New York Personal Injury Laws

Representing Railroad Employees And Passengers

I handle serious personal injury cases for both employees and passengers. The railroad industry is a very dangerous place and the laws are quite complex that apply to those cases. It’s important that  you’re represented by an attorney

Asbestos Exposure to Mesothelioma Diagnosis

How long does it take to get mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos? Hi. I’m Joe Williams. I’m a mesothelioma trial attorney in New York City. And to answer this question, we have to talk about the concept that doctors and scientist refer to as latency.

What latency basically means is the time from exposure to a known carcinogen, to the time when that patient is diagnosed with cancer. And to illustrate the point, I want to give you an example. Let’s say that I have a cough, and I cough into my hand.

I now have those germs on my hand. I then go and I meet you socially and say, “Hi, how are you? I’m Joe Williams. Nice to meet you.” And we shake hands. I then transfer, unfortunately for you, those germs to your hand.

You then wipe your face or your mouth, and the germs go into your system. Well, not surprisingly, three days later you start coughing. That cough, that cold, had a three day latency period. It’s very similar when we talk about mesothelioma.

The difference is the time frames involved. And it’s widely accepted by doctors and scientist throughout the world, that there is a very significant latency period for mesothelioma. From the time of exposure, perhaps a powerhouse worker working in a powerhouse in the ’50s.

Or a machinist mate on a aircraft carrier in the US navy in World War 2, could today be diagnosed with mesothelioma. The latency period, again widely accepted by the entire medical community, could be that long.

Anywhere from 20 years, 15 years, all the way up to 60 or more years, from the time of that exposure to asbestos to the time when that diagnoses of mesothelioma is made. Why is that important? It’s important because the nature of this disease requires us to journey back, and evaluate those exposures that occurred decades, sometimes many decades ago.

And it’s important to be able to take a thorough occupational history, to figure out all the possible exposures to asbestos for a mesothelioma victim. Now, you may have many more questions about latency as it relates to mesothelioma, and I can provide the answers.

I’m Joe Williams, and in our firm we deal with these issues every day. We represent victims of mesothelioma every day, and we can answer your questions, and we’ll be happy to do that. So look at the number below and call our office, and we’ll answer your questions. Thank you very much for watching. I hope this was informative.

 Car Accident Attorney

When you’re in a car accident, there are many parties involved sometimes. There is the insurance company to deal with, the police department, your doctors. You need to have an experienced lawyer to help you work through your case who has your best interests in mind. Hire the Moore Law Firm. We have the experience and the resources to guide you through the process, and enable you to have piece of mind.

Protecting Your Rights

When you’re injured on the railroad, the railroad will do everything they can to minimize your wage loss claim. They’ll try to interfere with your medical treatment. They’ll harass you. They may fail to offer you overtime you’re entitled to receive under the contract. They can penalize you in many different ways but the Federal Railroad Safety Act says they can’t do that to you as an interstate railroad employee. You can file a claim with OSHA and if OSHA doesn’t decide the claim within seven months, you can bring a lawsuit in the federal district court. At the Maurer Law Firm, we know how to protect your rights under the Federal Railroad Safety Act.

Lab Workers Exposed to Asbestos

Did you know that asbestos was used in various types of lab equipment? And that asbestos could cause lab workers – lab technicians – to develop mesothelioma later in life? Hi, I’m Joe Williams. I’m a mesothelioma trial attorney, and I want to talk to you about some these asbestos exposures. Now, in a lab setting, lab workers, lab technicians, work with gloves. Back years ago, those gloves when picking up a heated beaker or a hot surface– those gloves could have been asbestos gloves – gloves actually made with asbestos components. They worked with aprons for their safety protection. Ironically, these gloves were used as a safety precaution, yet they contained asbestos. Additionally, aprons that the lab technicians would wear, often times contained asbestos, to protect from heated objects, or perhaps ovens that they were working with during their lab experiments.

Asbestos pads and asbestos mats were used in lab settings. Wire mesh screens were used in lab settings. All of these things decades ago, could have contained asbestos, which exposed the worker – the lab technician – to asbestos dust during the course of their work each day, every day, over a course of a career. These exposures could cause a lab technician to develop mesothelioma years later. I’m telling you all this because you have questions about mesothelioma, and how mesothelioma is caused.

