Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog

March 19, 2014

New Cancer Vaccine May Help Treat Mesothelioma Patients

Victims of mesothelioma often discover their diagnosis and prognosis when it is too late for treatment. New research may give mesothelioma patients hope, as doctors are pursuing innovative strategies to enhance and induce the immune system, specifically to attack cancer cells. The treatment, known as cancer immunotherapy is a new and cost-effective way to deal with even the most aggressive tumors, including ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.

Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center published a recent report in the Journal of Hematology & Oncology, finding that a protein designed to combine a surface antigen with another protein simulating immune function resulted in prolonged survival in animals. Our Boston mesothelioma attorneys know any advances in the treatment of these aggressive cancers is welcome news.
Continue reading

March 17, 2014

Advocacy for U.S Navy and Military Veterans With Mesothelioma

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Statistics indicate that members of the military are among the most-often affected by asbestos exposure and diagnosed in mesothelioma cases. Veterans have an exceptionally high rate of disease and some experts suggest that 30% of all mesothelioma cases are diagnosed in veteran cases. Historically, many of these veterans were exposed during the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s; however; veterans who have served abroad in more recent decades may also have suffered from asbestos exposure.

The U.S. Navy has some of the highest rates of asbestos exposure and development of mesothelioma. Tragically, for these veterans and their loved ones, mesothelioma survival rates are grim. Our maritime mesothelioma attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of mesothelioma patients and their families.

Asbestos was commonly used in ship production and an insulation solution until its dangers were revealed decades later. Veterans may have been exposed to asbestos in boiler or engine rooms, in the material wrapping pipes, or lining breaks. U.S. Navy veterans may also have been exposed through the walls, floors, and ceilings of the ship. Any number of jobs could have exposed a veteran or civilian to asbestos on a ship, including insulation, electrical work, plumbing, or welding.
Continue reading

March 15, 2014

Oxidative Stress After Exposure May Predict Mesothelioma

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Medical research is often aimed at identifying risk factors for the most serious and deadly diseases. Mesothelioma is often the target of new research and advancements because a diagnosis is always deadly. In a recent medical development, Turkish scientists are assessing inflammation and oxidation in the body with a hypothesis that identification of oxidation levels can help predict which patients of asbestos exposure may develop mesothelioma. While the study is not necessarily going to be a cure, it could help with early treatment of the deadly cancer.

The report, published in The Scientific World Journal, suggests that how an individual responds to the stress of asbestos exposure could provide a clue as to whether that person is at risk of eventually developing mesothelioma. Our mesothelioma attorneys in Massachusetts are dedicated to helping protect the rights of patients and their families who are suffering as a result of mesothelioma. We understand the gravity of these cases and are committed to helping victims and families seek compensation.
Continue reading

March 13, 2014

Asbestos Exposure Puts Construction Workers #2 on List of Jobs Likely to Make You Sick

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Despite workplace safety standards that have been in place for decades, on-the-job exposure to toxins remains a leading cause of injury. In fact, on a recent list of the Five Jobs Most Likely to Make You Sick, exposure to toxins and chemicals were the cause of illness for both the number one and number two jobs.

While the job found most likely to make you sick was agriculture (because of exposure to fertilizer), the number two job on the list was construction work. Construction workers have such a high rate of job-related illness as a result of asbestos that can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Victims who suffer from these conditions because of their jobs need to talk to a mesothelioma law firm in Massachusetts as soon as possible for information on how to pursue a damage claim.
Continue reading

March 12, 2014

Do-It-Yourself Home Repairs May Account for Next Wave of Asbestos Injuries

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Many people are inspired to do home repairs and home remodeling themselves, especially with network shows like HGTV and This Old House making it look so simple to fix up a house. Unfortunately, many homes built before 1980 have asbestos in them, and doing home improvement tasks could cause serious illnesses.

Victims exposed to asbestos can develop a condition called asbestosis as well as other serious issues, including lung cancer or a rare type of cancer called mesothelioma that usually only develops from asbestos exposure. The illnesses may not show up for decades after the exposure, but mesothelioma and other asbestos-related health problems can be difficult or impossible to treat. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer should be consulted by victims for help in pursuing a claim for compensation if they are ill as a result of asbestos exposure.
Continue reading

March 8, 2014

Court Decision in Asbestos Case Punishes Victims for Bad Decisions They Didn’t Make

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

When Garlock went bankrupt, a federal bankruptcy judge had to decide how much money the company should put into a trust fund to pay asbestos victims who had become ill as a result of exposure to toxic asbestos fibers. Manufacturers of asbestos products pay into these trust funds to ensure that people suffering from mesothelioma, asbestosis and other serious illnesses are able to obtain compensation for losses and damages.

