced to 60 days in prison for violating the Volstead Act in 1922, according to recent news feature from CT Now. For those who study history, or used to watch Boardwalk Empire on HBO, you will remember the Volstead Act as the federal law preventing the sale of alcohol and better known as Prohibition. Continue reading

June 27, 2015

Illegal Asbestos Removal Job Leads to Three-Year Sentence

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent news article from The Courier Post Online, a man was just sentenced to three years in prison for his alleged conduct during a recycling project where highly dangerous asbestos waste material was left all over the site of a former hospital campus.

Prosecutors say the 57-year-old defendant used untrained and unlicensed day laborers, some of whom were inmates living at a halfway house, to conduct an asbestos abatement operation and did not even provide them with the correct equipment to do the job. They are alleged to have illegally buried asbestos-laden titles and dumped large contractor-size trash bags full of asbestos in the floor of the boiler room at one of the buildings in the old hospital campus. Continue reading

June 4, 2015

Abutahoun v. Dow Chemical Co.: Mesothelioma Cases Involving Employees

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Abutahoun v. Dow Chemical Co., a case from the Supreme Court of Texas, involved respondent chemical company, which entered into a contract with victim’s employer to install insulated pipes at respondent’s Texas factory.

Claimant worked on the pipe insulation installation between from 1967 to 1968, and the project involved insulation of thousands of pipes. The pipes on which victim worked contained asbestos-laden insulation material. The pipes also carried acid and vented steam. Victim alleged that, during the course of his employment, he was exposed to deadly asbestos dust. Some of this exposure was a result of respondent’s workers, who were sawing and cutting the pipes in his vicinity. He was also exposed due to his work involving the pipe insulation materials.

During a trial, one witness, a former coworker of victim, testified he was constantly sawing the pipes and that workers who were within 20 feet of his location were in the “asbestos dust area.”
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May 13, 2015

Beloved Chef Seeks Mesothelioma Treatment in Boston

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Mesothelioma is not only devastating to those diagnosed with the deadly illness, but also for family and friends of victims. Everyone involved suffers, and that suffering could have been prevented, had it not been for the industry’s complete disregard for the safety of workers, consumers and families.

According to a recent news story from Bangor Daily News, one local community is standing behind a well-loved chef who has recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Victim’s daughter says her mother, only 45-years-old, was having serious trouble breathing and went to the doctor to see what was wrong. Doctors found polyps in her chest and performed a biopsy. When the results came back, she was told she has malignant mesothelioma.

Since her diagnosis, victim has been traveling to Boston for treatment at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which has more to offer than her local hospital. Each treatment session takes a long time. She was recently scheduled for surgery, followed by a three-week recovery period. Her family is not only dealing with the illness, but she is not able to work as a chef at this time, so it is financially hurting as well, coupled with the cost of travel.
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April 7, 2015

Record-Setting Asbestos Verdict Affirmed on Appeal

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent news feature in the New Jersey Law Journal, an appellate court has just affirmed a landmark $1.6 million verdict in an asbestos case involving cosmetic talc. This is believed to be a first of its kind verdict.

Defendant was a supplier of raw talc for the manufacturer of two leading brands of talcum powder. Plaintiffs proved this talcum powder contained deadly asbestos fibers. Plaintiff was a 47-year-old man whose doctors diagnosed him with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. The peritoneum is membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity.

During trial, plaintiff testified he was exposed to these talcum powder products between 1967 and 1975 while his father was working at the talcum powder factory. He was first diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in 2011. As our Boston malignant mesothelioma attorneys can explain, this delay in being diagnosed is typical, as it generally takes between 20 and 50 years following asbestos exposure to be diagnosed with the disease. His father, as plaintiff testified, would come home from work with his clothes covered in asbestos-containing talcum powder dust at the end of his shift each night from the time plaintiff was born until he was eight years of age.
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March 18, 2015

Jamaica Plain Residents Worried About Asbestos Exposure

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Resident’s of Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood are extremely worried about asbestos exposure during demolition of the Casey Overpass, according to a recent news article form the Jamaica Plain News.

The Casey Overpass is part of Boston’s Arborway, which was part of Fredrick Law Olmsted’s plan in the 1890s to construct a carriageway connecting a series of parks, which have come to be known as the Emerald Isles. While the roadway was originally a great enhancement to the city, modern development and heavy traffic has far surpassed the capacity of the roadway, leading to a need for a massive overhaul of the aging transportation system.

As part of this overhaul, Commonwealth officials proposed demolishing the existing Casey Overpass, which is apart of the Arborway. This has many residents concerned they will be exposed to cancer-causing asbestos dust during the demolition project.
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March 11, 2015

Asbestos Issues Hinder Building Progress in Massachusetts

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Everywhere you look, there are new real estate development projects going up across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A lot of the new development started in Boston and the surrounding suburbs but now has spread to other areas, such as Springfield.

One of the major impediments to all this new development is, in order to make way for new buildings, old asbestos-laden buildings must be razed. When a development wants to demolish an old building, it must first have an inspection performed to see if the building contains asbestos, and many of them do.
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February 18, 2015

Dependable Abrasives v. Pierce – Causal Link Critical in Work-Related Disease Case

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Many occupational diseases are not diagnosed until many years after a worker is no longer employed in the industry wherein he or she was exposed to toxic substances.

We see this very commonly in asbestos litigation, though it is also apparent in cases involving exposure to silica. Both substances cause types of occupational lung disease either through a single severe exposure or repeated, extended exposure. While asbestos is associated with asbestosis and mesothelioma, silica is associated with silicosis and lung cancer.

Per the American Lung Association, silicosis is a disabling, dust-related illness caused by exposure to and inhalation of airborne crystalline silica. It’s often found in mines, foundries, blasting operations and manufacturers of stone, clay and glass. Similar to the physiological damage done by asbestos, silica penetrates the respiratory system and causes scar tissue to develop around the lungs, ultimately impairing the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.
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