Asbestos Awareness Week Shines Light on Mesothelioma, a Cancer that Continues to Devastate
The first week of April 2022 is Asbestos Awareness Week in the United States. Members of both houses of Congress unanimously approved resolutions making the designation.
Once ubiquitous in worksites and homes throughout the country, we are still experiencing the negative health effects of asbestos decades after its peak use. Mesothelioma, the insidious cancer caused by asbestos, can take up to 50 years to manifest. When it does, many patients have less than two years to live, although we have seen some promising new treatments recently.
For more than 40 years, lawyers at RPWB have worked on behalf of mesothelioma patients to get them the financial compensation they deserve from asbestos manufacturers who knew about the health consequences of the products they were selling.
It is difficult and heartbreaking to see the men and women who built this great country die from mesothelioma due to the negligence of companies that put profits over people by hiding the ugly truth about asbestos.
While we still see a great number of cases from older people who worked in asbestos-laden industrial worksites through the 1970s, we are now also litigating cases involving much younger individuals who have developed mesothelioma from talcum powder use. This includes young mothers and otherwise healthy people who face a very dire mesothelioma prognosis at the prime of their lives.
Sadly, asbestos and the health consequences of it will still be with us for many more years. Contrary to common belief, asbestos is not banned in the United States and many products still contain talcum powder, which is derived from a mineral that often co-exists with asbestos in the environment.
As asbestos lawyers, we focus on helping mesothelioma patients and their families maximize the financial compensation they get from asbestos companies that manufactured the products that caused the cancer.
Our role as mesothelioma lawyers, however, goes beyond that.
We hold asbestos companies responsible for the human suffering they caused for many decades, even after they knew about the devastating health consequences. It is never acceptable to value profits more than the health and well-being of people. The asbestos industry is rightfully the poster child for what happens when we do. We hope that our work will deter other types of manufacturers from producing products they know to be harmful.
This Asbestos Awareness Week, we are remembering the thousands of mesothelioma victims we have helped in our 45-year history. We remain as committed to helping mesothelioma patients today as we did back in 1976, when our founding member Charles Patrick worked on the first successful product liability lawsuit against asbestos companies.
We hope you never need our services, but we stand ready to assist you if you do. If you receive a mesothelioma diagnosis, give us a call anytime at 1-866-594-8765 or fill out the form on this website. In most cases, we are available to meet with you at your home or another comfortable place within just a few days of calling.
To learn more about mesothelioma, please visit our Mesothelioma Info Center here.
Here is the full text of the Asbestos Awareness Week Resolution:
RESOLUTION
Designating the first week of April 2022 as ‘‘National Asbestos Awareness Week’’.
Whereas dangerous asbestos fibers are invisible and cannot be smelled or tasted;
Whereas the inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers can cause significant damage;
Whereas asbestos fibers can cause cancer, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other health problems;
Whereas symptoms of asbestos-related diseases can take between 10 and 50 years to present themselves;
Whereas the projected life expectancy for an individual diagnosed with mesothelioma is between 6 and 24 months;
Whereas little is known about late-stage treatment of asbestos-related diseases, and there is no cure for those diseases;
Whereas early detection of asbestos-related diseases might give some patients increased treatment options and might improve the prognoses of those patients;
Whereas, although the consumption of asbestos within the United States has been substantially reduced, the United States continues to consume tons of the fibrous mineral each year for use in certain products;
Whereas thousands of people in the United States have died from asbestos-related diseases, and thousands more die every year from those diseases;
Whereas, although individuals continue to be exposed to asbestos, safety measures relating to, and the prevention of, asbestos exposure have significantly reduced the incidence of asbestos-related diseases and can further reduce the incidence of those diseases;
Whereas thousands of workers in the United States face significant asbestos exposure, which has been a cause of occupational cancer;
Whereas a significant percentage of victims of asbestos-related diseases were exposed to asbestos on naval ships and in shipyards;
Whereas asbestos was used in the construction of a significant number of office buildings and public facilities built before 1975;
Whereas people in the small community of Libby, Montana, suffer from asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, at a significantly higher rate than people in the United States as a whole; and
Whereas the designation of a ‘‘National Asbestos Awareness Week’’ will raise public awareness about the prevalence of asbestos-related diseases and the dangers of asbestos exposure: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
- designates the first week of April 2022 as ‘‘National Asbestos Awareness Week’’;
- urges the Surgeon General to warn and educate people about the public health issue of asbestos exposure, which may be hazardous to their health; and
- respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the Office of the Surgeon General.
Our Experienced Lawyers
How can we help? Fill out the form for a free case review.
