Mesothelioma Case

February 23, 2026

Asbestos Trust Claims in 2026: How Families Build Exposure Proof and File Multiple Recovery Routes

A mesothelioma diagnosis forces families into two tracks at once: urgent medical decisions and urgent financial decisions. Many people learn quickly that asbestos compensation is not a single claim type; it can involve multiple routes pursued in parallel, each with different requirements, deadlines, and evidence standards. In 2026, one of the most important and widely used recovery paths remains the asbestos bankruptcy trust claim.

Asbestos trust claims exist because many asbestos defendants went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy and created trusts to pay present and future victims. Because asbestos exposure often occurred across multiple job sites and involved multiple products over time, it is also common for a person with mesothelioma to qualify for more than one trust and to pursue trust claims alongside other legal options when appropriate.

What makes trust claims challenging is not the concept. It’s proof. The exposure often happened 20, 30, or 40 years ago, and families may not have records readily available. The good news is that trust systems are built around recognizable proof categories, and experienced counsel can help reconstruct exposure in a way that meets trust criteria and supports any additional recovery route.

January 27, 2026

Massachusetts Talc and Mesothelioma Verdicts, What Recent Juries Signal About Proof and Damages

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be hearing about lawsuits tied to talc products, including longtime consumer powders and medical-grade talc used in specific procedures. The headlines can feel confusing and overwhelming, especially when you are trying to understand one core question: what does it take to prove a case, and what kind of compensation is realistically on the table?

Recent Massachusetts jury verdicts offer valuable clues. They show what jurors tend to find persuasive about exposure and causation, and how damages are evaluated when a disease is aggressive, life-changing, and often fatal. Because these cases can turn on detailed medical and exposure evidence, many families choose to speak with a mesothelioma attorney to evaluate potential claims, identify responsible companies, and understand what compensation may be available.

Why talc cases are drawing attention in Massachusetts

November 22, 2025

Plumbers, Pipefitters & Electricians: Cold Weather Job Risks, Asbestos Exposure, and Your Legal Rights

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Winters in Massachusetts and across New England can be brutal. Plumbers, pipefitters, and electricians keep homes warm, water flowing, and power on, often working outside or in unheated basements, rooftops, crawl spaces, and industrial plants. Cold, ice, snow, and aging buildings create serious safety hazards, and for many tradespeople, there is an added risk that is invisible: asbestos exposure that can later cause mesothelioma.

If you or a loved one works in one of these trades and has been injured in a winter accident or diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be feeling overwhelmed, worried about your health, and unsure where to turn. Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers represents plumbers, pipefitters, electricians, and their families in Boston and throughout Massachusetts, helping them pursue compensation after serious work injuries and asbestos-related diseases.

This guide explains the unique cold-weather risks for these trades, how asbestos exposure often occurs on the job, and what legal options may be available if you have been hurt or diagnosed with mesothelioma.

September 23, 2025

Mesothelioma News in Massachusetts & Nationwide

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

September is Mesothelioma Awareness Month, which brings updates across Massachusetts and the U.S., from courtroom milestones to policy moves in Washington and survivor stories that remind us why this work matters.

Why September Matters: Awareness, Action, and Real Stories

Mesothelioma Awareness Month is more than a ribbon; each September, advocates highlight the importance of prevention, early diagnosis, and access to justice. Including a short survivor vignette in your post can humanize the topic and offer newly diagnosed families a starting point. Pull out details like what helped them through treatment, how they navigated care teams, and what they wish they had known on day one.

August 28, 2025

Mesothelioma News For August and Early September 2025

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

As advocates for individuals and families affected by asbestos-related diseases, our mesothelioma attorneys closely monitor every development that could impact treatment options, legal rights, or day-to-day support for the mesothelioma community. August and September 2025 delivered meaningful news on all three fronts: a significant jury verdict against Johnson & Johnson in Massachusetts, momentum behind a new targeted drug, a global Phase III trial to watch, and fresh federal activity on asbestos risk management. Below, we break down what each update means in plain English and explain how it may impact your case or care plan.

1) Massachusetts Jury Returns a $42.6 Million Talc, Mesothelioma Verdict: What It Means

On July 29, and then publicly reported in early August, a Massachusetts jury ordered J&J to pay $42.6 million to a mesothelioma patient who used talc-based Baby Powder for decades. The verdict adds to the body of talc and asbestos trials, where jurors have concluded that asbestos contamination in talc can cause mesothelioma and that consumers were not adequately warned. J&J has indicated it will appeal, as it has in other cases. Appeals can take time, and outcomes vary. Still, a verdict of this magnitude in a Massachusetts court sends a strong signal about how juries here may evaluate causation and corporate knowledge evidence in talc and mesothelioma claims.

