Florida asbestos lawsuits given new life by Florida appellate court

June 3rd, 2008 Mike Evans

Corporate defendants have tried many tactics to avoid paying compensation to people suffering from asbestosis, malignant mesothelioma, and other types of asbestos cancer. One ploy asbestos defendants have tried in recent years is to ask Congress and state legislatures to take away the right of injured citizens to file lawsuits.

The asbestos industry tried this tactic in Florida, where the legislature passed a law that retroactively required plaintiffs to show higher levels of injuries in order to recover money in asbestos lawsuits. The law had the potential to lead to the dismissal of thousands of lawsuits seeking to hold companies liable for asbestos-caused diseases. But, in a victory for ordinary people, the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on  May 28, 2008 unanimously ruled that the law was unconstitutional. The was a victory for fairness, and for thousands of people in Florida who have been injured by exposure to asbestos.

Here is a link to the opinion of the Court.

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First asbestos, now carbon nanotubes can cause mesothelioma

May 22nd, 2008 Mike Evans

A study by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies found that some carbon nanotubes, which are used like building blocks in nanotechnology, can cause cancer, just like asbestos. According to a Computerworld article about the study, the nanotubes actually look like asbestos fibers, behave like asbestos fibers, and can cause cancer of the lung lining. The cancer can take 30 to 40 years to appear following exposure.

It’s a good thing the study was done this soon. We can hope that it will allow us to avoid another tragedy such as the one involving wide-spread exposure to asbestos and the resulting cases of mesothelioma and other types of asbestos-caused disease and cancer.

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EPA honors man for work protecting kids from asbestos

May 13th, 2008 Mike Evans

Asbestos in art clay for children? Apparently somebody, somewhere, thought it sounded like a good idea.  Fortunately there are people such as Ron Skomro who don’t think that’s such a good idea. According to a Connecticut Business News Journal article, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently honored Skomro for his efforts to protect children from being exposed to asbestos in art clay. Skomro, supervisor of the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s Asbestos Program, worked with suppliers to stop the sale of art clay in the state that contains asbestos-containing talc.

Skomro also got the Art & Creative Materials Institute to require member manufacturers to reformulate their products to remove asbestos, which has been linked to diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

We at the Mesothelioma Attorney Alliance say kudos to Mr. Skomro.

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