Contact Us
- Toll Free: 888.293.6883
Case Types
Related Posts
May 01, 2023
Trial Lawyer Deon Tedder Joins RPWB
Trial attorney Deon Tedder has joined Rogers, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman, LLC, where he will focus on personal injury, mass torts and criminal defense work out of the firm’s Mount Pleasant and Columbia offices. Tedder joins RPWB after working at David Aylor Law Offices for the past five years, where he helped many clients in […]
READ MOREFeb 03, 2023
Johnson & Johnson Talc Bankruptcy Petition Dismissal is a Win for Mesothelioma and Ovarian Cancer Victims
By Dave Butler In a significant victory for injured consumers, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the bankruptcy petition of a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary that holds the company’s liabilities for claims brought by thousands of consumers injured by exposure to asbestos-contaminated talc in Johnson & Johnson products. The dismissal, on January 30, 2023, […]
READ MORENov 03, 2022
U.S. News & World Report: RPWB is a Top National Law Firm for Mass Torts & Class Actions
CHARLESTON, S.C. — RPWB is incredibly proud to be selected as one of the top national law firms for mass torts and class actions by U.S. News & World Report. RPWB is officially listed as a Tier 1 law firm for such cases, the highest possible designation. In addition to the national selection, RPWB also […]
READ MOREOct 12, 2022
How Do Camp Lejeune Lawsuits Actually Work?
You’ve no doubt seen the ads on television, but did you ever wonder how Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuits actually work? Our team breaks it down for you. RPWB has filed its first administrative claims with the Navy JAG, the first step in the litigation process under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. The JAG is tasked […]
READ MOREAug 18, 2022
With Sixteen Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers List, RPWB is the Top-Listed Product Liability and Class Action Law Firm in the State
Sixteen RPWB attorneys were selected for the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® list for numerous practice areas including personal injury, product liability, mass tort, class action and medical malpractice litigation. This marks the sixth consecutive year in which RPWB is the top-listed plaintiff law firm in South Carolina for both product liability […]
READ MOREAug 10, 2022
With a New Law, Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Victims Finally Have Legal Recourse
For more than 30 years, the drinking water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune was contaminated with a cocktail of dangerous toxins linked to cancer, leukemia, Parkinson’s disease and other serious medical conditions. Now after intense lobbying by veteran’s groups and others, victims of Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water have legal recourse for compensation. On Wednesday, […]
READ MOREAug 03, 2022
Congress Passes Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Law
Over a 34-year period, many thousands of Marines and their families were exposed to dangerous water contamination at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. After a long wait, justice may finally be in sight. Congress approved bi-partisan legislation on Tuesday night that will clear the way for veterans and their families to seek compensation in federal […]
READ MOREJul 05, 2022
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Law Close to Passing, Would Finally Bring Justice to Veterans and their Families
A bill that is close to becoming law could finally provide justice and financial relief to veterans and their families for health problems caused by water contamination at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The bi-partisan Honoring our PACT Act of 2021 has passed both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. It was sent […]
READ MOREJun 21, 2022
RPWB Helped Doctors Get Refunds for Non-Conforming Records Software
RPWB attorneys played a leading role in more than 5,000 doctors’ offices receiving refunds for being misled about their electronic medical record software qualifying for Medicare and Medicaid incentives. For years, Greenway Health sold software it claimed was certified under the federal government’s “Meaningful Use” program. That program includes financial incentives designed to reward physicians […]
READ MOREApr 28, 2022
Federal Court Certifies Fair Labor Standards Act Collective Action Against Las Vegas Restaurant
A federal district court has authorized notice to current and former employees of the Boiling Crab restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada who were employed at any time between March 23, 2018 and October 26, 2020. The notice permits current and former workers to opt-in to the pending litigation alleging that employees were improperly denied compensation […]
READ MOREApr 26, 2022
Whistleblower Case Involving Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Settles for $24.5 million
Physician Partners of America, of Tampa, Fla., has agreed to repay the federal government $24.5 million in a settlement to resolve four whistleblower cases brought under the False Claims Act. Current and former employees of the company came forward to allege that the company billed Medicare and Medicaid for unnecessary medical testing and services, paid […]
READ MOREApr 05, 2022
EPA Proposes Asbestos Ban
Many people do not realize it, but asbestos is not banned in the United States despite the fact it kills thousands of Americans each year by causing mesothelioma cancer and other forms of lung disease. That might be about to change. The EPA has announced it intends to ban the known carcinogen using new authority […]
READ MOREApr 04, 2022
Asbestos Awareness Week Shines Light on Mesothelioma, a Cancer that Continues to Devastate
The first week of April 2022 is Asbestos Awareness Week in the United States. Members of both houses of Congress unanimously approved resolutions making the designation. Once ubiquitous in worksites and homes throughout the country, we are still experiencing the negative health effects of asbestos decades after its peak use. Mesothelioma, the insidious cancer caused […]
READ MORENov 04, 2021
U.S. News: RPWB is a Best Law Firm for National Mass Torts & Class Actions
RPWB is a top plaintiff law firm for our work on national mass torts and class actions, according to the 2022 Best Law Firm rankings by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to the national ranking for mass torts/class actions, RPWB was listed as a Best Law Firm for personal injury, product liability, medical […]
READ MOREOct 06, 2021
Jury Awards $8.2 million to Soldier in 3M Military Earplugs Case
Pensacola, Fla. – Another federal jury has found 3M liable for producing defective earplugs that caused our nation’s veterans to suffer from hearing loss and tinnitus. On October 1, 2021, jurors awarded $8.2 million to Army veteran Brandon Adkins of Washington, marking the third trial in which plaintiffs have been awarded money from 3M to […]
READ MORE