July 31, 2019

Court Considers Expert Witness Admission in Mesothelioma Lawsuits

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In a series of pre-trial Daubert hearings, a U.S. District Court is weighing the qualifications of scientific experts in mesothelioma lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson over talc baby powder products that allegedly caused ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. The ruling will impact some 12,000 cases pending before the New Jersey federal court.

Plaintiff scientific experts are being vetted after a motion by defense attorneys to exclude those witnesses, arguing their scientific testimony fails to meet the stringent criteria of the Daubert standard, set by the 1993 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Plaintiffs dispute this, arguing the talc powder defendant company sold contained carcinogenic asbestos and asbestos fibers, resulting in their developing cancer.

Daubert hearings are common in mass torts, particularly those in mesothelioma product liability lawsuits, as they involve issues of exposure and causation – key to establishing liability in this multi-district litigation. The defendant company’s effort to dismiss all of plaintiffs’ expert witnesses would effectively result in the end of litigation for these plaintiffs because without that testimony, they won’t have enough proof of their claim.

So far, none of the claims in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey case 3:16-md-02738 have been scheduled for trial. Continue reading

January 28, 2019

Johnson & Johnson’s Liability for Asbestos-Contaminated Talcum Powder

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

If ever there was proof that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is derelict in its duty to protect the public, perhaps it’s the news this week that Sri Lanka is the latest nation to ban import of Johnson and Johnson’s baby powder, amid growing proof of asbestos contamination. The Daily Mail reports the license for A.Baur & Co to import the product expired in December, the Daily Mail reported.

Our Massachusetts mesothelioma lawyers reported late last year that Johnson & Johnson continues to defend itself from liability over asbestos contamination in its iconic baby powder. A report by Reuters News Service claimed Johnson & Johnson knew for years its baby powder contained asbestos but did not warn the public. Meanwhile, a New Jersey court has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $80 million in damages to a man who said the talcum powder was responsible for his diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma.

Johnson and Johnson disputes the Reuters report as it continues to defend itself against an avalanche of civil lawsuits. Meanwhile, you can still buy the company’s talcum powder at virtually any store in the United States.

November 28, 2018

Mesothelioma Trust Funds Available to Asbestos Victims

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Trust funds may already be available for victims of mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.

Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. With a latency period of 30-40 years, most diagnosed are senior citizens exposed to asbestos in the 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s. A naturally-occurring mineral used for its insulating and fire-retardant properties, its carcinogenic properties were hidden for decades by some of the nation’s largest corporations. At the height of asbestos use, American corporations mined nearly 1 million tons of the mineral and used it to manufacture more than 3,000 different products.

Unfortunately for victims, time is often far too short after diagnosis. Those diagnosed have a median survival of just 18 months. Having access to a trust fund can provide assurance and peace of mind. However, asbestos litigation is among the most complex areas of product liability, personal injury and wrongful death law.

January 29, 2018

Failure to Warn Claims in Boston Mesothelioma Lawsuits

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Whenever a plaintiff (or plaintiff’s surviving family members) files a mesothelioma lawsuit in Boston, we are dealing with what is known as a products liability matter. A products liability matter involves a plaintiff who was injured or killed as a result of product manufactured, sold, or distributed by defendant. In many cases there will be multiple defendants as the law allows plaintiffs to sue anyone in the supply chain of a product as long as they actually had some role in getting the product to the injured plaintiff. It is possible there must be levels of liability apportioned among the parties, but the courts often leave this job up to defendants as they are in a better position to do so, and it should not matter to plaintiff which company pays which portion of the damages awarded in the event of a successful Boston mesothelioma case.

Theories of Liability in Boston Mesothelioma Cases

As with any products liability case, there are a variety of legal theories or “causes of action” that may be pleaded in a complaint for damages as dictated by the facts of a case. There can always be the common law claim of negligence, which involves the elements of duty, breach, causation and damages, but there are also claims specific to products liability cases and they are as follows:

Failure to Adequately Warn of a Known Danger.
Manufacturer or Sale of a Defective Product.

December 1, 2017

Vintage Building Materials Pose Asbestos Risk

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

There are many old buildings in Boston including closed factories, churches, the ubiquitous three-decker homes and many other types of structures that have fallen into a state of disrepair. Instead of demolishing these old buildings, industry trends and historic codes are leading people to purchase the buildings and covert them into alternative use residential dwellings. An old church in South Boston is now a high value condo building, and this is a continually growing trend.

One of the features of these alternative use residences is that those living there like the vintage feel so developers try to find vintage materials so they can be “repurposed” for use in the condos. Whether we are talking about old wood from a ship or factory, or an old industrial wire spool as a table, vintage items are a hot commodity. Even homeowners who purchase a three-decker with the intention of rehabilitation like to shop at thrift stores and sellers of reclaimed building materials for inspiration and supplies and some of these supplies contain asbestos.