Mesothelioma Awareness Day 2011

Thousands of Americans Impacted by Asbestos Diseases Every Year

Weitz & Luxenberg’s asbestos attorneys are proud to support the endeavors of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and their advocacy for the thousands of Americans who face the devastation of a loved one’s diagnosis with life-threatening diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. The organization played a pivotal roll in National Mesothelioma Awareness Day 2011.

If your family is similarly facing a loved one’s diagnosis with mesothelioma cancer, asbestos lung cancer or asbestosis, you can obtain important information about your legal options and rights by completing the form on this page.

Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. took  National Mesothelioma Awareness Day, September 26, to focus on some deeply sobering statistics. More research and public awareness is necessary to eradicate the disease, a terminal form of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, which strikes over 3,000 men and women in the United States each year.

Of this stark fact, Frank Ortiz, an attorney in the firm’s Asbestos Litigation unit said, “Men and women from all walks of life face this tragic diagnosis each year. We hear from families of former construction industry workers, Navy veterans, civilian shipyard workers, electricians, automotive brake mechanics and those in countless other professions who are stricken by mesothelioma cancer.”

Ortiz said the firm is grateful to have the resources to help these families in their fight for justice—and ultimately—provide a means for them to obtain financial security.

Asbestos is no longer mined in the United States, though it is still imported. A substantial amount of asbestos remaining in buildings eventually will be removed, either during remediation or demolition. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1.3 million construction and general- industry workers are potentially being exposed to asbestos.

Those in other high-risk trades for exposure to asbestos include military veterans who served aboard Navy vessels, mechanics that repaired asbestos-containing automotive and rail brake components, and utility and energy workers. Commercial building maintenance workers repaired asbestos insulation in building boiler rooms and inhaled dangerous asbestos dust. Tragically, because of the vast number of asbestos materials used in the construction and insulation of many of the nation’s aging school buildings, elementary school teachers have one of the highest asbestos disease risk rates.

National Mesothelioma Awareness Day is championed by Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF), a nonprofit that was granted permission to mount a window installation display at 10 Rockefeller Center in New York City. The interactive display, which included both video and text information, was made to bring even more awareness about this disease to the thousands of New Yorkers and tourists who visit Rockefeller Center each month. MARF and mesothelioma awarenses supporters gathered in the Rockefeller Center Plaza on September 26 for the live taping of the Today Show, which featured information on mesothelioma and honored those who lost their battle with the devastating illness.

How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we may be able to help you to seek justice for your illness and file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Please complete the form on this page for a free and confidential review of your potential asbestos lawsuit or request a free copy of our asbestos sourcebook. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.