Senin, 19 Maret 2012

California Mesothelioma Lawyers Describe Asbestos Lawsuits

Our California mesothelioma lawyers can initially consider a potential mesothelioma lawsuit on the basis of the diagnosis alone, just because mesothelioma is a rare disease occurring almost never in the absence of asbestos exposure. Our mesothelioma attorneys can be almost certain that in any particular individual case we will be able to identify the source of the asbestos exposure, which will often have taken place 20 to 50 years prior to the date of diagnosis. Mesothelioma can result from direct exposure to asbestos or indirect exposure. Direct exposure is most commonly the result of working in professions in which asbestos was used, trades such as were employed in shipyards, and generally, pipe fitters, insulators, plasterers, electricians, bricklayers, carpenters, steel workers, mine workers, auto mechanics, the U.S. military, or at factories or in other industries, professions and trades in which asbestos was used. Direct exposure sometimes also has occurred as the result of asbestos in heating systems i n work places, in homes, apartment buildings, and even in schools. Indirect exposure to asbestos has commonly been found to occur, for example, in family members of those who worked in these industries, who came into contact with asbestos fibers from clothing worn by the worker.

Confirming the diagnosis, and then identifying the source of the asbestos exposure are the first steps our mesothelioma lawyers undertake, followed by an exhaustive preparation of the damage evidence. recognizing that mesothelioma is a fatal disease, the statistical mean average being that the patient is likely to pass away within 2 years of the date of diagnosis, although the measurement of life expectancy in the individual case may differ, and our mesothelioma lawyers commonly rely on the prognoses of the client's treating physicians. The damages include "general damages," the client's loss of life expectancy, the loss of all that the client would have enjoyed had his life not been cut short, his emotional distress, pain and suffering. Our mesothelioma lawyers also work up the client's "special economic damages," including medical and hospital and related medical expense, past and future for the duration of the client's life expectancy; as well the loss of earnings the client would have received over the c ourse of his natural work life expectancy if he had not been stricken with the disease. For a more complete discussion of the measure of damages, and our California mesothelioma lawyers methods of preparing the damage evidence, including the array of experts required to properly prepare the damage evidence, you may consider our web page. Our California mesothelioma lawyers also represent the families of those who have passed away as the result of asbestos related mesothelioma. Again the diagnosis almost always assures that our mesothelioma attorneys will be able to identify the means of asbestos exposure, and then the damages in a mesothelioma wrongful death case include the family members' losses of love and affection and society and protection and emotional support, as well as economic support that they would have received from their loved one had he or she not succumbed to this asbestos related disease.

Our will consider representing mesothelioma clients in Northern and Southern California, in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Orange County and San Jose, from Sacramento to San Diego, and we will consider representing those who have been diagnosed with the disease throughout the country with the aid of local attorneys in which cases we would generally appear as the primary trial attorneys pro hac vice.

By Ray Henke, Senior Trial Lawyer,

href="">California Mesothelioma Lawyers

Understanding Cellular And Enzyme Responses Of Chrysotile Asbestos

Occupational exposure to asbestos causes the death of thousands of people each year. This has led to an almost unparalleled body of research trying to better understand asbestos and its link to mesothelioma disease. One interesting study is called, Kinetics of the bronchoalveolar leucocyte response in rats during exposure to equal airborne mass concentrations of quartz, chrysotile asbestos, or titanium dioxide. by K Donaldson, R E Bolton, A Jones, G M Brown, M D Robertson, J Slight, H Cowie, and J M Davis - Thorax 1988;43:525-533. Here is an excerpt: Abstract - The kinetics of the bronchoalveolar response was assessed in rats exposed, at equal airborne mass concentration (10 mg/m3), to titanium dioxide--a non-pathogenic dust--and the two pathogenic mineral dusts quartz and chrysotile asbestos. Rats were killed at intervals over a 75 day exposure period and groups of rats exposed for 32 and 75 days after recovery for two months. Bronchoalveolar lavage was carried out and the lavage fluid characterised for cell ular content, macrophage activation, and concentrations of free total protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. Inhalation exposure to the two pathogenic dusts resulted in an increased number of leucocytes, macrophage activation, and increased levels of free enzymes and total protein. The pattern and magnitude of the responses to quartz and chrysotile differed. Chrysotile caused less inflammation than quartz, and the main cellular response peaked around the middle of the period of dust exposure whereas the highest levels of enzymes occurred towards the end. The difference in timing suggests that macrophages were not available for lavage towards the end of the exposure, owing to their playing a part possibly in deposition of granulation tissue. Quartz caused a greater cellular and enzyme response than chrysotile, particularly towards the end of the dust exposure phase. There was a noticeable progression of inflammation in the quartz exposed groups left to recover for two months, but not in the chrysotile recovery groups.

A second article that is interesting is called, Chemical Characterization of Asbestos Body Cores by Electron Microprobe Analysis by Arthur M. Langer, Ivan B. Rubin, and Irving J. Selikoff - Environmental Sciences Laboratory, Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York, New York, New York 10029 - Journal of histochemistry and Cytochemistry May 18, 1972. Here is an excerpt: Inhalation of asbestos may be associated with increased risk of developing malignant neoplasms. Some of the fibers become coated in the lung, resulting in "asbestos bodies." The occurrence of structures with the appearance of asbestos bodies in the lungs of urban dwellers the world over, individuals with no known exposure to these mineral fibers, has raised the question of whether the community at large may also have increased risk of neoplasia as the result of chance environmental asbestos exposure. Since other fibrous materials may also sometimes become so coated, epidemiology evaluation of the presence of asbestos b odies has been hampered by difficulties in obtaining absolute identification of the cores of the bodies found. Five fibrous silicates, consisting of four amphiboles (amosite, anthophyllite, crocidolite and tremolite) and one serpentine (chrysotile), constitute the asbestos mineral group. Chemically, they are diverse enough for unique identification. The electron microprobe analyzer permits microchemical analysis of particles in the sublight microscopic size range. Analysis of asbestos body cores requires particle selection, extraction from tissue matrix, a suitable conducting substrate, proper coating material, selection of optimal instrumental operating conditions and comparison of unknown cores with known fiber standards. In this investigation, asbestos body cores have been analyzed from tissues obtained from occupationally exposed individuals (known fiber exposure), laboratory animals (known exposure) and individuals with no known occupational exposure. Cores of bodies have been analyzed as amosite, chryso tile, chemically degraded chrysotile and cores of undetermined nature. Amosite fibers as cores of asbestos bodies show no marked chemical degradation even after prolonged biologic residence, whereas chrysotile asbestos cores are markedly degraded. Cores of asbestos bodies from the general population, from individuals with no known exposure, may consist of degraded chrysotile, synthetic silicate fibers and, in some cases, amphibole asbestos. If you found any of these excerpts interesting, please read the studies in their entirety. We all owe a debt of gratitude to these researchers.

Mesothelioma Why you deserve compensation.

According to Wikipedia, the first lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers were in 1929. Since then, many lawsuits have been filed against asbestos manufacturers and employers, for neglecting to implement safety measures after the links between asbestos, asbestosis, and mesothelioma became known (some reports seem to place this as early as 1898). The liability resulting from the sheer number of lawsuits and people affected has reached billions of dollars.[46] The amounts and method of allocating compensation have been the source of many court cases, reaching up to the United States Supreme Court, and government attempts at resolution of existing and future cases. However, to date, the US Congress has not stepped in and there are no federal laws governing asbestos compensation."

Whichever way people want to look at it, the trauma of mesothelioma, (a cancer of the mesothelium), is not just an ordinarily problem. Like every cancer, it is a terminal illness and may kill the victim. Many others have made a case that the whole mesothelioma claims seeming boom has been abused but, again, even though abused, one can not run away from the untold hardship mesothelioma sufferers endure, therefore, compensation is inevitable. Mesothelioma lawyers of course think differently and I too believe they have a point.

Causes

All evidence points to asbestos of the causative factor of mesothelioma. It has been implicated in about 75-80% of cases in the United States alone. Asbestos can be inhaled or swallowed without immediate or noticeable effect.

Reasons why Victims should be compensated

The prognosis is very poor and survival is just about 6 to 18 months and many patients only receive conservative treatment in order to ameliorate the symptoms like pain and difficulty in breathing. Half of these patients on conservative treatment will die within 6months to 18 months which is an alarming mortality rate. So ultimately patients are only waiting for death.