Advocates for asbestos victims indicated that around $1.3 billion should be set aside for the trust to protect the victims. The judge, however, made a decision that some of the asbestos claims being made were not legitimate. As a result, the judge decided to order only $125 million be put aside by Garlock in the asbestos trust fund.
Continue reading

March 5, 2014

Health Insurers’ Claims to Asbestos Damages

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In most lawsuits based on defective products or personal injury, plaintiffs file individual claims, which become public knowledge. Asbestos cases are different. Many asbestos manufacturers have gone bankrupt because so many people were harmed by exposure and manufacturers had to compensate for serious health problems like asbestosis and mesothelioma. To ensure that victims harmed by asbestos could be compensated even if the company that made the product was bankrupt, asbestos trust funds were created.

The asbestos trust funds generally keep claims secret in order to protect the private health records of claimants. Rules set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act restrict who a patient’s private data can be released to, and asbestos trust funds cannot and should not publicize details about the claims of victims harmed by asbestos.

The privacy rules and the special circumstances associated with recovering from an asbestos trust fund have, however, created an issue for health insurance companies. These health insurers are now suing to try to get information they need from asbestos trust funds. The outcome of the case could affect plaintiffs who have recovered money in asbestos cases, and it is important for every plaintiff making an asbestos claim to speak to their Boston mesothelioma lawyer about their health insurer’s rights to recover funds.
Continue reading

February 28, 2014

Massachusetts DEP Fines Essex Demolition Company for Improper Asbestos Handling

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

With the dangers of asbestos so well-known, it’s hard to believe that companies continue to put employees and the public at risk of exposure. Unfortunately, an incident of careless asbestos handling by an Essex demolition company has endangered countless people recently as a result of the company’s complete failure to follow best practices when handling asbestos. The company has been fined and faces further potential liability.

Workers and other individuals harmed by exposure to asbestos can pursue a claim for compensation against companies like this careless demolition business. A mesothelioma lawyer in New England can assist those who have been exposed.
Continue reading

February 24, 2014

Mesothelioma Patients Face Challenges Paying for Treatment

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Treatment for mesothelioma can be extremely expensive. Surgery, aggressive chemotherapy and radiation therapy may all be necessary to prolong survival. Patients diagnosed with mesothelioma may also face costs associated with pain-management procedures or palliative care and may not be able to work.

Health insurance can cover some of these expenses, for those with sufficient coverage, but often insurance policies are not comprehensive enough to provide everything that a mesothelioma patient needs. One recent news article, for example, told the story of a young 33-year-old man who had been diagnosed with mesothelioma and who did not have the money to pay for the necessary treatment. He and his wife had turned to crowd-funding to try to help them to raise as much as $50,000 that they needed to meet their medical expenses.

Stories like this are devastating because no mesothelioma patient should be deprived of the treatment needed to save his life simply because of a lack of funding. Mesothelioma is often caused by exposure to asbestos, which may occur on the job. Workers’ compensation claims and legal actions against manufacturers of asbestos can all provide the necessary funds for comprehensive medical treatment. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer in Massachusetts should be consulted by those affected by this cancer for help in determining if they have a claim for benefits.
Continue reading

February 18, 2014

Studies Link Chest Radiation and Mesothelioma

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Occupational exposure to asbestos remains the number one cause of mesothelioma, but there has been a decline in recent years in the number of cases of illness caused by working with asbestos on the job. Since asbestos use was phrased out starting in the 1970’s, the number of cases of occupational-related mesothelioma should naturally be going down and should continue to account for a decreasing number of deaths.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that fewer people have been exposed to asbestos in recent decades, there does not appear to be a big drop in new diagnoses of mesothelioma. Instead, it has become increasingly common for patients to be diagnosed with this devastating form of cancer even if they have not even been around asbestos (even secondhand exposure). There have also been more diagnoses of mesothelioma patients who are younger, and who are female.

These new cases of mesothelioma among different demographic groups may have a different cause entirely than asbestos. As Cancer Network reports, their mesothelioma may be linked to radiation for lymphoma. Determining the cause of mesothelioma is essential, and a Boston mesothelioma lawyer can help you to pursue a claim if you have been harmed.
Continue reading