New York Personal Injury Laws

What is Asbestos?

You or perhaps a family member have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you’ve been told that mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. What is asbestos? Hi, I’m Joe Williams. I’m a mesothelioma trial attorney in New York City. I can answer this question. To answer the question the first thing I can tell you about asbestos is that it’s a mineral. What that means is it’s a rock and it’s a rock that was mined out of the ground primarily in South Africa and Canada. Now there were other asbestos mines throughout the world but those are the two primary ones that we see in asbestos cases here in the United States. This mineral, this rock, asbestos came to be know as the magic mineral. The reason why asbestos came to be known as the magic mineral is for two very important properties that asbestos has. One, it’s a tremendous insulator. Asbestos fibers can’t be burn with a blow torch, it can’t be destroyed. So it’s a perfect insulator. Two, asbestos has tremendous strength, tensile strength and it was used in various products throughout the United States for those two properties. Insulating and strength. Workers in industries, in various trades were exposed to asbestos from these asbestos fibers and they later in life contracted mesothelioma. Asbestos is an industrial toxin, a poison, a carcinogen that causes mesothelioma. I’m sure you have many more questions about asbestos and the different properties of asbestos as well as mesothelioma. We can answer your questions. You should pick up the phone and call the number listed on your screen below, that’s my office number. I’m Joe Williams and we handle these cases everyday for victims of mesothelioma. This is what we do everyday. I hope you found this video informative. Thank you for listening.

Various Ways Queens Workers Became Exposed to Asbestos

You’ve been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, and you worked in Queens, New York, and you’re trying to figure out how did you get this disease?

Hi, I’m Joe Williams. I’m a Mesothelioma trial attorney. And I want to give you some information about asbestos exposure in Queens, New York.

We know that Queens, New York is a very heavily populated borough, and there are major asbestos exposure sites in Queens, New York. Sites like the two airports, JFK International and the LaGuardia Airport, which at their time were massive construction projects involving use of all types of asbestos products. There is The Phelps Dodge Copper Plant in Maspeth, Queens, a foundry with high heat and steam products and asbestos insulation used throughout. The world’s fair in the 1960s involved construction of vendor exhibitions throughout this very large project using all sorts of building materials that contained asbestos and exposed the workers.

And, of course, there is two major power houses in Queens, New York, Con Edison Powerhouses, the Astoria Powerhouse, the largest power house in the metropolitan area, and the Ravenswood Powerhouse right at the base of the 59th Street Bridge on the Queens side.

Now, I’m telling you all this because there are major asbestos exposure sites in Queens, New York, and you’ve been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, and you have questions. So I invite to look at the number below and give our office a call. We answer questions like these every day. We handle cases for Mesothelioma victims and their families every day. That’s what we do. And we can answer your questions. 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–

Tylenol Health Risks

Previously on You Be the Judge, 37-year-old Antonio Benedi felt a case of the flu coming on. After taking the recommended dosage of Tylenol for three consecutive days he ended up in coma, near death, and was in desperate need of a liver transplant. One culprit and each year 450 deaths, 26,000 hospitalizations, 56,000 emergency room visits, 100,000 calls to Poison Control Centers. The suspect? A very common, everyday drug.

Acetaminophen Dosages

When people hear about the dangers of Tylenol or acetaminophen they often assume that Tylenol only harms people who abuse the medication or who don’t follow the directions. Is this true? And is the recommended dosage safe? It is widely asserted that a daily intake of 7,000 milligrams can severely damage an adult’s liver, but the level at which such damage begins to occur is predicted to be much lower. Levels as small as 2,000 to 4,000 milligrams have been implicated in approximately 10% of deaths related to acetaminophen, proving that the medication does not have to be abused to cause harm.

Considering that a single capsule of extra strength versions of acetaminophen is 500 milligrams, as few as four capsules might damage the liver. This is particularly concerning when you realize that bottles containing 500 milligram capsules of acetaminophen say that the maximum daily dosage is eight pills. 8 times 500 milligrams a total of 4,000 milligrams.

To add to the confusion around this medication, prescription drugs containing acetaminophen often have warnings about liver failure and even death, but the over-the-counter versions do not.  In 2009 the FDA recommended that the adult daily dosage for acetaminophen be reduced from the current maximum of 4,000 milligrams to no more than 3,250 milligrams.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary and the manufacturer of Tylenol, responded that they feared the recommendations could have the effect of steering consumers away from their drugs. To this day the company has not reduced the recommended dosage.