Expensive treatment

Treatment is a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation in some cases where possible. The cost implication of these treatments is overwhelming and a patient must have this treatment to at least have a relatively comfortable last days. It is inhuman to expect him or her to bear this burden when he must have been exposed to it at work. The financial and psychological issues require that a patient of mesothelioma needs to be compensated.

Government Corporations Negligence

For as far back as the 1990s, we have always known the dangers of asbestos. The scientific information warning of the dangers of asbestos were ignored by users of asbestos and even the government till date and workers who work with asbestos manufacturers are bearing the brunt. It is therefore immoral to expect them to bear the cost as a government is supposed to be responsible to its citizens. So victims are advised to hire a mesothelioma lawyer to help file claims.

Evelyn Tanner is a social worker who has worked with people who need help for 12 years and in these time has helped several people make the right choice of with support groups help to raise awareness of the problem. To see her page of some of the mesothelioma attorneys.

Mesothelioma law Texas now favors the petitioner

Exposure to asbestos is a reason for severe health hazard which ends in spreading of lungs cancer. There are some expensive medical treatment which may provide with necessary assistance but unfortunately as in all cancer cases, mesothelioma can only be controlled up to certain extent but can not be cured. Having assistance from the mesothelioma attorneys can be of some help in this respect.

Previously, the law relating to mesothelioma and claims relating to it was vague and inefficacious where by hiring some good lawyers any billionaire asbestos company could evade liability in court. In 2005 in Texas the mesothelioma law was changed with completely new set of amendments making it more humane and working towards the petitioner. More interesting point about is that unlike the laws in other state there is no limitation period to file the case. So, the patient himself or someone from his side may visit mesothelioma attorneys at any stage after the disease is diagnosed. But, the new mesothelioma Texas law focuses on another important aspect which was grossly overlooked in the previous Act. Previously, there was chance of filing indiscriminate cases by mesothelioma attorneys seeking monetary compensation for the client from the companies even when the company was not responsible for mesothelioma. This practice has been curbed automatically as the new mesothelioma Texas law comes with a mandatory cla use that all mesothelioma attorneys have to seek approval from State Department of Health before filing any mesothelioma compensation claim in Texas.

Another interesting point in this mesothelioma Texas law is that it lays down the provision that when asbestos exposure occurs, the worker will pay a visit to the doctor and seek medical assistance. The expenses for that medical assistance will be borne by the company if the patient does not afford the expense. The trial for any mesothelioma Texas case will take place in Houston.

Now seeking assistance from mesothelioma attorneys is always something useful as at first instance, no fee is to be paid but the fee will be charged when the case ends in successful settlement of claims, awarding compensation to the patient. So, it is better to conduct a small research over the internet regarding the practice area of the attorney and the number of cases mesothelioma attorneys have handled previously which ended in successful settlement. However, new mesothelioma Texas law favors the petitioner. As per provisions of the law court now try to settle the case. Yet, if it is found that the defendant, in this case billionaire companies causing asbestos exposure are not willing to settle the case then the court would favor the petitioner and get the case settled to his side.

But, the person who is entitled to file such case is a question of legal standpoint, as to which relation he comes to the patient or whether he has any legal right at all to file such case. However, though the mesothelioma Texas law favors the petitioner but petitioner must have the legal right to file the case too. So, it is advisable to find good mesothelioma attorneys whenever a case to be filed by the patient to find compensation.

The mesothelioma attorneys or the is the best help one can get to get mesothelioma attorney assistance to get your claim for Mesothelioma.

Understanding the Language in Your Personal Injury Lawsuit

If you've been seriously injured as a result of neglect by another person or a corporation or government entity and you're thinking about filing a claim, you've already figured out that you're in a specialized area, where the medical and legal terms are flying thick and fast. Some of the words you'll need to know will be specific to your injury and its consequences, but some legal terms show up in almost all personal injury claims. Here's a quick guide to the language you may hear from your lawyer and the expert witnesses.

Annuity

An annuity is a specialized investment which pays a guaranteed annual benefit. When a personal injury claim is resolved in favor of the plaintiff, the party responsible for payment may purchase an annuity as a means to assure that payment is made for the term of the settlement, often the lifetime of the plaintiff.

Class action

A lawsuit filed on behalf of a group, or "class" of people who have experienced similar injury, for example, on behalf of all women who were injured by using a certain contraceptive, or all users of a specific credit card which charged fees illegally. A class action may have the advantage of greater numbers, and in some situations it is the most useful way to proceed. Plaintiffs in a class action agree to accept the outcome, whatever it is. It's a "one size fits all" solution. Some drug and device attorneys prefer not to be part of class actions, and to work with individual clients, to insure that their clients' particular and unique needs are met in the settlement.

Contingent fee agreement

The usual arrangement for bringing a claim or a lawsuit against a large corporation. Your attorney does not require you to pay for his or her legal services up front, and agrees to be paid only if your claim is resolved successfully, either by negotiation or by trial.

Defendant

The person, corporation, or government entity against whom a claim is made, or who is being sued in a civil proceeding.

Life Planner

A serious injury from a drug or medical device can be a life-changing event. The rest of a person's life may be shaped by their impairments, medical expenses, and care needs. A skilled life planner is a person who can anticipate medical and other care needs, household accommodations, both in modifications of physical space and in staffing needs, impact on earning potential and life expectancy. The planner can assign monetary values to all of these, and draw up a plan for funding needs for the near term and the long term. Drug and device attorneys consult life planners and frequently use a life planner as an expert witness in developing a monetary settlement demand.

Negotiation

Many claims against pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers do not go to trial. Instead they are resolved by negotiation, in which attorneys for the plaintiff and the company meet to see whether they can reach an agreement about the claim without the additional expense and delay involved in a trial. Your attorney should talk with you about the pros and cons of a negotiated settlement.

Plaintiff

That's you, the person who files the claim or institutes a lawsuit in court. Your attorney represents you, but you are the person whose name is on the claim. If the injured person is a minor, a parent or guardian is named as the plaintiff.

Settlement

A settlement is the voluntary resolution of a claim by attorneys for the plaintiff and the defendant with proceeding to a lawsuit. Most claims, and even most lawsuits, are settled before the court's final judgment. Many settlements are achieved just before a case goes to trial, because the defendant realizes that the plaintiff's attorney is serious, and that a trial may result in an extremely costly finding against it. Settlements achieved on the eve of trial, or after a trial has begun will often be entered into the trial record and approved by the presiding judge. This gives the settlement the force of law, so that the defendant's compliance can be enforced.

Examination Of Crocidolite Amosite And Anthophyllite Asbestos Fibers

Every year there are over 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in the United States because of asbestos exposure. This fact has been a major force behind the research aimed at better understanding the disease and someday finding a cure. One important study is called, Electron Miscroscopical Investigation of Asbestos Fibers by Arthur M. Langer, Anne D. Mackler, and Fred D. Pooley - Environmental Health Perspectives Vol. 9, pp 68-80, 1974. Here is an excerpt: Abstract - Examination of asbestos fibers by electron microscopical techniques enables the observer to distinguish among the fiber types by morphological and structural characteristics. Chrysotile asbestos fibers are composed of bundles of fibrils. Fibers are often curvilinear with splayed ends. Individual fibrils consist of a central capillary defined by an electron dense crystalline wall. With increasing time of electron bombardment, the capillary wall decreases in thickness, deforms, and is encapsulated in an electron translucent material. The chan ge in electron opacity is considered to be a product of structural disruption brought about by dehydroxylation due to electron radiation. A well recognized sequential deformation pattern may be used for identification purposes. Amphibole fibers tend to be straight, splintery, and electron-opaque, although curved fibers are occasionally observed. Diffraction contrast figures are visible as dark bands moving parallel and at right angles to the fiber axis. Crocidolite forms the shortest and thinnest fibers, followed in size by amosite and anthophyllite. Size distribution characteristics of the amphibole fiber types are different. The selected area electron diffraction pattern for chrysotile is unique. Reflections range in forms from streaked to arcuate. Reflection intensity and shape are related to the degree of openness of the fiber bundle and the extent of physical degradation of the fiber. The amphibole asbestos fibers possess diffraction patterns having similar characteristics prohibiting individual identifi cation. Microchemical analysis is required for identification in such cases. A discussion of the industrial hygiene threshold limit values for ampliphibole asbestos fibers is presented. The discussion is based on their differing size distribution characteristics.

