Mesothelioma

Published on: April 13, 2018

Cancer Lawsuit Against Johnson & Johnson and Imerys Talc America Inc. Total Over $115 Million in Damages

After a trial that lasted over two months, Johnson & Johnson and Imerys Talc America Inc. have been handed down a verdict that sees the companies now responsible for $37 million in compensatory damages and another $80 million in punitive damages to be paid to a New Jersey man and his family.

The lawsuit was brought by Stephen Lanzo III, 46, and his wife. Lanzo claimed that the prolonged use and inhalation of the company’s talc products lead to his cancer of the lungs. It was found that Johnson & Johnson’s popular products, including baby powder and Shower to Shower contained asbestos. At the conclusion of the trial, the New Jersey jurors concurred with the overall claims made by the Lanzo family.

Lanzo had been using the company’s products for over three decades, starting from when he was an infant and his mother would apply it on him. His use of the talc products spanned from between 1972 and 2003. The court reasoned that this exposure to the toxic minerals in Johnson & Johnson’s products contributed a substantial amount overall to Lanzo developing mesothelioma.

Published on: August 1, 2016

Asbestos in railroad insulation and locomotive materials linked to Mesothelioma, Asbestosis and lung cancer in employees and their families

by Naumes Law

Among the hazards in choosing a career in the railroad is the presence of and exposure to asbestos, which was readily used in the 20^th century railroad companies because of its lastingness and durability. Asbestos was used in the creation of many of the train’s various components, railroad equipment and several types of insulation dating to the 1930s. Asbestos materials are released into the air as microscopic materials and are inhaled by individuals and can have detrimental impact on that individual’s health and life overall.

The practice of using asbestos in the railroad industry was consistent for decades, until Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) stepped in and limited the overall used of asbestos in the production of train components in the 1970s. Although, some railroad companies chose to still use asbestos into the 1980s.

Many railroad companies allegedly knew of the risks associated with the dangers of using asbestos, yet chose not to warn their employees of such hazards associated with their occupational contact and exposure to asbestos. Exposure to asbestos has been linked to:

Published on: February 3, 2015

Travelers Insurance Finally Agrees to Pay Asbestos Victims

by Naumes Law

Travelers Insurance Finally Agrees to Pay Asbestos Victims

Ten years after reneging on a settlement agreement with asbestos victims, Travelers Insurance has finally agreed to fund the settlement. On January 5, 2015 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied their latest motion for a rehearing and further review by the Circuit Court, ending a “fiendishly complex case”.

The litigation began in 2001, when a group of asbestos victim’s law firms filed lawsuits in Hawaii, West Virginia and Massachusetts state courts over Travelers unfair settlement practices. After the cases were removed to U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, Travelers settled following a mediation with Governor Mario Cuomo. The company agreed to pay the Statutory Settlement Claimants $ 360 million, in addition to payments for Common Law and Hawaii victims.

When other insurance companies attempted to intervene in the litigation, Travelers used that as an excuse to renege. The Plaintiff’s firms refused to give up and the case went from Bankruptcy Court to the District Court, U.S. Court of Appeals (twice), and the United States Supreme Court (twice). Thankfully thousands of asbestos victims will now get the compensation they deserve with millions of dollars of interest added to the settlements. Continue reading

Published on: January 13, 2015

MESOTHELIOMA – A Medical Overview and Legal Options

by Naumes Law

Medical Overview

Mesothelioma is a caner caused by asbestos. It is an aggressive type of cancer. One way Mesothelioma is classified is by the location it takes hold in an individual’s body. Three areas the cancer targets include the abdomen (Peritoneal Mesothelioma), the chest (Pleural Mesothelioma), and the heart (Pericardial Mesothelioma). The most common sites of mesothelioma are the chest and abdomen; the least common occurs in the heart.

Although there is not one survival rate for all patients, survival rate among mesothelioma patients is not high. Patients diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen) typically have ten months to survive from the onset of the caner, while patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma (chest) generally have only 17 months.