Selling Tylenol & Acetaminophen Over-The-Counter

Consider the following facts:

One, hundreds of the drug users die annually and tens of thousands are hospitalized. Two, over-the-counter forms do not warn of liver failure or death while prescription forms often do. Three, acetaminophen is the number one cause of acute liver failure. Four, the maximum dosage and the manufacturer’s recommended safe dosage leave no room for human error. Five, warnings on the label about alcohol are not very clear. Six, there are no warnings on the label about taking the medication while fasting. See the previous episode for details about taking acetaminophen with alcohol or while fasting. Seven, alternative medications are available that yield the same benefits and far fewer risks. Eight, many experts believe if Tylenol were introduced as a new drug today it would not be approved.

The damaging effects of acetaminophen are linked to over 100,000 Poison Control Center calls, 56,000 emergency room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations, and more than 450 deaths each year.   One final thought, if the side effects and risks linked with acetaminophen were associated with a dietary supplement, it would be pulled from the market immediately.

By: Edward Lake

Jewelers Exposed to Asbestos

Did you know that jewelers could be exposed to asbestos from their work as a jeweler, and later in life be diagnosed with mesothelioma? Hi, I’m Joe Williams. I’m a mesothelioma trial attorney, and I want to talk to you about some of these asbestos exposures.

 When the Exposure Occurs

A jeweler would work on casting jewelry. In order to do that, they would do something called the lost wax method in which they would make a mold using wax in a container. The important part of this is that the container itself would be lined with an asbestos containing product, often an asbestos containing paper. That material would have to be cut and manipulated to get into the mold. The asbestos was used so that when the mold is put into the oven, it would stand the high heat of the oven during the molding process. The jeweler would be cutting this asbestos paper product exposing themselves to asbestos fibers and asbestos dust over the course of their career.

In addition to that, jewelers soldered jewelry. They did that on soldering boards, or pounding boards, made of an asbestos stone. The repeated use of this board made of stone over the course of time released asbestos dust that the jeweler would breath on a continual and daily basis. These exposures to asbestos can cause a jeweler to develop mesothelioma decades later, later in their life, even after their work has long stopped.

Now, I’m telling you this because you have questions about mesothelioma, and about what causes mesothelioma. I’m Joe Williams, and at my law firm we deal with these issues every day. We represent mesothelioma victims and their families each and every day. If you have questions, I invite you to contact our office, and we will answer your questions. Thank you.

Navy Machinist Mate Exposed to Asbestos

You are a machinist mate in the United States Navy, and you served our country, and all these years later you’ve now been diagnosed with mesothelioma. And you want to know how did I get this disease? Hi. I’m Joe Williams. I’m a mesothelioma trial attorney, and I want to talk to you about the types of exposures to asbestos, that navy seamen and machinist mates encounter when they worked on navy ships.

I want to do that by talking about a former client of mine, and he actually was a machinist mate on a aircraft carrier. His work took place primarily in the boiler room. You probably know it as the fire room. He worked on all the equipment in the boiler room.

The boiler itself, as well as the pumps that pumped hot water and different fuels and oils for different uses throughout the ship. He dealt with all the systems for propulsion of the ship. And his work with the boiler involve dealing with the asbestos installation that was on this large marine boiler.

There was actually two of them on the ship. And he dealt with the asbestos installation, removing it, reinstalling it after his work. He dealt with asbestos gaskets as it related to the boiler. He dealt with the pumps that were throughout the boiler room and really throughout the ship, in particular the large boiler feed pumps.

He dealt with packing and gaskets that were made of asbestos, as well as insulation that was on the piping and on the pumps. He dealt with valves that were placed throughout the ships, and he also dealt with other equipment in the boiler room and throughout the ship.

The work that he did with asbestos products that included installation, gaskets, and packing, all of these exposures contributed to him developing mesothelioma many decades later. And his doctors informed him that it was those exposures to asbestos when he was in the navy years and years ago, that all these years later, only just a few years ago, caused him to be diagnosed with mesothelioma.

And that’s what’s expected with mesothelioma. The exposures happen, and then 20 to up to 60 years later the patient’s diagnosed with this cancer, mesothelioma. A cancer caused by asbestos. Now, you have questions about mesothelioma, and about the types of exposures that US Navy servicemen faced when they served our country on US Naval vessels.

I’m Joe Williams. At our office we handle cases for victims of mesothelioma and for their families every day. We deal with these issues on a daily basis. Call our office, we’ll answer your questions. Thank you.

Auto Mechanic Asbestos Exposure

You were a professional auto mechanic, and you worked with asbestos-containing brakes your entire life. Now you’ve been diagnosed with Mesothelioma. Hi, I’m Joe Williams. I’m a Mesothelioma trial attorney here in New City, and I can answer your questions.