Another interesting study is called, Comparison of alveolar and interstitial macrophages in fibroblast stimulation after silica and long or short asbestos by Adamson, I.Y.R. ; Bowden, D.H. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg - Journal Volume: 5:5; Conference: 75. annual meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), Atlanta, GA (United States), 21-25 Apr 1991. Here is an excerpt: Pulmonary fibrosis in response to particles has been attributed to secretion of fibroblast growth factors (FGF) by alveolar macrophages (AM). However, since fibrosis is interstitial and is associated with particle retention by interstitial macrophages (IM), the authors have now compared the secretory activity of FGF by rat alveolar (AM) and interstitial macrophages (IM) in response to silica and to long or short asbestos fibers. AM were obtained by broncho-alveolar lavage, and IM by collecting macrophages that migrate from explants of a previously lavaged and perfused lung. Isolated Am and IM from fib rotic lungs, 6 weeks after instilling silica, secreted equal amounts of FGF. Six weeks after giving short asbestos fibers in vivo, lavaged AM secreted FGF in vitro, but there was no change in fibroblast growth and no fibrosis in vivo. After giving long fibers, which reach the interstitium, isolated IM secreted FGF and collagen levels were increased in whole lung. When macrophages were isolated from normal rats and exposed to particles in vitro, Am and IM supernatants contained equal amounts of FGF. The results show that these macrophage populations respond equally to particles with respect to FGF secretion. The fibrotic reaction seen in vivo is likely due to the close proximity to fibroblasts to particle-laden macrophages within the interstitium allowing more efficient transfer of growth factors.

If you found any of these excerpts interesting, please read the studies in their entirety. We all owe a debt of gratitude to these researchers.

How To Negotiate With A Private Investigator

In a perfect world, you could hire the best possible private investigator without having to worry about the price tag. But unfortunately, you've got to worry - worry about getting taken by someone who's dishonest, greedy, or prone to miscommunication. What's the easiest way to have a successful negotiation with a private investigator?

Getting both parties to agree to terms well in advance is the quickest and cleanest way to save your time and money. So search for information about invoices and billing. Most private investigators work on retainer. This means you'll pay a certain amount of money up front, and they'll go to work, charging their hourly rate along with disbursements like travel that they might come across while working. Once these expenses reach the amount of the retainer, they'll make a written report with their expenses and their findings, giving you the option to increase the retainer or close the case.

Is there a cap on your expenses? All of this stuff should be on a written contract so that there aren't any misunderstandings, and the contract should be written in simple, easy to understand language - if they're hesitant to walk you through the contract, it's a good sign you shouldn't work with them. Also, they should be able to work on a retainer that's refundable if you aren't fully satisfied with the results.

If they work differently, find out what their variation is, and whether it's good for your bottom line.

Find out whether they take credit cards, and if so, whether they bill discreetly or not. If you're in the middle of a divorce, investigator charges showing up on your bills can create some obvious conflicts. And dealing in cash is quick and effective, but it doesn't leave you with anywhere to go if the service isn't satisfactory.

Remember to ask whether they're bonded and insured. Even the best private investigators might have to make a claim on their insurance, but they should be able to provide an explanation if you ask for one.

Don't just pick the cheapest gumshoe in town, either. If you want an investigator that's credible, you'll need to think logically. And who costs more? A guy who charges $30 an hour and doesn't deliver anything in return, or someone who charges three times and much and completes the investigation within a week? When you're looking for an investigator, especially in this economy, you should call around and compare the rates of a handful of investigators so you can find out an average rate.

Disability Insurance Attorney Straight Talk Own Occupation Disability Insurance Policies

Own Occupation Disability Insurance Policies

An "Own Occupation" definition of total disability means the inability to work at your regular occupation - that is to perform the material and substantial duties of your occupation. Under this definition, total disability means the inability to work at your occupation. The "Own Occupation" definition is favorable to you, the insured. The Own Occupation definition recognizes that a loss of regular occupation usually results in a drastic drop in income even if other employment can be found.

In the 1980's many disability insurance companies wrote "Own Occupation" policies because they were aggressively investing the premiums in the stock market. Which, of course, turned out to be a poor business decision. Many of these "Own Occupation" disability policies were sold to professionals: doctors, lawyers, and the like. The following saga is evidence presented and proven in recent Federal Court Decisions in involving Unumprovident, Unum, and Paul Revere.

Unumprovident, Unum, and Paul Revere - a Change in Claims Processes

Early in the 1990's Defendant UnumProvident realized that the claims made on the own occupation insurance policies that it sold were putting the company at risk. As a consequence the company underwent a major restructuring of its claim handling practices and philosophy. Provident morphed from a company that had a claim payment philosophy to one that had a claims "management" philosophy. The results were staggering. Unfortunately, the doctors and lawyers whom purchased these disability policies for the "peace of mind" received anything but, "peace of mind" when they suffered own occupation disabilities.

Provident was not the lone wolf insurer facing financial struggles due to poor product design, over marketing, and poor underwriting of its own occupation disability insurance policies. There were other disability insurance companies which faced similar problems. Many of these insurance companies left the disability insurance business. Paul Revere was one of the other large disability insurance companies that had also heavily hyped, marketed and sold "own occupation" individual disability products. Paul Revere also encountered huge financial issues with own occupation policies and, in response, changed it's claim processes.

Mergers and Agreements - The Plot Thickens

Thus, in April 1996 Provident and Paul Revere issued statements that they intended to merge. Provident and Paul Revere completed their merger in March 1997. Then, in 1999, Provident Companies, Inc. merged with Unum to form UnumProvident.

In 1998, Provident Companies, Inc. and Revere made a General Services Agreement. Under the General Services Agreement, Provident, and then UnumProvident, assumed all responsibility for handling Revere claims.

Before both the merger and General Services Agreement took effect, Provident was controlling Paul Revere's claim handling processes. Transition teams were formed. They drafted "Best Practices" which the combined entities were to follow and abide by. In 1996 Provident trained Revere's field investigators in these "Best Practices."

Which included a claim objectification process Provident had initiated. Then the "round table" process of denying claims was started at Paul Revere even before the merger was completed.

The Unum Bad Faith Saga Continues

This is just one chapter in the continuing saga of Unumprovident, Unum, and Paul Revere. The evidence strongly establishes a corporate scheme to augment profits without regard to the rights of their disabled insureds - the doctors, lawyers and others whom had purchased Own Occupation disability insurance. Further, the evidence establishes Unumprovident, Unum, and Paul Revere. profited immensely from their misconduct. The results of these companies Bad Faith Disability Insurance practices has been devastating to many, many insureds. Instead of buying "peace of mind" - - untold number of doctors, lawyers, and professionals have faced economic ruin.

If you have had your Own Occupation disability claim denied by these companies, you are strongly advised to seek legal representation. A good Disability Claim Attorney can make all the difference to you and your families "peace of mind."

Getting a Grasp of Asbestos

Asbestos is a speculate content that has a single enormous disadvantage - it is dangerous to individuals and triggers a host of well being issues such as most cancers. In this post, we consider a appear at the hazards of asbestos and why it was utilized in a selection of industries.

To take a grasp of asbestos, one particular has to 1st comprehend why anybody would feasible use it? The content is a by natural means happening type of a quantity of content. The asbestos sort constitutes little crystalline fiber constructions that are small. These constructions have extended been seen as surprise content since they are incredibly fireplace resistant and can insulate electrical wires without having staying compromised. If you have a content that isn't going to melt away, would not you use it in creating material and insulation? The reply was indeed in several industries.

So, what is the difficulty with asbestos? Nicely, the issue is located in the truth the fibers are so little that they can grow to be airborne. When this takes place, individuals have a inclination to breathe them into the lungs. There, the fibers turn into embedded. In excess of time, they penetrate into the lung and pleura fibers in the inside body cavity. They can lead to almost everything from continual irritation of the lungs that make respiratory challenging to lung most cancers and Mesothelioma. The very difficult thing to acknowledge is the simple fact there can be a span of up to forty several years amongst inhalation of the fibers and the onset of the health care problems.

The risks of asbestos slowly and gradually arrived to the forefront by means of several lawsuits in the sixties and seventies. The federal government sooner or later stepped in and began banning numerous utilizes of the material. In 1989, the EPA banned all new makes use of of asbestos, but permitted formerly set up utilizes to carry on. This implies that you can discover asbestos in goods including vermiculite employed in your lawn as Properly as brake footwear and clutches on vehicles. Most humans do not understand as a lot.