I’m Joe Williams. At my office, we deal with these issues each and every day. We represent victims of mesothelioma and their families. If you have questions, I invite you to call us, and we’ll answer your questions. Thank you very much.

Properties of Asbestos

Your family member’s been diagnosed with mesothelioma. You know now that asbestos causes mesothelioma. It’s important to learn something about the properties of asbestos. Hi, I’m Joe Williams. I’m a mesothelioma trial attorney in New York City and I can give you some information about the properties of asbestos.

Upfront Attorney Fees

When a mesothelioma victim and their family come into my office, one of the first questions they ask me is are there any upfront costs or fees for me to handle their case? Hi, I’m Joe Williams. I’m a mesothelioma trial attorney in New York City. I can tell you that the answer to this question is absolutely not.

 Paying to Prosecute Your Case

In a mesothelioma case, the lawyers for the victim lay out the money to prosecute the case. So things like court filing fees– to file the case, to start the case, there’s a fee in the courthouse to do that. The lawyers lay out that money. Fees associated with continuing the case, the lawyers lay out that money. Fees associated with hiring expert witnesses– a mesothelioma case requires the hiring and retaining of some very important expert witnesses in order to support the medical and exposure claims that are made in the case. All of those fees are disbursements which are laid out by the attorneys in the case. I can tell you at our firm, we never ask a client to set forth any payments, any money, until the case is concluded.

 Post-Settlement Money

What happens is the case is prosecuted until it’s completed. At that point, the money that is obtained in the form of a settlement or a judgement or verdict at trial, the lawyer takes the disbursements and pays them back, then takes the lawyer’s fee. All the remainder of the money, whether it be in the form of a settlement or a verdict at trial, all of that is the client’s proceeds from the result obtained in that case.

Contact Us With Questions or Concerns

Now you may have many more questions related to this topic and others. I’m Joe Williams. My office number is listed below. I encourage you to give a call to our office. We will answer your questions. We’re here to help you and to answer your questions. Thank you.

Steamfitter Exposed to Asbestos

You’re a steamfitter. You’ve been working your entire life with asbestos gaskets and pipe covering, and now you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma. And you’re struggling with how you’re going to handle your case.

Hi. I’m Joe Williams. I’m a mesothelioma trial attorney in New York City, and I’ve represented many, many steamfitters over the years. And I can tell you that their exposures are always the same. Steamfitters work with pipes and gaskets each and every day, and steamfitters help to build this city.

 How Steamfitters Became Exposed

And in so doing they worked at every powerhouse, built the powerhouses. And were exposed to those asbestos gaskets, they’re in-between the flanges of every pipe in those powerhouses. The pre-fabricated gaskets as well as the sheet gaskets that you cut with thick shears to fit over those flanges.

And then you take a hammer and pound through the flange where the bolt hole is, so that you can make that gasket fit securely. While you were doing your work, other trades were working around you. Insulators were insulating some of the very same pipes that you were working on.

And they were insulating equipment that was nearby to your work. And while you were working on these pipes and dealing with these flanges, you were attaching these pipes to large pieces of equipment like boilers or pumps.

And those pieces of equipment were covered with asbestos, causing you to be exposed again. Well, there are many ways that steamfitters were exposed to asbestos, both from their work and from the work of others in their working vicinity.

Why am I telling you this? Because you’ve been exposed to asbestos. Over the years I’ve represented many members of the local 638 steamfitters union here in New York City. And each of them has talked to me and talked in their deposition in their case about their exposures to asbestos gaskets, to asbestos insulation, asbestos pipe covering.

And if you’re a steamfitter, I’m sure you had many of the same exposures. I’m sure you have many questions about mesothelioma. Well, I have the answers to those questions. I’m Joe Williams, and I invite you to call me at my office at the number below, and we’ll answer your questions. We represent mesothelioma victims every day. This is what we do, and I’ll be happy to speak to you. Thank you.

Railroad Companies Already Making Their Case

It’s very important if you’re an injured railroad worker, that you hire an experienced law firm as soon as possible. The reason is, the railroad has a whole system that goes into effect right away. They have all sorts of departments that collect evidence, they take witness statements, they reenact your injury. And before you know it, they’ve tied up the defense of the case before you’ve gotten out of your hospital bed.

You need an experienced attorney who knows how the railroad industry works, understand the law, what the proof is that’s required to win your case. We can help you at the Maurer Law–