Asbestos bankruptcy judge pulls plug on lawyers’ plot

PITTSBURGH – Bankruptcy Judge Bruce McCullough unraveled a plot between asbestos lawyers and bankruptcy lawyers, saving Travelers Insurance $146 million.

McCullough ruled May 26 that collusion between the Maritime Asbestos Legal Clinic of Detroit and Skinner Engine bankruptcy lawyers at McGuire Woods in Pittsburgh prevented him from confirming a settlement they planned.

The plan would have channeled 20 percent of Travelers payments to Skinner Engine, pumping millions into a business that doesn’t do any business.

Because Skinner Engine wouldn’t collect if its defense succeeded, he wrote, “Debtor is nothing but financially incentivized to sabotage its own defense.”

He wrote that he himself would breach the Travelers policies that Skinner Engine held if he confirmed the plan.

Read original article here: http://www.madisonrecord.com/news/219466-asbestos-bankruptcy-judge-pulls-plug-on-lawyers-plot

The Mesothelioma Victims Center Upgrades Its Unparalleled Free Services For US Navy Veterans & All Other Victims Of Mesothelioma

(PRWEB) June 1, 2009 — The Mesothelioma Victims Center was created by Americas Watchdog after a close family member was diagnosed, & ultimately died from this lethal form of cancer. No other group, or organization in the nation offers anything close to the services provided by the Mersothelioma Victims Center. These services include, assistance for the victim getting Social Security, or VA benefits, a report on health care options in the area of the victim, and more. The new upgraded service being offered by the group is helping victims families whose loved one died from mesothelioma, with no legal representation, get a free legal review from one of the absolute best mesothelioma law firms in the nation. The proviso is the mesothelioma victim could not have died after the last twelve months. For more information about the Mesothelioma Victims Center call 866-714-6466 anytime, or contact the group via their web site at Http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

Why is this new service so important for families of mesothelioma victims? Many people simply don’t like attorneys, or law firms. However, when it comes to mesothelioma, there are ethical talented lawyers & law firms that go after companies, or groups, that exposed loved ones to asbestos, not caring if it could kill them. This includes the US Navy. While it is impossible to sue the US Navy, the firms that provided the equipment on the warships can be sued & they should be sued. According to Americas watchdog, “the victims, or the families of mesothelioma victims should be compensated for losing a loved one, & we will do our best to help. This includes providing the victims family with the names of the absolute best mesothelioma lawyers in the nation, and their direct contact information.” For more information please feel free to contact the Mesothelioma Victims Center anytime at 866-714-6466 or contact the group via their web site at Http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

Why is getting the best mesothelioma attorney so important? According to Americas Watchdog, “there are only about a half dozen top tier mesothelioma law firms in the nation. Typically you will not find these firms on the Internet, or in the yellow pages. We will tell you who they are.” The group says, “the best mesothelioma law firms are not typically in your state, or your city, they are specialists, and you want a firm with a proven track record of success. Again. we will tell you who they are.”

As proof of their credibility, the parent group of the Mesothelioma Victims Center, Americas Watchdog, has been featured or quoted in Newsweek Magazine, The Los Angeles Times as “The Good Watchdog”, Good Housekeeping Magazine, Money Magazine, The New York times, Money Magazine, CNN Money, CNN and NPR. According to Americas Watchdog, “We are in this to be the ultimate mesothelioma victim help and assistance center for workers exposed to asbestos in the US Navy, US Armed Forces, oil refineries, the rail road, construction, auto repair, ship building, mines, boiler rooms, plumbing and pipe fitting repair or any other walk of life.” Mesothelioma victims or their families can call the Mesothelioma Victims Center anytime at 866-714-6466, or visit their Web site at http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.com

News ImageAmericas Watchdog encourages friends or family members of a mesothelioma victim to call the Mesothelioma Victims Center for straight talk, honest answers, and real help and assistance after a mesothelioma diagnosis. The group also encourages medical professionals, physicians, nurses, hospital chaplins, or other health care workers to tell their patients about the very special free service, being offered by the Mesothelioma Victims Center. For more information call the group anytime at 866-714-6466, or visit our Web site at http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.com

Americas Watchdog and its Mesothelioma Victims Center are all about providing the best free help and assistance in the United States to a mesothelioma victim, their family member and loved ones.

New Study Indicates Mesothelioma Deaths Continue To Rise

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 7, 2009 — A newly released federal study indicates that deaths from malignant mesothelioma continue to increase, underscoring the ongoing need to control hazardous work-related exposure to asbestos, says a New York personal injury attorney.
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Why is there a need for a mesothelioma attorney?