Asbestos is each a question content and significant well being risk. There are a host of non-harmful merchandise that can be employed rather of asbestos, so steer clear of it at all expenses.

Mesothelioma Lawyers San Diego

With an improve of instances of mesothelioma in the San Diego, it is essential that individuals research the essential actions to battle these lethal tumors. 1 of the most essential is selecting a mesothelioma attorney. These days, theres no scarcity of mesothelioma attorneys san diego. With the developing determine of circumstances of mesothelioma, mesothelioma are expanding, even legal professionals. Mesothelioma legal professionals san diego are experts who have succeeded in several circumstances of mesothelioma.

The obligation of the mesothelioma legal professionals san diego commences Once the condition is detected. The bulk of mesothelioma attorneys san diego to supply data on the info and stats on before mesothelioma circumstance that has transformed. This makes it possible for the sufferers of the mandates and skills of a mesothelioma legal professionals san diego. Even so, this mesothelioma legal professionals san diego often dont have the info of the earlier mesothelioma situations due to the fact it is confidential. Mesothelioma attorneys san diego can as well support mesothelioma inefficient dispute the explanation and explanation of its failure. The perseverance of the attractiveness of a mesothelioma, the failure, which can develop your individual circumstance.

For that reason, obtaining a mesothelioma legal professionals san diego with skills, due to the fact the condition is detected, its probably the substantial stage for the achievement of the charm. Most nations comprise a deadline for an charm might be submitted, it is important that the target can't be misplaced in time. As soon as you discover a attorney, he requirements time to review and negligence in opposition to the celebration.

The accountability of a mesothelioma legal professionals san diego is immaterial whether or not the therapy of severe problem. This kind of as, victims have a tendency not to figure at what time and the place they have been uncovered to asbestos, due to the fact the illness manifests by itself Once a some occasions. At this time, the sufferer may possibly potentially, in some locations and not keep in mind precisely As soon as and how he arrived into get in touch with with asbestos. Assisting attorneys, sufferers and as well to recognize the place and the time they was expose to asbestos. In a handful of circumstances, even a lot more attorneys the frame of mind of a personal detective, the vacation spot, in which they have experienced publicity to asbestos.

Though men and women with most cancers are discovered in a dead end in the head also, and the submitting of an attraction, perhaps not the initial, which is in its parameter listing, the ability to pick a mesothelioma attorneys san diego and make a criticism, the sufferer may possibly offer the potential of their beloved.

Blue Collar Workers And The Mesothelioma Menace

Handbook laborers experience from mesothelioma ailment in an inordinate sum. This has been the subject matter of considerably investigation. A single critical investigation is named, Investigation of the cores of asbestos bodies from members of the normal inhabitants: clients with possible lower-diploma coverage to asbestos by Churg A, Warnock ML - Am Rev Respir Dis. 1979 Oct;120(four):781-six. Listed here is an excerpt: Summary - Asbestos bodies ended up isolated from the lungs of 21 clients who experienced three hundred to 9,000 of this kind of bodies/g of lung tissue, a focus often discovered in Handbook laborers in the common populace who are not main asbestos employees. All of the 123 bodies examined by electron diffraction created diffraction designs constant with amphibole types of asbestos. Electron microprobe study (power dispersive x-ray spectroscopy) of 46 bodies exposed that 38 of the cores have been composed of the industrial amphiboles, amosite and crocidolite, while only 8 had been composed of the noncommercial amphiboles, anthophyllite and tremolite. Examine of the occupations of these individuals exposed that all but One particular experienced blue-collar employment. For several of these people, putative resources of asbestos coverage this kind of as development employment could be outlined, but for some, the source could not be decided. A single girl was evidently unveiled to asbestos in the follow of her interest of ceramics, in which she employed anthophyllite-contaminated clay. We concluded that industrial amosite/crocidolite asbestos kinds the cores of most asbestos bodies in Handbook laborers in the basic inhabitants and that the source is frequently occupational.

Fibre type and focus in the lungs of staff in an asbestos cement manufacturing unit by B Gylseth, G Mow, A Wannag - Br J Ind Med 1983;40:375-379. Below is an excerpt: Summary - The predominant asbestos fibre type utilised in the creation of asbestos cement is chrysotile. The use of asbestos in relation to fibre type in a Norwegian asbestos cement plant for the duration of 1942-eighty was ninety one.7% chrysotile, 3.1% amosite, four.1% crocidolite, and 1.1% anthophyllite respectively. Electron microscopy and x ray microanalysis of lung tissue samples of asbestos cement employees who experienced died of malignant pleural mesothelioma or bronchogenic carcinoma confirmed a fully inverse ratio with respect to fibre type. The ratio of chrysotile asbestos in lung tissue various amongst 0% and 9% while the corresponding amounts for the amphiboles had been seventy six% and ninety nine%. These variances are reviewed with respect to the conduct of various fibre kinds in the individual human body and to the event of malignant mesothelioma in this asbestos cement manufacturing facility.

Asbestos fiber duration as relevant to likely pathogenicity: A essential study by Ronald F. Dodson, PhD, FCCP, FAHA, Mark A.L. Atkinson, MA, DPhil, Jeffrey L. Levin, MD, MSPH - The College of Texas Well being Middle at Tyler, Texas - American Journal of Commercial Medication - Sum 4four Issue 3, Pages 291 297. Listed here is an excerpt: Summary - Track record - Asbestos inhalation is acknowledged as an coverage that raises the danger for the construction of lung illness. It is distinctive among dusts in that it is each a carcinogen and able of inducing extrapulmonary responses this kind of as pleural thickening and fibrosis as effectively as malignancy. A single function of asbestos recommended as critical in its pathological exercise is its fibrous morphology. Lengthy fibers that had been inhaled are cleared much less easily and are therefore much more persistent in the physique. Moreover specific experimental versions website link fiber size to amounts of hazards for design of particular ailments. The current research will survey the info on this subject matter.

Strategies - The examine considers experimental designs that were utilised to evaluate the response to varied lengths of fibers in bestial designs Moreover to info received from scientific studies of individual components. The study also emphasizes the value in defining the approach by which a sample is categorized. Final results - Information are supplied which assist the possible for more time fibers as nicely as shorter fibers to contribute to pathological responses. Conclusions - The info supplied argue that asbestos fibers of all lengths induce pathological responses and that caution must be exerted when making an attempt to exclude any populace of inhaled fibers, dependent on their duration, from staying contributors to the likely for construction of asbestos-connected ailments. If you identified any of these excerpts exciting, be sure to go through the reports in their entirety.

How to avail the professional services of criminal defence lawyers.

Everybody requirements to shield or physical exercise their legal rights. Consequently, anytime you are confronted with fees dealing with grave effects or punishments this sort of as jail, great, probation, and other related cases, you really should constantly consider an individual to stand for you in courtroom. Despite the fact that there are some legal professionals who have in depth knowledge, ample experience, and credibility, their companies are even now way too high-priced for some specially for criminal defence attorneys.

For minimal to critical criminal offence, the very first option for the accused to be cost-free from detainment is to pay out funds or signature bond to let him to get ready for the scheduled courtroom listening to. Even so, some suspects do not take the option to just take support from manifeste attorneys and rapidly outcome to an arrest. The arrest might happen simply because the proof discovered on the crime scene or on the accused was adequate ample to commit the crime. The data will be stored for long term use of proceedings on the courtroom room. Now, the greatest way for an accused to put together for his subsequent courtroom look is to get in touch with criminal defence attorneys as quickly as feasible. The previously you get in touch with a attorney to signify your case, the higher is your probabilities of obtaining acquitted. You must make contact with a law firm instantly if you are topic to investigation or arrested with out any distinct cost for the expenses to consider dismissed immediately.

Nicely, you may possibly be asking yourself on how you can pick the right authorized counsel between so several attorneys out there. In certain, you ought to decide on from a directory of criminal defence legal professionals who would manage your case and settle your situation. Amid the most crucial and major standards in selecting the right criminal defence attorney is have confidence in. You have to get notice that your case can probably be the stop of your typical existence when your attorney fails to gain it. Therefore, it is essential that you get a law firm who is dependable and has whole self-confidence on your innocence.

So to decide on a dependable and reliable attorney, you can do an on the web look for for legal professionals in your room. There are numerous criminal defence legal professionals who have their individual internet site alongside with their specialization and shopper recommendations. For occasion, there are legislation businesses that specify their lawyers' specialization relying on the criminal expenses this sort of as sexual assault, theft, and many others. What you have to do is pick the top companies and then critique the qualifications of every single of their legal professionals. Incorporate the history, exercise, and get in touch with facts whilst thinking about a list of options. Way too ask about his history expertise on DUI circumstances, embezzlement, fraud, burglary, or the certain fees pressed in opposition to you.

