Families win asbestos payouts in Supreme Court hearing

Two families have won ground-breaking claims for compensation after loved ones died from cancer after exposure to "low level" asbestos on Merseyside.

The Supreme Court ruled in favour of the relatives of Dianne Willmore and Enid Costello, who both suffered malignant mesothelioma.
Mrs Willmore, from North Wales, was exposed to asbestos while a school pupil, and died in 2009, aged 49.
Mrs Costello was exposed to asbestos at work. She died in 2006, aged 74.
Mrs Willmore is believed to be the first person to receive compensation after being exposed to the substance at school.
She died the day after a judge ruled she was entitled to £240,000 compensation.
Unanimously dismissed The award, made against Knowsley Council for negligently exposing her to asbestos fibres, was frozen while the authority appealed against the decision.
The mother-of-two contracted the cancer after being exposed to asbestos dust while at Bowring School in Huyton, in the 1970s.

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Should you Worry about Mesothelioma?

You may have heard about Mesothelioma by listening to commercials on TV, but you may also be unaware that you could be at risk of developing this serious form of cancer that is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. Since a person may not develop any symptoms of the disease for as long as 20 to 50 years following exposure, if you were working prior to the mid 1970s, you could well have been exposed and still not show any signs of it. If you know that you worked in an industry that involved asbestos back before this time and are experiencing general chest or back pains, you should have it checked out. After all, people who worked in environments that exposed them to asbestos fibers need to watch for symptoms for the rest of their lives.

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Outlook Better for Women with Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Women with diffuse malignant peritonealmesothelioma have a better chance of success with surgery and chemotherapy than their male counterparts.

That is the conclusion of researchers at the Baird Institute for Applied Heart and Lung Surgical Research in Sydney, Australia.  Using the records of 294 peritoneal mesothelioma patients treated at multiple institutions in the past two decades, the researchers set out to measure the impact of gender on overall survival after treatment. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a type of mesothelioma that spreads quickly across the mesothelial lining of the abdomen. Asbestos exposure is its only known cause.

Because of the aggressive nature of the disease, mesothelioma is typically treated using a multi-modal approach. The subjects of the Australian study had all been treated using a combination of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and a chemotherapy ‘wash’ of the peritoneal cavity known as perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy.  The process has been shown to improve survival outcomes in both peritoneal and pleural mesothelioma patients.

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Austin Mesothelioma Lawyers

Austin Civil and Criminal Trial Lawyers

The Austin law firm of Minton, Burton, Foster and Collins (MBFC) has been helping Texas citizens with their legal troubles since 1963. Whether you're injured in a car accident, entangled in a business dispute, facing the end of your marriage or arrested on criminal charges (including DWI / DUI), you need MBFC's accomplished trial attorneys at your side.

The MBFC law firm has deep roots in Texas law, and our lawyers have experience and expertise in virtually all aspects of civil and criminal litigation. In our four decades of practice, we've represented thousands of clients -- from local businesses in need of legal advice to individual clients struggling with family law issues, personal injury claims or criminal matters (See also: DWI, Felonies, Misdemeanors). Our attorneys are adept in handling contentious matters for our clients and we have substantial experience in jury and non-jury trials. Our successes in the courtroom and at the settlement table have earned us a reputation as one of the preeminent law firms in Texas.

Call us today at (512) 476-4873 or contact us online for a confidential consultation. We can help you with your civil or criminal case in Austin, Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell, Burnet and Comal counties.

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Video Mesothelioma Lawyers San Diego, Find a Mesothelioma Cancer Lawyer

asbestos issue?

My dad has recently bought a brand new apartment in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During my holiday visit, I stayed in that apartment and accidentally realized that the ceiling panels in the bathrooms are made of asbestos while the painter came up to do some touch up jobs. I called the seller and they confirmed those materials to be asbestos (but less hazardous..stupid I know). I am pretty sure I was exposed to it during the process. I tried to contact the local health department and every other authorities I can imagine but no one seems to care, not even the residents in the building! I tried to convince my dad to sell it but he refuses. I am definitely not going near that apartment again but I am worry about my dad’s health. I also learnt that asbestos fibres can be transferred from a person’s clothing into the house and then inhalled by other family members as well.

What is the best solution for this problem? I am helpless here!
Thanks

asbestos will not harm you only the dust from asbestos is bad for you DO NOT DRILL/SAND it is OK

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PERITONEAL MESOTHELIOMA

Peritoneal mesothelioma, also known as cancer of the peritoneum, is a cancer of the abdominal lining. The disease is not nearly as common as pleural mesothelioma; only 25 to 30 percent of mesothelioma cases originate in the peritoneum. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are caused when the peritoneal membrane thickens and fluid builds up between membrane layers. The thickening and excess fluid put pressure on the entire abdominal region and organs.

Peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms commonly include:

• Abdominal pain
• Abdominal swelling
• A change in bowel habits, such as more frequent diarrhea or constipation
• Lumps of tissue under the skin in the abdomen
• Unexplained weight loss
• Blood clotting abnormalities
• Anemia
• Fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Hernia

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PLEURAL MESOTHELIOMA

Pleural mesothelioma, also known as mesothelioma of the pleura, is a tumor of the lining surrounding the lungs. The pleura is a thin tissue around the lungs and the inside of the chest. In order to protect the lungs, the pleura produces a small amount of fluid which helps cushion the lungs, making the lungs move more smoothly during breathing. There are two types of pleural mesothelioma: benign and malignant. Benign pleural mesothelioma is a non-cancerous tumor that has not spread to other organs of the body. If the tumor is large, it may squeeze the lung itself and cause shortness of breath and pain. Thus, even benign mesothelioma can cause significant health problems and should be treated.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is cancerous and can spread to other parts of the body. Early symptoms of the disease may be very general. For this reason, they are often ignored. Most patients with mesothelioma experience symptoms for only two to three months before the cancer is diagnosed. Only around one-fourth of mesothelioma patients notice symptoms for six months or more before their cancer is found.

Pleural mesothelioma symptoms include the following:

• Shortness of breath
• Painful breathing (pleurisy)
• Coughing up blood
• Dry (nonproductive) cough
• Unusual lumps of tissue under the skin on the chest or abdomen
• Unexplained weight loss
• Pain under the rib cage, in the lower back, or at the side of the chest
• Pain or swelling in the abdomen
• Difficulty swallowing
• Hoarseness
• Fever
• Sweating
• Swelling of the face and arms
• Generalized fatigue
• Muscle weakness

Of course, symptoms of malignant pleural mesothelioma will vary depending on the patient and the progression of the disease. Some patients experience no symptoms at all. In the early stages of mesothelioma, symptoms are subtle. An asymptomatic patient may experience a pleural effusion, a small buildup of fluid between the outside lining of the lung and the chest cavity. Early on in the disease process, the most frequent symptoms are cough and shortness of breath.

The growing mass causes the pleura to expand, allowing fluid to enter. The build-up of fluid results in greater pain, sometimes severe, in the chest and nearby regions. More than 50 percent of patients with pleural mesothelioma experience pain in the lower back or at the side of the chest. Over time, most people suffer from fatigue, weakness and weight loss. As the disease progresses, some patients also develop severe breathing difficulties, fever, a rasping voice and begin to cough up blood.

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ASBESTOS AND SMOKING

Asbestos exposure and smoking have something in common: they are bad news for your body, especially your lungs, and they are even worse when they happen together. If you have an asbestos-related disease, quitting smoking can help slow the progression of your disease, make is easier for you to breath, improve blood flow, and decrease stress on your heart. But quitting smoking is also important to cut your risk of getting cancer in the future, whether you are sick today or not.

You probably know that we are all exposed to things that can cause cancer. What you may not know is that sometimes combinations of exposures are more dangerous than the sum of the individual exposures. For example, it is generally accepted that asbestos exposure can make someone 5 times more likely to get lung cancer. Smokers are approximately 10 times more likely to get lung cancer. But if you are a smoker and were also exposed to asbestos, your risk is not 15 times higher—it’s about 50 times higher! Instead of adding the increased risks created by asbestos and smoking, the risks are multiplied when they occur in the same person. This is called a synergistic effect.

There is nothing that can be done about the increased risk of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The asbestos fibers stay inside the body even when you are no longer exposed to asbestos. But something can be done about the risk of cancer caused by smoking. According to the American Lung Association, if you quit smoking today, in ten years your increased risk of lung cancer attributable to smoking would be half that of a continuing smoker. Your risk of heart disease, stroke and several other cancers would also decrease substantially.

Anyone concerned about health should stop smoking, but if you have a history of asbestos exposure and certainly if you already have an asbestos-related disease, the danger of continuing to smoke is even greater for you—and so are the benefits of stopping.

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MESOTHELIOMA AND ASBESTOS

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.Asbestos is a naturally-occurring fiber that, when released into the air, can be inhaled or swallowed. Asbestos has no smell or taste, and asbestos fibers are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye. Asbestos fibers can “stick” in the lung, abdomen and other body tissues and over time, lead to the development of asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.

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CELL TYPES OF MESOTHELIOMA

A patient’s doctor or medical records may refer to the “cell type” of the malignant mesothelioma. This refers to the type of tissue where the cancer first developed. For example, “epithelial” malignant mesothelioma refers to cancerous cells that develop in the “epithelium,” which is the membrane lining of the lung, heart, or abdomen. In contrast, “sarcomatous” malignant mesothelioma arises in connective tissue. “Biphasic” refers to malignant mesothelioma that arises in two different cell types. Other cell types of malignant mesothelioma are lymphohistiocytoid and desmoplastic.

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