Dallas, TX: The basic problem of the mesothelioma cancer disease is that the disease surfaces after considerable length of time that is after 15 to 30 years from the time asbestos fibers have placed themselves inside the persons body. Such length of time causes distraction. The age, the metal capacity and by that time the mesothelioma victim might have lost contact with many people with whom he used to work. Let alone the owners of the asbestos industry he used to work for.
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New Construction Guidelines Raise Awareness of Asbestos Risks

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 11, 2009 — The World Bank’s new construction guidelines raise awareness of the health risks associated with asbestos and call attention to the danger of workplace exposure to this once-common building material, says a New York personal injury lawyer.

“The World Bank’s new guidelines remind us that asbestos is still present in some construction materials,” said Joseph W. Belluck, a partner at the New York law firm of Belluck & Fox, LLP, which handles asbestos-related injury cases. “And once again we’re reminded of the importance of limiting hazardous exposure to asbestos.”
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How Mesothelioma is Even Relevant Today

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is almost always caused by an exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral that was widely used, but is now known to be a potentially fatal carcinogen. The asbestos fiber consists of long, thin fibrous crystals and may be mixed with other substances in order to resist heat, electricity and chemical damage. Due to these characteristics, asbestos was used in many buildings and other structures throughout the 1900s. One estimation is that up to 80 percent of all buildings constructed before 1978 had asbestos within the design.

The cancer that this substance can lead to mesothelioma can be either malignant or benign. The malignant type of mesothelioma is the most hazardous form of asbestos cancer and is deadly in most cases. It affects the tissue known as the mesothelium, which protects the heart, stomach, lungs, and other organs by making a special fluid that allows the organs to move.
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Legal Advice for Mesothelioma Patients | Video

Legal Advice for Mesothelioma — powered by eHow.com

Mesothelioma involves a cancer that develops from exposure to asbestos, but sometimes it can take 30 to 40 years to manifest itself. Contact a lawyer that specializes in the pursuit of claims for mesothelioma contraction with legal advice from a certified family mediator in this free video on laws and the court.

Robert M. Todd is the managing partner and president of Robert M. Todd, P.A. and Family Law Solutions. He is a certified family mediator and Florida Supreme Court certified civil mediator. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and law degree with honors from University of Florida Law School in 1974. He has a wide range of experience in civil trial practice, including family law, worker’s compensation, construction litigation and commercial disputes, and health and disability insurance policy claims. Family Law Solutions was established in 2006 with an emphasis on mediation of family law matters. He is a member of the Florida Bar Association, the Family Law Section, the American Bar Association, St. Petersburg Bar Association and the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators, Inc. He has earned an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and served as a speaker for seminars entitled “Child Custody and Shared Parenting” and “The Art of the Settlement.”

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Mesothelioma Treatment – Chemotherapy

Like radiation, chemotherapy provides no cure for mesothelioma but can go a long way in providing relief from the horrendous symptoms of the disease. As researchers continue to test different combinations of chemotherapy drugs, patients continue to benefit from their findings, and someday, chemo may go a lot further in prolonging the life of a mesothelioma victim.

Chemotherapy is given in pill form or injected. In the case of mesothelioma patients, the drugs are given intrapleurally (into the chest cavity) or intraperitoneally (into the abdominal cavity). Doctors usually combine two drugs for the best result. Currently, the preferred combination is Alimta© (pemetrexed) and Cisplatin, but other drugs are used in tandem if deemed preferable for a specific patient. In some cases, patients can only tolerate a single drug so only one is used for treatment.

Other drugs are given to the patient to combat the unpleasant side effects of chemo, such as medication to relieve nausea and vomiting or vitamins to replace essential ones lost during chemotherapy.

Some patients decide that the side effects of chemotherapy are too severe and opt not to receive this treatment.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

The early symptoms for peritoneal mesothelioma may include pain or swelling in the abdomen due to a build-up of fluid, nausea, weight loss, bowel obstruction, anemia or swelling of the feet (not excluding other symptoms)

Pleural Effusion
One of the most common symptoms of mesothelioma is a pleural effusion, or an accumulation of fluid between the parietal pleura (the pleura covering the chest wall and diaphragm) and the visceral pleura (the pleura covering the lungs). Both of these membranes are covered with mesothelial cells which, under normal conditions, produce a small amount of fluid that acts as a lubricant between the chest wall and the lung. Any excess fluid is absorbed by blood and lymph vessels maintaining a balance. When too much fluid forms, the result is an effusion.