As you go and search via the web sites of top regulation corporations, choose which attorney is most trustworthy for criminal defence. Substantial caliber attorneys are very suggested. Nevertheless, just take observe of the internet sites that portray their attorneys very in a different way from their documentation rather of supplying particulars. It is very best to get in touch with the organization and ask regardless of whether they are delivering consultation free of charge of fee.

Do you want to greatest stand for you in courtroom? There are numerous who are inclined to assist you.

Lung Function Plaques And Asbestos Related Diseases

There has been a excellent offer of essential analysis performed analyzing the website link among asbestos coverage in the office and condition advancement. One particular essential analysis is referred to as, Asbestos-relevant pleural plaques and lung purpose by L. Christine Oliver, MD, Ellen A. Eisen, ScD, Reginald Greene, MD, Nancy L. Sprince, MD - American Journal of Industrial Drugs - Quantity fourteen Situation six, Pages 649 656. Here is an excerpt: Summary - The existing investigation examines the affiliation in between asbestos-connected pleural plaques and lung perform in a team of personnel with occupational publicity to asbestos. Publicity, smoking cigarettes, and respiratory histories, chest radiographs, stream-Quantity loops, and simple breath DLCOs ended up received on 383 railroad employees. A rating dependent on the ILO-1980 classification program was utilised to quantify the extent of plaquelike thickening. In get to eradicate likely confounders, we excluded from closing research topics with diffuse pleural thickening (n = ten) or little irregular opacities categorized as pro fusion 0/1 or higher (n = six) on chest radiograph. Definite pleural plaques ended up noticed in 22.six%. The solitary breath DLCO was comparable in the teams with and with out plaques (p = 0.0550). Decrement in FVC and the incidence of pulmonary restriction have been relevant with the existence of definite plaques (p = 0.0306 and 0.0431, respectively) and with quantitative pleural rating (p = 0.0135 and 0.0126), managing for period of asbestos publicity and cigarette smoking. A check for pattern exposed an affiliation in between degree of diagnostic certainty (none, suspect, definite) for pleural plaques and these actions of lung operate (p

A 2nd post is referred to as, Ecological affiliation amongst asbestos-connected illnesses and historic asbestos usage: an worldwide investigation by R. Lin, K. Takahashi, A. Karjalainen, T. Hoshuyama, D. Wilson, T. Kameda, C. Chan, C. Wen, S. Furuya, and T. Higashi - The Lancet, Quantity 369, Situation 9564, Pages 844-849. Here is an excerpt: Summary - Track record - The prospective for a international epidemic of asbestos-associated illnesses is a developing Situation. Our intention was to evaluate the ecological affiliation in between national loss of life charges from illnesses connected with asbestos and historic usage of asbestos. Strategies - We determined, for all nations around the world with info, yearly age-modified mortality prices by intercourse (fatalities per million inhabitants per year) for every ailment connected with asbestos (pleural, peritoneal, and all mesothelioma, and asbestosis) in 200004 and suggest per head asbestos usage (kg per person per year) in 196069. We regressed demise prices for the specified conditions towards historic asbestos consumpti on, weighted by the dimensions of intercourse-certain national populations.

Results - Historic asbestos intake was a considerable predictor of demise for all mesothelioma in the two sexes (altered R2=074, p

Senin, 12 Maret 2012

Right To Medical Treatment Under California and Longshore Workers' Comp

Under California and Longshore workers' comp laws, an injured worker has the right to receive medical care that is reasonably required to cure or relieve the effects of injury, at the expense of your employer. This treatment includes all necessary diagnostic, surgical, chiropractic, acupuncture, and other hospital treatment along with any necessary nursing care, medication, crutches, orthotic and prosthetic devices, and other medical services.

Under California law, after an injury, within one working day of filing your claim, even while the claims adjuster reviews your claim to decide whether to accept or deny your claim, you are entitled to immediate initial medical care up to a cost of $10,000.00.

If your claim is then denied, you will need to file for a hearing at the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board for State claims or the OWCP for Longshore claims, in order to fight for further medical treatment.

If your claim is accepted, then you have the right to select a doctor to be your Primary Treating Physician (PTP). Usually, the insurance company will have a network of doctors established, a Medical Provider Network (MPN) from which you must choose your PTP.

If the claims examiner happens to dislike the doctor that you selected, you may be sent to a Qualified Medical Examiner (QME) for a second opinion on behalf of the insurance company, or you may be offered an Agreed Medical Examiner (AME).

An AME is a doctor selected jointly by you and the insurance company. Because this selection requires participation by the injured worker, California law only allows this option if the injured worker is represented by an attorney in order to protect injured workers from getting tricked into selecting an unfavorable AME by unscrupulous insurance adjusters.

Selecting your PTP is one the most important decisions you will make during the course of your claim. Not only do you want to receive the best medical care but also, most of your other benefits will be based on the opinions and reports from your PTP. Your PTP will also determine if and when you can go back to work and in what capacity.

Selecting the correct PTP is only half the battle in getting the necessary medical care, however. Once you have selected your doctor and the doctor recommends an appropriate course of medical treatment for you, under California law, the insurance company then has the right to submit these recommendations for an outside review before they agree to pay for the treatment.

This review process is called "Utilization Review" (UR) and is conducted either by the insurance company itself or by an outside company that is paid by the insurance company. Therefore, it is not uncommon for a UR review to result in a denial of treatment by the insurance company.

Search for other articles by the same author or visit the author's website to find out more about this subject.

Pick High Paying Keywords in Your Niche and Double Your AdSense Income

I shared this list of Latest Highest Paying Keywords for 2009 earlier and a lot of bloggers and webmasters said that all the keywords mentioned in this list does not belong to their niche (target market), so it is pointless to use this list. I completely agree with you all, that such highest paying keywords are related with some financial / legal / medical niche and you can not utilize this list to your blog or website provided you share the same niche.

In this post, I am going to disclose you how you can choose highest paying keywords which are related with your blog or website. Let me first explain you the importance of selecting highest paying keywords and the amount of difference it can make to your Google AdSense earning.

For example, if you are going to write an article on say "Affiliate Marketing" and you really don't know about the highest paying keywords and you write complete article without incorporating any keywords with high value. In this case Google AdSense web crawler will crawl your page and display ads next to your content but a relatively lower Cost Per Click (CPC) say $3.78.

On the other hand if you do a prior research on highest paying keywords and incorporate the highest paying keywords in your article, for example "Affiliate Marketing Online Program" is a high paying keyword, then Google AdSense will display ads next to your content but this time with comparatively higher Cost Per Click i.e $6.78. You can notice the difference in Cost Per Click (CPC) of $3 straight away which means your income will be doubled as compared to before. In some cases this difference can be huge, so the bottom line is if you do a little research beforehand it will definitely increase your online income big time. It's never too late to do research on High Paying Keywords and it really pays to increase Google AdSense earnings exponentially.

Now the question arises: How to select Highest Paying Keywords specifically for your website's niche?

Well! you don't have to go outside the Google to find out the solution. Google itself provides you a very powerful tool to select highest paying keywords for your niche and you need to follow a very simple trick to learn how to earn more from that keyword tool.

Google Adwords Keyword Tool provides you the solution of selecting the highest paying keywords for your niche blog or website.

It provides to two options to choose from: -

Option 1. Descriptive words or phrases (e.g. green tea) In this option you can simply write few keywords on which you want to perform the keyword research.

Option 2. Website content (e.g. []) In this option you can provide the link of your website on which you want to perform the keyword research. (See the picture1 at the bottom of this post)

Once you have entered the keywords or URL, you can simply click on "Get Keywords Ideas" button to proceed.

As soon as you hit that button it will show a comprehensive list of keywords along with other information like "Advertiser Competition", "Local Search Volume" and "Global Monthly Search Volume" which you can use for your research.

On the right side just below the two options there is another option which says "Choose columns to display". Select "Show Estimated CPC" as soon as you select that option now keywords will be displayed along with average CPC. (See the picture2 at the bottom of this post)

Now click on "Estimated Avg CPC" text to sort it in ascending or descending order.