 How One Auto Mechanic Was Exposed

I can do that by talking to you about some clients I’ve represented in the past. One client in particular, who was a former auto mechanic, and changed thousands of brakes on automobiles. In his deposition, he testified about the work that he did. He talked about using both OEM, Original Equipment Manufactured brake linings, which are brake linings manufactured by the same company that made the car.

He also used after market brake linings, which are manufactured by companies who didn’t manufacture the car. They just manufactured brake linings. What he would do, this former client of mine, he would take off the four wheels of the car after the car was put on a lift. He would remove the brakes. He would blow out the drum with an air compressor, causing a lot of dust in the air.

He would then take the new metal shoe with the attached brake lining out of the box, and install it into the vehicle, wheel by wheel. This process of removing the old brake, blowing out the drum, handling the asbestos-containing brake lining, the new one, and installing them into the vehicle, exposed him to asbestos dust. He did this work every day, and he did it for many decades, and was exposed to asbestos dust thousands of times from working on asbestos-containing brake linings in automobiles.

Now, if you’re an auto mechanic, you’ve probably had some very similar exposures. I’m sure you have questions about Mesothelioma and how auto mechanics were exposed to asbestos. I’m Joe Williams, and in our firm we handle cases every day for Mesothelioma victims. We can answer your questions. I invite you to call our office at the number below, and we’ll answer your questions. Thank you.

Signature Disease

Mesothelioma has been called a signature disease, a signature of asbestos exposure. So, what does that mean? Hi, I’m Joe Williams. I’m a mesothelioma trial attorney in New York City, and I’m going to answer this question for you by explaining to you what a signature disease is. So, a doctor, or a scientist, the physician, whenever they see a patient with mesothelioma, they immediately think asbestos exposure. And why is that? That’s because mesothelioma is a signature disease. The disease bears the signature of the exposure to asbestos. So, every physician who is evaluating a patient’s mesothelioma case, will immediately be looking for asbestos exposures. The known and widely accepted cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. That means that all the physicians know to a certainly that that particular patient who’s been diagnosed with mesothelioma was exposed to asbestos. Now, sometimes patients think mesothelioma is a form of cancer. What kind of things have I done in my life that could have caused me to get cancer? They start thinking about things like smoking cigarettes. Well, I can tell you that there’s no doctor in the world that would say that smoking cigarettes caused mesothelioma, because it doesn’t. They think, “Well, I was exposed to a lot of chemicals,” or “I was out in the sun.” We tend to think about all the things that we know are known carcinogens, but mesothelioma is a very unique cancer, only 2,000 cases diagnosed per year in the United States, and the widely accepted cause of mesothelioma is asbestos, not these other things that sometimes we think of. So, persons exposed to asbestos fibers, it takes years and years for the asbestos fibers to cause malignant mesothelioma, and in this position of years later tracing back what your possible exposure to asbestos could have been. I encourage you to call my office. I’m Joe Williams, and we answer questions from mesothelioma victims every day. We represent mesothelioma victims and their families in court every day, and we can answer your questions. I hope you found this video informative, and thank you very much for watching.

Asbestos Exposure in Powerhouses

You’ve worked in powerhouses for a good part of your working career, and you were exposed to asbestos, and now you have mesothelioma. Hi. I’m Joe Williams. I’m a mesothelioma trial attorney in New York City, and I’d like to talk to you about the types of exposures to asbestos that workers in powerhouses had.

I’d like to talk to you about a former client of mine, who is a powerhouse worker, who is in what’s called the major maintenance gang at one of the utilities here in New York, in New York City. And his job entailed him going to every powerhouse in that particular utility’s system.

 Exposure on the Job

So he is a good client to talk about, because his case involved all the exposures that a typical powerhouse worker would have. So he was able to testify in his case, about exposure to asbestos on boilers. And having worked in powerhouses yourself, you know that the boilers in a powerhouse are giant.

 Large Amounts of Asbestos

Some as tall as ten stories, and just covered and filled with asbestos products, including asbestos block, asbestos cement, asbestos gaskets, asbestos refractory. And this particular former client of mine, talked about asbestos pipe covering on the pipes throughout the powerhouses.

As well as asbestos blankets on the turbines attached with wire to the exterior of the turbines. He talked about asbestos containing flange gaskets, used on almost every pipe in the entire powerhouse. He discussed asbestos coverings on various equipment like pumps and other types of equipment.

He talked about asbestos on valves, he talked about asbestos packing and gaskets used inside of various types of equipment. And these are many of the exposures to asbestos that powerhouse workers could have.

But there are many more, and I’m sure you have many questions about the types of exposures to asbestos that a worker would have in a powerhouse. Well, we can answer your questions. I’m Joe Williams. I invite you to call our office at the number listed below, and we’ll answer your questions. We represent mesothelioma victims every day, and we certainly would be there to answer your questions for you. Thank you for listening.