Books, organizations, and online resources: asbestosis information

Mesothelioma and other asbestos cancers have many online, print, and clinical resources. Asbestosis does not have quite so many clinics and websites, but there is over a century's worth of information on asbestosis, and Weitz & Luxenberg would like to make those resources available to you.

Since the first official death by asbestosis in 1924—that is to say, the first death by asbestosis recognized by the medical community—asbestosis patients and their advocates have fought to receive the compensation they deserve.

Mrs. Nellie Kernshaw, the young asbestos factory worker whose death was the subject of “the first published account of disease attributed to occupational asbestos exposure” (http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/265/7/898.full.pdf) sought compensation to make up for the work she was no longer able to perform. In a letter to her employers, the late Mrs. Kernshaw wrote:

What are you going to do about my case? I have been home 9 weeks now and have not received a penny—I think it's time that there was something from you as the National Health refuses to pay me anything. I am needing nourishment and the money, I should [have had 9] weeks wages now through no fault of my own.

(Mrs N. Kernshaw, letter to Turner Brothers Asbestos Company, 1922, JAMA)

Mrs. Kernshaw was never compensated, and neither were her husband and children. The international medical community has become more sophisticated in the years since, and laws against asbestos exposure are in place in many countries. But for people who still suffer from asbestosis, these improvements have come too late.

Just as in Nellie Kernshaw's time, what people sickened by asbestos exposure need is not only information, but compensation for their losses. Weitz & Luxenberg provides this information for ll who are interested in the history of asbestosis and the current resources available. We hope especially that these resources can be of use to all who suffer from asbestosis.

Print resources: asbestosis, asbestos exposure, and occupational diseases

The following list of books, compiled by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, focus mainly on asbestos exposure and history:

•Breath Taken: The Landscape & Biography of Asbestosby Bill Ravanesi

•Surviving Cancerby Margie Levine

•Lean on Meby Lorraine Kembe

•Fatal Deception: How Big Business is Still Killing Us with Asbestosby Michael Bowker

•Outrageous Misconduct: The Asbestos Industry on Trialby Paul Brodeur

•Magic Mineral to Killer Dust: Turner & Newall and the Asbestos Hazardby Geoffrey Tweedale

•An Air That Kills: How the Asbestos Poisoning of Libby, Montana Uncovered a National Scandalby Andrew Schneider and David McCumber

•Asbestos: Medical and Legal Aspectsby Barry I. Castleman and Stephen L. Berger

•Libby, Montana: Asbestos and the Deadly Silence of an American Corporationby Andrea Peacock

Online resources: asbestosis and lung disease information

There are many excellent asbestosis resources online. The following sites provide trustworthy medical information, and other kinds of information as well. We include some cancer sites, because these sites have information on asbestosis and other pulmonary diseases along with their information on cancer.

• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR): http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
• American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/
• American Lung Association: http://www.lungusa.org/
• Mine Safety and Health Administration (US Department of Labor): http://www.msha.gov/
• National Cancer Institute: http://cis.nci.nih.gov/
• National Institute for Occupational Safety (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention): http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (US Department of Labor): http://www.osha.gov/
• US Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/

Legal resources: asbestosis lawyers at Weitz & Luxenberg can help

If you were diagnosed with asbestosis and have been considering your legal options, contact Weitz & Luxenberg via phone, or by filling out a form today for a free legal consultation. With over twenty years of experience and over $3 billion dollars in compensation secured for our clients, we can help you with your asbestosis legal inquiries.

Acknowledgments:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/265/7/898.full.pdf

http://www.lungusa.org/assets/documents/publications/lung-disease-data/ldd08-chapters/ldd-08-old.pdf