There you go! You can see the highest paying keywords in your niche. Now you can incorporate these keywords to attract highest paying ads to your blog or website. Like if you want to earn high then let your blog be an all round blog some time you go out of line and may pick a topic from one of the list below research on the topic and write on it may be on student consolidated loan. The web crawler crawls and brings you add worth almost 40 busks then you are on.

Do share your experience of using this trick! Good luck!

I have compiled this list of Highest Paying Keywords for AdSense from various sources.

S/No. Keywords CPC ($)

1. Purchase Structured Settlements 53.48

2. Mesothelioma Lawyers San Diego 51.47

3. Secured Loan Calculator 51.35

4. Structured Settlement Investments 50.45

5. Endowment Selling 50.35

6. Mesothelioma Patients 50.23

7. Mesothelioma attorney san diego 50.07

8. Austin Texas dwi lawyers 50.03

9. New York Mesothelioma Lawyers 50.01

10. Phoenix dui lawyers 50.01

11. Secured Loans 50.01

12. Insurance Auto 50.00

13. Phoenix dui attorney 50.00

14. car free insurance online quote 50.00

15. students debt consolidation loans 49.96

16. Pennsylvania mesothelioma lawyers 49.87

17. data recovery Denver 49.71

18. adverse credit remortgages 49.56

19. bad credit remortgages 49.47

20. data recovery service los angeles 49.37

21. Consolidating Students Loan 49.30

22. Students Loan Consolidation Rates 49.17

23. Boston dui lawyers 49.02

24. memphis car insurance 48.86

25. conference calling companies 48.64

26. dui attornes los angeles 48.60

27. georgia car accident lawyers 48.36

28. san diego dui defense 48.32

29. Phoenix arizona dui lawyers 48.28

30. Los angeles dwi attorneys 48.20

31. Student Consolidation Loans 48.15

32. free quote for car insurance 48.11

33. irs tax lawyers 48.08

How To Negotiate With A Private Investigator

In a perfect world, you could hire the best possible private investigator without having to worry about the price tag. But unfortunately, you've got to worry - worry about getting taken by someone who's dishonest, greedy, or prone to miscommunication. What's the easiest way to have a successful negotiation with a private investigator?

Getting both parties to agree to terms well in advance is the quickest and cleanest way to save your time and money. So search for information about invoices and billing. Most private investigators work on retainer. This means you'll pay a certain amount of money up front, and they'll go to work, charging their hourly rate along with disbursements like travel that they might come across while working. Once these expenses reach the amount of the retainer, they'll make a written report with their expenses and their findings, giving you the option to increase the retainer or close the case.

Is there a cap on your expenses? All of this stuff should be on a written contract so that there aren't any misunderstandings, and the contract should be written in simple, easy to understand language - if they're hesitant to walk you through the contract, it's a good sign you shouldn't work with them. Also, they should be able to work on a retainer that's refundable if you aren't fully satisfied with the results.

If they work differently, find out what their variation is, and whether it's good for your bottom line.

Find out whether they take credit cards, and if so, whether they bill discreetly or not. If you're in the middle of a divorce, investigator charges showing up on your bills can create some obvious conflicts. And dealing in cash is quick and effective, but it doesn't leave you with anywhere to go if the service isn't satisfactory.

Remember to ask whether they're bonded and insured. Even the best private investigators might have to make a claim on their insurance, but they should be able to provide an explanation if you ask for one.

Don't just pick the cheapest gumshoe in town, either. If you want an investigator that's credible, you'll need to think logically. And who costs more? A guy who charges $30 an hour and doesn't deliver anything in return, or someone who charges three times and much and completes the investigation within a week? When you're looking for an investigator, especially in this economy, you should call around and compare the rates of a handful of investigators so you can find out an average rate.

Getting a Grasp of Asbestos

Asbestos is a wonder material that has one huge drawback - it is toxic to humans and causes a host of health problems including cancer. In this article, we take a look at the dangers of asbestos and why it was used in a variety of industries.

To get a grasp of asbestos, one has to first understand why anyone would possible use it? The substance is a naturally occurring form of a number of materials. The asbestos form constitutes small crystalline fiber structures that are tiny. These structures have long been viewed as wonder materials because they are extremely fire resistant and can insulate electrical wires without being compromised. If you have a material that doesn't burn, wouldn't you use it in building materials and insulation? The answer was yes in many industries.

So, what is the problem with asbestos? Well, the problem is found in the fact the fibers are so tiny that they can become airborne. When this occurs, people have a tendency to breathe them into the lungs. There, the fibers become embedded. Over time, they penetrate into the lung and pleura fibers in the internal body cavity. They can cause everything from chronic inflammation of the lungs that make breathing hard to lung cancer and Mesothelioma. The really difficult thing to accept is the fact there can be a span of up to 40 years between inhalation of the fibers and the onset of the medical conditions.

The dangers of asbestos slowly came to the forefront through numerous lawsuits in the 1960s and 1970s. The government eventually stepped in and started banning many uses of the materials. In 1989, the EPA banned all new uses of asbestos, but allowed previously established uses to continue. This means that you can find asbestos in products like vermiculite used in your yard as well as brake shoes and clutches on cars. Most people don't realize as much.

Asbestos is both a wonder material and major health risk. There are a host of non-toxic products that can be used instead of asbestos, so avoid it at all costs.

California Mesothelioma Lawyer & Mesothelioma Attorney Facts

Mesothelioma is a devastating form of cancer, but also rather uncommon. This disease stems from the inhalation or ingestion of asbestos particles. These particles can pierce the lungs, intestines and even heart. Particularly these particles irate the mesothelium, a protective sack that secrets fluids allowing organs to move properly. In addition, the mesothelium can develop cancerous tumors which can essentially spread throughout the body. Most people diagnosed with mesothelioma only live for around five years after the condition develops.

Mesothelioma primarily affects three organs of the body. Affected areas include the lungs, the gastrointestinal tract and the heart. The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma. The second most common form of mesothelioma is peritoneal mesothelioma which destroys the stomach & intestines. The rarest form of mesothelioma is called pericardial mesothelioma, which attacks the membrane lubricates in the heart during circulation.

There is currently no cure for mesothelioma, but victims of this terrible disease still have many options available for support. In addition to support from family & friends, it is also important to get legal support. Mesothelioma victims have many legal options to explore and it is very important that you contact a qualified mesothelioma lawyer as soon as possible.

Right To Medical Treatment Under California and Longshore Workers' Comp

Under California and Longshore workers' comp laws, an injured worker has the right to receive medical care that is reasonably required to cure or relieve the effects of injury, at the expense of your employer. This treatment includes all necessary diagnostic, surgical, chiropractic, acupuncture, and other hospital treatment along with any necessary nursing care, medication, crutches, orthotic and prosthetic devices, and other medical services.

Under California law, after an injury, within one working day of filing your claim, even while the claims adjuster reviews your claim to decide whether to accept or deny your claim, you are entitled to immediate initial medical care up to a cost of $10,000.00.

If your claim is then denied, you will need to file for a hearing at the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board for State claims or the OWCP for Longshore claims, in order to fight for further medical treatment.

If your claim is accepted, then you have the right to select a doctor to be your Primary Treating Physician (PTP). Usually, the insurance company will have a network of doctors established, a Medical Provider Network (MPN) from which you must choose your PTP.

If the claims examiner happens to dislike the doctor that you selected, you may be sent to a Qualified Medical Examiner (QME) for a second opinion on behalf of the insurance company, or you may be offered an Agreed Medical Examiner (AME).

An AME is a doctor selected jointly by you and the insurance company. Because this selection requires participation by the injured worker, California law only allows this option if the injured worker is represented by an attorney in order to protect injured workers from getting tricked into selecting an unfavorable AME by unscrupulous insurance adjusters.

Selecting your PTP is one the most important decisions you will make during the course of your claim. Not only do you want to receive the best medical care but also, most of your other benefits will be based on the opinions and reports from your PTP. Your PTP will also determine if and when you can go back to work and in what capacity.

Selecting the correct PTP is only half the battle in getting the necessary medical care, however. Once you have selected your doctor and the doctor recommends an appropriate course of medical treatment for you, under California law, the insurance company then has the right to submit these recommendations for an outside review before they agree to pay for the treatment.

This review process is called "Utilization Review" (UR) and is conducted either by the insurance company itself or by an outside company that is paid by the insurance company. Therefore, it is not uncommon for a UR review to result in a denial of treatment by the insurance company.

Search for other articles by the same author or visit the author's website to find out more about this subject.