Types
Pleural effusion is broken down into two categories, transudates and exudates. A transudate is a clear fluid that forms not because the pleural surfaces are diseased, but because of an imbalance between the normal production and removal of the fluid. The most common cause of transudative fluid is congestive heart failure. An exudate, which is often cloudy and contains many cells and proteins, results from disease of the pleura itself, and is common to mesothelioma. To determine whether a fluid is a transudate or exudate, a diagnostic thoracentesis, in which a needle or catheter is used to obtain a fluid sample, may be conducted.

Symptoms
As the volume of fluid increases, shortness of breath, known as “dyspnea”, and sometimes pain, ranging from mild to stabbing, may occur. Some patients may experience a dry cough. When the doctor listens to the patient’s chest with a stethoscope, normal breath sounds are muted, and tapping on the chest will reveal dull rather than hollow sounds.

Diagnosis
Diagnosis of pleural effusion is usually accomplished with a simple chest x-ray, although CT scans or ultrasound may also be used. A special x-ray technique, called a lateral decubitus film, may be used to detect smaller effusions or to enable the physician to estimate of the amount of fluid present. If the underlying cause of the effusion is readily apparent (such as in the case of severe congestive heart failure), sampling of the fluid may not be necessary, however, because pleural effusion may be symptomatic of a number of disease processes from benign to malignant, a fluid sample is generally taken. Diagnostic thoracentesis, in which cells are extracted from the pleural cavity, is commonly done when the possibility of mesothelioma exists, however, in up to 85% of cases, the fluid tests negative or inconclusive even though cancer is present. It is ultimately a needle biopsy of the pleura (lining of the lung) or an open surgical biopsy which confirms a mesothelioma diagnosis.

Treatment
Pleural effusion caused by heart failure or infection can usually be resolved by directing treatment at the cause, however, when testing has realized no diagnosis, and fluid continues to build or recur, doctors may recommend chest tube drainage and chemical pleurodesis. Chemical pleurodesis is a technique in which a sclerosing agent is used to abrade the pleural surfaces producing an adhesion between the parietal and visceral pleurae. This will prevent further effusion by eliminating the pleural space. Talc appears to be the most effective agent for pleurodesis, with a success rate of nearly 95%. It is highly effective when administered by either poudrage or slurry. Poudrage is the most widely used method of instilling talc into the pleural space. Before spraying the talc, the medical team removes all pleural fluid to completely collapse the lung. After the talc is administered, they inspect the pleural cavity to be sure the talc has been evenly distributed over the pleural surface. Some doctors prefer to use talc mixed with saline solution which forms a wet slurry that can roll around the pleural cavity.

Types of Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma:
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma, a rare cancer that develops in the mesothelial cells that make up the mesothelium, a membrane that lines many of the body’s organs and cavities. In the case of pleural mesothelioma, the cancer develops in the lining of the lungs, called the pleura or pleural membrane

The pleura is comprised of two layers which provide support and protection for the lungs and chest cavity. The outer layer, or the parietal layer, lines the entire chest cavity and the diaphragm. The inner layer, or visceral layer, covers the lungs. Pleural mesothelioma typically develops in one layer, but can metastasize, or spread, to the other layer.

Like all mesothelioma cancers, pleural mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure and develops when the toxic asbestos fibers become trapped in the spaces between the mesothelial cells.

Peritonial Mesothelioma:
Peritonial mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Of the 2,000 to 3,000 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in the United States annually, 10 to 20 percent of the patients are diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the abdomen, in the mesothelial cells that form a membranous layer called the peritoneum.

The peritoneum is a membranous layer that is made up of two ’sub-layers’ called the parietal and visceral layers. The parietal layer covers the abdominal cavity, while the visceral layer surrounds abdominal organs. Together these two layers provide support and protection for abdominal organs and the abdominal cavity as a whole.

Peritoneal mesothelioma, like all types of mesothelioma, is caused by asbestos exposure. Though it can take many years for a patient to demonstrate symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma, the cancer develops when the asbestos fibers become lodged in the spaces between the mesothelial cells.

Pericardial mesothelioma:
Pericardial mesothelioma accounts for approximately half of all pericardial tumors and is an extremely rare. Researchers from various mesothelioma studies report that pericardial mesothelioma accounts for approximately 1 to 6 percent of all mesotheliomas. To date, fewer than 150 cases have been presented in medical literature and approximately 200 cases have been reported worldwide. Pericardial tumors are typically diffuse (not localized) and tend to cover most of the heart.

Pericardial mesothelioma develops in the pericardium, a membrane made up of mesothelial cells that surrounds the heart and provides protection and support to this organ. The membrane is composed of two different layers: an outer layer called the parietal layer (called the heart sac or theca cordis), and an inner layer known as the visceral layer (called the epicardium). The parietal layer is part of a larger membrane that lines the entire chest cavity, while the visceral layer is the pericardial membrane that lines the heart.

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