The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) announced that May is National Cancer Research Month, as officially declared by Congress in 2007 and 2011. The major goal for the month of May, according to the AACR, is to raise awareness of cancer research in a way that leads to increased funding for different types of research. The multiple types of cancer make funding research difficult, said former AACR president Judy E. Garber. “Cancer research is not a linear thing,” Garber said. “It’s not a process with a pathway you can predict.” Garber said that the three biggest obstacles facing cancer research today are: Lack of funding Broad area of research Resource availability Currently, lung cancer (including mesothelioma) receives more funding than any other kind of cancer. If you wish to support cancer research, here are two ways you can help: Donate If you are able to, many organizations like the…
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Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma Attorneys
May is National Cancer Research Month
May 16th, 2012The First Asbestos Lawsuit
May 11th, 2012The first asbestos mine opened in Quebec in 1879. Back then, no one knew that exposure to asbestos would cause deadly infections for millions of people. It has been over 130 years since then, and we are still fighting on behalf of those infected by these debilitating illnesses. Claude Tomplait and his attorney Ward Stephenson filed America’s first asbestos lawsuit in Beaumont, Texas, on December 10, 1966. Tomplait, who worked with asbestos in Lake Charles, Louisiana, suffered from asbestosis. He sought damages from 11 manufacturers of asbestos products. The lawsuit claimed that the manufacturers knew how dangerous asbestos was to human lungs and yet they did nothing to let Tomplait or other asbestos workers know about the potential health risks. During the litigation process, six of the 11 defendants were dropped from the case and the remaining five offered a settlement. Not exactly a landmark victory, but it paved the…
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Mesothelioma Defense Prolongs Litigation; Plaintiff Dies
May 7th, 2012War vet John Johnson suffered from malignant mesothelioma, a brutal disease caused by exposure to asbestos. He sued dozens of companies that he thought were responsible for his illness. He never lived to see the verdict, however; he passed away before the litigation concluded. His family believes that the defense lawyers may have been partially responsible for Johnson’s passing. His doctor, mindful of his fragile condition, advised him to spend no more than 12 hours a week testifying in court. When the defense attorneys asked for more time, the Los Angeles Superior Court gave it to them. Johnson spent a total of 25 hours in court that week. According to an article in the LA Times, Johnson’s face “contorted in pain” as he “gasped out answers to questions from the last of the dozens of defense attorneys in attendance.” He collapsed 40 minutes after the last question, and died the…
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School Asbestos Removals Cause Concerns
May 2nd, 2012Asbestos abatement procedures have caused concern in three different schools across the country. When moved, asbestos is dry and dust-like, and can easily infiltrate a pair of young lungs. There is a proven link between asbestos exposure and disease like asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer. Public School 29 – Brooklyn, NY An asbestos abatement procedure set to begin Monday, April 23, while class was still in session, upset the family members of students who attend Public School 29 in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens neighborhood. Concerned parents drafted a petition asking for a stop work order. “Given the cancer risks associated with airborne asbestos fibers, it is absolutely beyond me why anyone would allow this to take place while school was in session,” said one concerned parent. In response, Coucilmember Brad Lander sent a note to the NYC School Construction Authority calling for construction to halt until the school year has finished….
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