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Wisconsin Supreme Court Decision Pending on Appeal of $13 Million Mesothelioma Verdict
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is weighing whether Pabst Brewing Company can be held liable for a contractor’s mesothelioma death. Arguments were heard by the state’s high court last September, and its decision will set a precedent for how the state’s courts calculate damages in similar cases.
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Imaging Study Shows MRI Analysis May Detect Early-Stage Mesothelioma
A groundbreaking mesothelioma imaging study published in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging demonstrates that dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI pharmacokinetic analysis may be able to detect small-volume pleural malignancies. These findings mean that the technology may offer a chance for earlier diagnosis of the aggressive asbestos-related disease, when surgical intervention may offer better outcomes.
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Motion to Exclude Expert Witnesses Denied in Mesothelioma Trial
Two sisters pursuing justice following their father’s mesothelioma death won a preliminary victory after a Louisiana federal court denied Avondale Shipyard’s attempt to exclude key witnesses from their wrongful death action. The court ruled that the shipyard had failed to provide sufficient grounds for blocking testimony from physicians who’d treated their father. Mesothelioma Victim’s Family
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Philadelphia Jury Awards $250,000 in Talc Ovarian Cancer Case
Last week, a Philadelphia jury awarded $250,000 to the estate of Gayle Emerson after finding Johnson & Johnson liable for her fatal ovarian cancer. This decision follows several recent plaintiffs’ victories ordering the consumer giant to compensate mesothelioma and other cancer victims sickened by asbestos-contaminated talc.
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Mount Sinai Study Asserts Safety of Mesothelioma Lung-Sparing Surgery
A groundbreaking study published by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center has demonstrated that pleurectomy/decortication, the less aggressive, lung-sparing surgery for pleural mesothelioma patients, can be performed safely, with remarkably low mortality rates, when patients are carefully selected. These findings, which contradict those of
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California Court Affirms $51 Million Mesothelioma Verdict Against Avon
Three years ago, a California jury agreed that talc in Avon cosmetic talc had caused Rita Chapman’s fatal mesothelioma and ordered the company to pay $51 million to her survivors. Yesterday, a California appellate court denied the company’s appeal of that decision, affirming that Avon knew about its products’ contamination risks for decades, and that
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Genetic Testing Ordered in Secondary Exposure Mesothelioma Case
Despite objections by mesothelioma victim Gael Garon, a federal court has granted Illinois Central Railroad’s motion compelling her to submit blood for whole genome sequencing. The order allows the railroad to pursue a controversial defense theory that genetic mutations—rather than secondary asbestos exposure from her father’s contaminated work clothes—caused her fatal cancer.
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Asbestos Victim’s Battle Mirrors Mesothelioma Corporate Cover-Up Tactics
Jason Clark’s struggle with lamellar pleural thickening—a debilitating asbestos-related disease distinct from mesothelioma but equally devastating—reveals that Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) and its parent company Berkshire Hathaway are employing manipulation tactics that echo those asbestos companies have used for decades against asbestos exposure victims.
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Johnson & Johnson Gets Second Chance at Libel Case Against Mesothelioma Researcher
As part of its fight against mesothelioma and ovarian cancer claims, Johnson & Johnson has set its sights on an expert witness whose research has been repeatedly used against it in court. Though the company had previously been blocked from pursuing libel claims against Dr. Jacqueline Moline, the Third Circuit recently agreed to remand the
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BNSF Railway Named in Mesothelioma Lawsuit
The son of a longtime BNSF Railway employee has filed a lawsuit against the freight transportation company, accusing it of being liable for his father’s fatal pleural mesothelioma. Thomas C. Payne, Jr.’s claim against the company cites both occupational exposure to asbestos and secondary exposure that his father suffered as a child.
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Australian Blogger’s Mesothelioma Risk to Child Sparks Outrage
A Queensland travel blogger’s decision to visit the site of Australia’s deadliest mesothelioma disaster with her four-year-old daughter has drawn fierce criticism and outrage. Asbestos disease advocates warn that even brief exposure to the contaminated former mining town of Wittenoom can cause fatal cancer decades later.
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Responding to Mesothelioma Concerns, University of Montana Settles Daycare Asbestos Exposure Claims
Seven years after asbestos was discovered in the University of Montana’s daycare facilities, 17 families whose children were exposed to the mesothelioma-causing mineral have received settlements totaling $850,000 from the State of Montana. The long-term health consequences for the children remain uncertain.
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Lawmakers Demand Mesothelioma & Asbestos Safety Documentation After White House Demolition
Citing mesothelioma risks and potential violations of federal and local hazardous material regulations, Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Suzanne Bonamici have sent a formal letter demanding that President Trump provide documentation proving proper asbestos abatement occurred before the White House East Wing demolition in October. The letter frames the issue as fundamental to public safety
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Workers’ Family Members’ Mesothelioma Leads State Supreme Court to Rule Shipyard Had Duty
In what is being called a landmark ruling for victims of secondary asbestos exposure, the Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that employers can be held legally responsible for mesothelioma deaths among family members who were exposed to asbestos through workers’ contaminated clothing.
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Mesothelioma & Ovarian Cancer Victims’ J&J Bankruptcy Fraud Lawsuit Dismissed
America’s courts are seeing thousands of mesothelioma and ovarian cancer lawsuits accusing consumer giant Johnson & Johnson of hiding contamination of its talc-based products. Even as multi-million dollar verdicts are being awarded to plaintiffs, five victims accused Johnson & Johnson of using fraudulent bankruptcy strategies to delay their litigation and put billions of dollars beyond
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Study Reveals $11,432 Monthly Mesothelioma Healthcare
A comprehensive study that examined pleural mesothelioma patients aged 65 and older has revealed what any of those patients could easily confirm: treatment of the rare, asbestos-related disease creates staggering healthcare costs and resource utilization, with the average total healthcare expenses reaching $11,432 per patient per month during treatment.
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Trustee Seeks $60 Million from Executives Who Hid Mesothelioma Victim Assets
A bankruptcy trustee is accusing Nash Engineering Company’s owners and family members of fraudulently transferring assets to avoid paying mesothelioma victims and other asbestos claimants who won judgments against the pump manufacturer. He has asked a court to order a $59.7 million placeholder payment.
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New Mesothelioma Treatment Shows Enhanced Immune Response in Pre-clinical Trials
In preclinical studies, a genetically modified measles vaccine virus that recently received orphan drug designation from the FDA has demonstrated powerful anti-cancer effects against mesothelioma and other aggressive cancers. The preliminary results offer new hope for patients and their loved ones.
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Mesothelioma Fears Cause UK Retailer’s Withdrawal of Asbestos-containing Kids’ Sand
Mesothelioma is a disease associated with occupational exposure to asbestos, but that is not the only way that people can be exposed to the toxic mineral. Last week, British retailer Hobbycraft pulled children’s play sand from its shelves after testing revealed that it was contaminated with asbestos. This episode follows the discovery of asbestos in
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Philadelphia Jury Hears J&J Ovarian Cancer Claim
A Philadelphia jury began hearing testimony this week in a lawsuit alleging that Johnson & Johnson’s asbestos-contaminated talcum powder caused a woman’s fatal ovarian cancer. This second talc trial in the city is one of thousands of ovarian cancer and mesothelioma lawsuits being filed against the consumer giant, accusing its talc products of being contaminated
