Asbestos inspector in NYC has been faking tests: sparks reforms in asbestos testing

Saverio F. Todaro pleaded guilty in March of 2010 for faking hundreds of asbestos safety tests in NYC. He pleaded in front of Judge Kimba M. Wood for her not to send him to prison.

“Basically, look, I’m sorry what I did,” said Todaro. “I’m sorry the effect it’s had on my family, my relatives, clients, everybody. I feel really bad about it.”

Despite Saverio “feeling really bad about it,” the bottom line is that he endangered the lives of thousands of New York residents. Asbestos tests are essential to preventing asbestos exposure. Even a fraction of a centimeter’s worth of asbestos dust has the ability to cause mesothelioma cancer (ADAO) – a cancer that Dr. Daniel DuPont (a pulmonary specialist at several hospitals in the Philadelphia area) states to be the most painful disease he knows.

Judge Wood responded to Todaro’s plea with, “The inventiveness of your lies was outstripped only by the callousness with which you put the health and lives of New York City children and adults at risk.”

Judge Wood referred to Todaro’s elaborate method of deceiving his employer into believing that his test reports were completed and factual.

“Your sentence needs to send a message to all city inspectors that they are guardians of the public trust and that dishonesty in inspections will be severely punished,” Judge Wood added.

Saverio Todaro was sentenced to five years, three months in prison along with paying a penalty of $450,000. Judge Wood said that this sentence would have been far more severe had Todaro not already been in very poor health (NY Times)

How this news affects your children

As a result of this trial, New York City has vowed to reform its methods and increase enforcement with regards to asbestos testing. It was only relatively recently (the 1970’s) that the United States began to phase out asbestos use in the country. The CDC reports that multiple deaths from asbestos exposure have occurred in every state in the union (CDC).

2,000 - 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States every year. Hopefully, with more rigorous testing methods, those numbers can eventually come down (Radiographs).

How this news affects you

As someone who is afflicted with, or whose family member is afflicted with, an asbestos-related disease, you know how serious asbestos exposure is. Most companies knew for decades that asbestos caused fatal diseases, and they chose to hide that information from the public. The negligence of these companies is not so different from the negligence of Saverio Todaro. Both these big businesses and Todaro chose to ignore public health. As a result, they have put your children at risk of asbestos exposure.

There is a way to seek justice. Pursuing financial compensation from the companies responsible for your illness is one way of punishing their negligence. It also aids you and your family by providing you with the financial stability to pay for medical bills, travel costs, and more.

Weitz & Luxenberg can help

Weitz & Luxenberg is a major, New York-based law firm that has been helping those like yourself for over 20 years. We can help you get the compensation you deserve.

For a free, legal consultation, simply fill out the form on this page. Within 24 hours, a representative from Weitz & Luxenberg will be in touch with you.

Sources:

NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/nyregion/22asbestos.html?_r=1&ref=asbestos

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5815a3.htm

Radiographs: http://radiographics.rsna.org/content/24/1/105.full