Jumat, 02 Maret 2012

Mesothelioma BasicsMesothelioma Basics


Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs.

What is the mesothelium? The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.
The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart.
What is mesothelioma? Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.
How common is mesothelioma? Over 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. See statistics for more details.
What are the risk factors for mesothelioma? Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in the majority of cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. Click here to learn more about asbestos
Who is at increased risk for developing mesothelioma? Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. An increased risk of developing mesothelioma was originally found among shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other trades people. Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.
There is evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers.
What are the symptoms of mesothelioma? Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma includeweight loss and abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.
How is mesothelioma diagnosed? Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure. A complete physical examination may be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful.
A biopsy confirms a diagnosis of mesothelioma. In a biopsy, a surgeon or a medical oncologist removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. (See Pathology Diagnosis to learn why some patients request a second opinion.)
Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.
What is the conventional approach to treating mesothelioma? Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined. Standard treatment for all but localized mesothelioma is generally not curative. 1 (See survival rates for median survival rates with different treatments.)
Surgery - Extrapleural pneumonectomy in selected patients with early stage disease may improve recurrence-free survival, but its impact on overall survival is unknown. Pleurectomy and decortication can provide palliative relief from symptomatic effusions, discomfort caused by tumor burden, and pain caused by invasive tumor. Operative mortality from pleurectomy/decortication is <2%, while mortality from extrapleural pneumonectomy has ranged from 6% to 30%. 2
Radiation/Chemotherapy - The use of radiation therapy in pleural mesothelioma has been shown to alleviate pain in the majority of patients treated; however, the duration of symptom control is short-lived. Single-agent and combination chemotherapy have been evaluated in single and combined modality studies. The most studied agent is doxorubicin, which has produced partial responses in approximately 15% to 20% of patients studied. Some combination chemotherapy regimens have been reported to have higher response rates in small phase II trials; however, the toxic effects reported are also higher, and there is no evidence that combination regimens result in longer survival or longer control of symptoms. 3
Alimta - The only FDA approved chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (in combination with cisplatin) is pemetrexed (Alimta). In the key clinical trial that led to its approval, Alimta was combined with another chemotherapy drug (cisplatin) and compared with cisplatin alone. The patients who received the two drugs (Alimta and cisplatin) had their cancers progress (grow/spread) in 5.7 months (median). The patients who only received cisplatin had their tumors progress in 3.9 months (median). The median survival for the patients who received both drugs was 12.1 months versus 9.3 months for cisplatin only. 4
For some physicians, these therapeutic gains are not impressive. For example, some have written, "For the treatment of mesothelioma, there is little evidence that current therapies (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery) provide significant benefit for survival or quality of life.[R]adical treatments, occupying the 3 months after diagnosis, can take up the best 3 months that the patient might have had.Malignant mesothelioma has largely defeated treatment..."5

Sources:
Unless otherwise indicated by an endnote, the above material was adapted from National Cancer Institute Cancer Facts - Mesothelioma: Questions and Answers 5/13/2002.
______________________________________

1. National Cancer Institute Malignant Mesothelioma (PDQ®): Treatment; Health Professional Version - Treatment Option Overview available here on September 30 , 2005.
2. Id.
3. Id.
4. Vogelzang NJ, et al., Phase III study of pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin versus cisplatin alone in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma . J Clin Oncol. 2003 Jul 15;21(14):2636-44.
5. Treasure T, Sedrakyan A., Pleural mesothelioma: little evidence, still time to do trials . Lancet. 2004 Sep 25-Oct 1;364(9440):1183-5.

Asbestos
There are different kinds of asbestos. The most common forms are:
· "White" asbestos or Chrysotile which is obtained from serpentine rocks. Chrysotile is the type most often used in industry. It is more flexible than other types of asbestos and can be spun and woven into fabric. This is the kind of asbestos used in theatre curtains and firefighters' suits.
· "Brown" asbestos or Amosite is a trade name for the amphiboles belonging to the Cummingtonite - Grunerite solid solution series, commonly from Africa.
· "Blue" asbestos or Riebeckite is also known under the name of Crocidolite. Blue asbestos is commonly thought of as the most dangerous type of asbestos.
In the United States, chrysotile has been the most commonly used type of asbestos. Chrysotile was often present in a wide variety of materials, including but not limited to:
  • sheetrock taping
  • mud and texture coats
  • vinyl floor tiles, sheeting, adhesives and ceiling tiles
  • plasters and stuccos
  • roofing tars, felts, siding, and shingles
  • "transite" panels, siding, countertops, and pipes
  • acoustical ceilings
  • fireproofing
  • putty
  • caulk
  • gaskets

  • brake pads and shoes
  • clutch plates
  • stage curtains
  • fire blankets
  • interior fire doors
  • fireproof clothing for firefighters
  • refractory cements and papers
Asbestos has been classified as a known human carcinogen (a substance that causes cancer) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the EPA, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. In 1989 the EPA passed the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule which was subsequently overturned in the case of Corrosion Proof Fittings v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1991. This ruling leaves many consumer products that can still legally contain trace amounts of asbestos.
Although it is clear that health risks from asbestos exposure increase with heavier exposure and longer exposure time, investigators have found asbestos-related diseases in individuals with only brief exposures. Generally, those who develop asbestos-related diseases show no signs of illness for a long time after their first exposure. It can take from 10 to 40 years or more for symptoms of an asbestos-related condition to appear.


Statistics
This chart shows the steadily increasing incidence rate of mesothelioma in the U.S., independent of the increasing population
Data Source: NCI SEER Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2002 Mesotheliomas (Invasive) Age Adjusted SEER Cancer Incidence Rates 1979-2002; Rates are per 100,000 and age adjusted to 2000 U.S. Population and normalized to population of 281,421,906. Paired years averaged.
 
 
This chart shows the increasing incidence rate of mesothelioma in the U.S. by age for Whites, African-Americans, and Hispanic Men
Data Source: CDC National Program of Cancer Registries; 2001 Mesothelioma by age and race; Rates are per 100,000 persons and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population.
 
 
This chart compares the incidence rates of mesothelioma in the U.S. for men and women
Data Source: NCI SEER Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2002 Mesotheliomas (Invasive) Age Adjusted SEER Cancer Incidence Rates 1979-2002; Rates are per 100,000 and age adjusted to 2000 U.S. Population. Paired years averaged.
 
 
This chart shows the 5-year relative survival rates: These statistics suggest there has been little improvement in survival in 27 years with traditional therapies
Data Source: NCI SEER Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2002 Mesotheliomas (Invasive) Survival Rates by Race, Sex, Diagnosis, Year, Stage and Age - Three year periods averaged.


Rabu, 29 Februari 2012

MESOTHELIOMA COUNSEL


Help for mesothelioma victims, their families, and their caregivers

Welcome to our mesothelioma counsel website. This site provides information about mesothelioma, its causes, diagnosis, current treatments, and legal options. The information here addresses many of the questions and concerns of mesothelioma patients, their families, and their healthcare providers.

Every day, the attorneys at Belluck & Fox, LLP help mesothelioma victims and their families. Our law firm created this website because we know that people dealing with asbestos-related diseases have many questions. Getting information can make living with mesothelioma just a little bit easier before and after a diagnosis.

What is mesothelioma?

Each year about 3,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer that occurs in people exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. Even a small amount of asbestos or infrequent exposure can pose a risk for contracting mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.

Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos fibers lodged in the lining (mesothelium) of vital organs such as the pleural lining of the lungs or the membranes that line the abdomen (peritoneum). Typically, symptoms do not appear until many years after these fibers are inhaled or ingested. Though treatments exist to extend life and ease symptoms, there is no cure for mesothelioma.

Who is most at risk for developing mesothelioma?

Without a doubt, the people most at risk for developing mesothelioma worked in occupations where they regularly dealt with asbestos, including businesses that manufacture, install, and maintain products containing asbestos fibers. While construction, car repair, and shipbuilding trades are often associated with asbestos exposure in the workplace, the long list of past and present occupations dealing with asbestos also includes:

Aircraft mechanics Appliance installers Auto mechanics Asbestos plant workers

Auto plant workers Boilermakers Brake mechanics

Brick layers Bulldozer operators Carpenters

Cement plant workers Cement finishers Construction workers

Crane operators Demolition crews Drywall workers  

Electricians Electrical linemen Engineers

Firefighters Foundry workers Garage workers

What should I do if I was exposed to asbestos?

