Misconceptions about Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is not lung cancer One of the most common areas of the body where mesothelioma develops is the lung, and because of this, many misunderstand mesothelioma to be a type of lung cancer. In actuality, mesothelioma is cancer of the mesothelium – found in the lining of the heart, lungs, abdomen, […]
Toxic Exposures Threaten Superfund Sites
Toxic Exposures Threaten Superfund Sites In 1980, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) was enacted in response to a growing numbers of hazardous waste sites that were releasing toxic chemicals and polluting the environment. The program known as Superfund was designed to clean up these hazardous sites by having the responsible parties […]
$417 Million Awarded in Talcum Powder Lawsuit
$417 Million Awarded in Talcum Powder Lawsuit A California woman suffering from ovarian cancer received the largest sum to date against health giant Johnson & Johnson when a jury awarded her $417 million in a lawsuit claiming her use of talcum powder for decades caused her cancer. Talcum powder, more commonly known as baby powder, […]
Post-Mortem CTE Found in 87 Percent of Former Football Players
Post-Mortem CTE Found in 87 Percent of Former Football Players Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is known by many names, including punch-drunk syndrome and dementia pugilistica (DP), but the definition remains the same. It’s a type of neurodegenerative disease or dementia caused by repeated concussive or sub-concussive blows. For years, former players in the National Football […]
Medical Malpractice Accounts for Over 250,000 Deaths Annually
Medical Malpractice Accounts for Over 250,000 Deaths Annually A study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has found that medical malpractice or error accounts for approximately 250,000 deaths annually in the United States – ranking as the third leading cause of death, right behind cancer and heart disease. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School […]
Asbestos in Factories – The Armley Asbestos Disaster
Asbestos in Factories – The Armley Asbestos Disaster The job of a factory worker encompasses many responsibilities – from machine operation to line production, workers take raw materials to create new products. Asbestos containing products manufactured in factories were also frequently used in: pipe covering for steam lines and hot water lines, block insulation, cement, […]
The Lone Industry Using Asbestos Today
The Lone Industry Using Asbestos Today Close to 20 years ago asbestos was primarily used in roofing products (62% of the market), but even then, domestic consumption had dramatically decreased as most manufacturers began using asbestos substitutes and replaced asbestos-containing products. The last asbestos mine closed in 2002 and industries like the chlor-alkali industry were […]
Doctrine of Strict Liability
In 1965, the American Law Institute published the second edition of Restatement of the Law of Torts and set into motion a special rule on strict liability, which states in Section 402A “One who sells any product in a defective condition unreasonably dangerous to the user or consumer or to his property is subject to liability to […]
Huge Fines for Improper Asbestos Removal at Westinghouse
Huge Fines for Improper Asbestos Removal at Westinghouse Earlier last month improper asbestos removal at the former Westinghouse plants in Churchill, PA was reported after photographs of unsafe asbestos abatement tactics were discovered and reports of untrained and unprotected workers were confirmed. The Allegheny Health Department fined the owners and developers of this site $1.4 […]
Asbestos Exposure Victims – the Bystander Effect
Asbestos Exposure Victims – the Bystander Effect With many of the asbestos manufacturers having gone bankrupt, many cases today rarely involve victims who were heavily exposed to asbestos (i.e., working with the product directly). Instead, studies have found that victims of asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis are a result of bystander […]