If you were exposed to asbestos at work or lived with someone who was, see your doctor and describe your level of asbestos exposure. Your doctor may run some tests to check your condition. If the results show mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, contact Belluck & Fox. Our experienced team of mesothelioma attorneys can represent and advise you and your family.

Why should mesothelioma victims contact Belluck & Fox?

People who are diagnosed with mesothelioma or who lost someone to this rare cancer, have a right to seek compensation from the companies responsible. Belluck & Fox is one of the nation?s leading mesothelioma law firms. We have recovered more than $400 million on behalf of clients with mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancers.

With decades of legal experience focused on obtaining compensation in mesothelioma cases, the lawyers at Belluck & Fox know all the legal avenues available to get compensation for their clients. When we represent you, we carefully review information about you and your family to determine what options are appropriate for your specific case.



MESOTHELIOMA TREATMENT INFORMATION

Treatments Ease Pain and Other Symptoms

Mesothelioma is incurable, but treatments are available to help improve the length and quality of life for victims. Treatments vary depending on the patient?s general health and the size and location of the cancer. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The links of this web site provide more information onmesothelioma treatments.

Multi-Modal Therapies Are Most Effective Treatments

Generally, a combination of these has been found to be the most effective at alleviating symptoms and improving the patient?s quality of life. But, unfortunately all of these treatments also come with risks of complications. Treatment for mesothelioma should only be done by a mesothelioma specialist. So, it?s important to seek out an experienced medical team.

Clinical Trials Bring Hope

Every day mesothelioma clinical trials are taking place searching for better treatments and ultimately a cure for mesothelioma.

Progress Has Been Made, But There Is Still a Long Way to Go

Today?s treatments come with serious risks. Even so, doctors and researchers have made important progress that has improved quality of life and survival times for victims.





INFORMATION

Mesothelioma Attorneys Can Answer Your Questions

Every day Belluck & Fox, LLP helps mesothelioma victims. Many clients ask us questions about mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases. For people who have had frequent exposure to asbestos, it?s good to get information even before a diagnosis is determined.

Get the Facts About What a Mesothelioma Diagnosis Means

We put this website together because we want people to easily get the information they need about mesothelioma and the dangers of asbestos. Here you will find some basic information about mesothelioma, its causes, treatments, and some hard truths.

Mesothelioma is rare. About 3,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the United States. Only about one in 770 people has a lifetime risk of getting mesothelioma. Usually, mesothelioma does not manifest any symptoms until decades after exposure.

Mesothelioma Victims May Be Entitled to Compensation

When someone you care about is diagnosed with mesothelioma, it helps to know exactly what that means. The facts are, mesothelioma is caused by asbestos and it is incurable. In most cases, asbestos exposure is due to someone else?s negligence or carelessness. Victims and their families may be entitled to compensation.



Rabu, 18 Januari 2012

$3.58 Million Gift Will Forward Scientific Advances For Mesothelioma Research, One Of The Most Difficult To Treat Cancers


The UH Cancer Center has received a $3.58 million gift from an anonymous donor to support the mesothelioma research of Dr. Michele Carbone, director of the UH Cancer Center. Carbone and colleagues, who include Drs. Haining Yang and Giovanni Gaudino, have made a series of recent scientific breakthroughs that will lead to new ways to prevent and treat the disease.

"This generous gift is critical to support our efforts to generate discoveries that will aid in the prevention of mesothelioma and the development of new therapies," said Dr. Carbone. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that line the chest and abdominal cavities. It results in one of the most aggressive types of tumors, and current median survival from diagnosis is just twelve months. Exposure to airborne asbestos or erionite particles increases one's risk of developing mesothelioma.


The gift is the second largest in UH Cancer Center history. "Mesothelioma is a serious public health problem," said Dr. Virginia Hinshaw, Chancellor of UH Manoa. "We're proud that Dr. Carbone's team is leading the world in this area of discovery. This gift validates their efforts and will help them remain at the forefront of thoracic oncology research."


Dr. Carbone and colleagues have studied mesothelioma for more than a decade. Significant findings have come from studies conducted in the villages of Capadoccia, a region of Turkey. Dubbed "death villages," nearly 50% of the area's residents develop and die of mesothelioma. The epidemic is caused by exposure to a fiber called erionite that is even more potent than asbestos in causing mesothelioma. Erionite is a naturally occurring mineral found in rock formations and homes built of rock material in the region. The team's findings led to a response from the Turkish government that included building the villagers new homes and a regional health center to conduct treatment.


Dr. Carbone and collaborators will conduct a clinical trial co-sponsored by the Early Detection Research Network of the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the Turkish Ministry of Health to validate serum biomarkers they discovered for the early detection of mesothelioma.


This past winter, Dr. Carbone reported new findings describing potential erionite exposure in the U.S. (Nature, Dec. 16, 2010). Collaborating with scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health, they found evidence of erionite in rock materials used to pave roads in North Dakota and other states. Public health concerns have been raised and the team's examination continues in partnership with the EPA. Findings from a new detailed study were presented at a recent scientific meeting and are pending publication in a leading scientific journal. The National Institutes of Health has planned a conference this fall to discuss potential public health issues related to erionite exposure."


Source:
Kellie Tormey
University of Hawaii Cancer Center

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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1st International Symposium On Lung-Sparing Therapies For Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

The UCLA Mesothelioma Research Program is sponsoring the 1st International Symposium on Lung-Sparing Therapies for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) at the Sheraton Hotel in Santa Monica, California. This unique one-day symposium will take place on Saturday, May 21st from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The course will be led by Dr. Robert Cameron, MD, FACS, Director of the Mesothelioma Research Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the West Los Angeles Veterans' Administration Medical Center, and a long-time advocate for lung-sparing surgery.


The seminar's distinguished international faculty includes both Mr. Tom Treasure, MD and Mr. David A Waller, MD, who will discuss the recent results announced from the Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery (MARS) Trial conducted in the U.K. The program will feature additional experts in the fields of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and pulmonary medicine. The symposium was designed primarily for physicians needing continuing medical education (CME) credit but other interested parties may attend.


For a brochure on the seminar and to enroll online, go here.


Source:
UCLA Mesothelioma Research Program

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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MLA

UCLA Mesothelioma Research Program. "1st International Symposium On Lung-Sparing Therapies For Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 9 May. 2011. Web.
16 Jan. 2012. APA

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.



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Selasa, 17 Januari 2012

Novel Anti-Mesothelioma Strategy

A drug commonly used to treat kidney cancer may increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy for mesothelioma, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.

Temsirolimus, a kinase inhibitor, blocks the action of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a protein that regulates cell growth, which can slow tumor growth. It's used to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma.


But researchers in Austria have found that temsirolimus also may slow the growth of malignant pleural mesothelioma cells. Mesothelioma, a cancer that is usually caused by exposure to asbestos and may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure, frequently resists chemotherapy and radiation treatment.


The researchers found that temsirolimus strongly blocked mTOR-mediated signals and had a cytostatic, or growth-stopping, effect on all mesothelioma cells. However, mesothelioma cells that were resistant to cisplatin, a widely used chemotherapy drug, showed hypersensitivity against temsirolimus.


That suggests that mTOR inhibitors like temsirolimus might be a promising treatment strategy either in combination with chemotherapy or as second-line treatment after chemotherapy failure.


"Malignant mesothelioma is a severe human malignancy characterized by a very bad prognosis, with a mean patient survival time of less than one year," said Professor Walter Berger, PhD, of the Institute of Cancer Research at the Medical University of Vienna. "This unacceptable situation is mainly caused by late diagnosis combined with a distinct resistance to all forms of systemic therapy available so far. Mesothelioma is frequently caused by asbestos exposure and unfortunately - based on the long latency period - the incidence peak lies, despite the ban on asbestos, still ahead. Consequently, novel therapeutic options for this devastative disease are urgently needed.


"In our preclinical study, published in the JTO, we were able to demonstrate that inhibition of the major oncogene mTOR is active against human mesothelioma especially after development of chemotherapy resistance both in vitro and in vivo," Berger said. "These results suggest the initiation of clinical trials involving mTOR inhibitors as a novel anti-mesothelioma strategy."


The study was supported by the Medical Scientific Fund of the Mayor of the City of Vienna, Initiative Krebsforschung of the Medical University Vienna, and a Wyeth/Pfizer research grant.


Source:
Renée McGaw
International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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MLA

Renée McGaw. "Novel Anti-Mesothelioma Strategy." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 1 May. 2011. Web.
16 Jan. 2012. APA

 



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