Legal Mesothelioma

NEW ORLEANS, Dec 15, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –Baron and Budd shareholder Bruce Steckler was part of the team that helped negotiate a landmark Chinese drywall settlement with KNAUF Plasterboard Tianjin (KPT), one of the largest manufacturers in the Chinese drywall litigation. the settlement comes as a result of 18 months of careful negotiation between the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC), of which Steckler is a member, and KNAUF, and aims to help thousands of families suffering from defective Chinese drywall, which has been linked to corrosion of metal components and possible serious health issues. the total value of the settlement is estimated to be from $800 million to $1 billion.

the proposed settlement will enable approximately 4,500 homeowners suffering from toxic Chinese drywall supplied by KPT to receive assistance. the settlement will create two funds for potential compensation. the first fund, which is unlimited, will address the costs of removal and replacement of the KPT drywall in accordance with the previous Pilot Program or through self-remediation. the second fund, which is capped, will reimburse homeowners for certain other economic losses associated with the drywall and provide a review process for people who may have suffered health issues from the drywall.

“This settlement will offer the opportunity for thousands of homeowners to finally get the assistance they need to remove the tainted drywall from their homes and receive compensation for issues they may have suffered because of the drywall,” said Steckler, head of Baron and Budd’s general litigation section. “We’re glad that KNAUF was willing to participate in the settlement process, and we hope this sets the standard for future settlements with other manufacturers in the litigation.”

the settlement is currently pending final approval by the court. A preliminary approval hearing is set for Jan. 4.

Steckler is one of only a handful of attorneys nationwide who serves on the PSC in the Chinese drywall multi-district litigation. He also represents the WCI Trust in its Chinese drywall claims and oversees the lawsuits of nearly 1000 homeowners affected by the defective drywall.

Chinese drywall was imported into the U.S. between 2001 and 2006 after a Gulf-area housing boom resulted in a shortage of American-made building materials. the toxic drywall has been linked to serious property issues, such as corrosion of metal components and appliances, and even health issues, including headaches, bloody noses and difficulty breathing. States of particular concern include Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Nevada, California, Virginia and South Carolina.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

the law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., with offices in Dallas, Baton Rouge, Austin, Los Angeles and Miami, is a nationally recognized law firm with a 30-year history of “Protecting What’s Right” for people, communities and businesses harmed by negligence. Baron & Budd’s size and resources enable the firm to take on large and complex cases. the firm represents individuals, governmental and business entities in areas as diverse as water contamination, Gulf oil spill, Qui Tam, California Proposition 65 violations, dangerous medications and medical devices, Chinese drywall, insurance claims, commercial litigation, consumer fraud, securities fraud and asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma. Learn more about the mesothelioma attorneys at Baron & Budd.

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SOURCE: Baron & Budd, P.C.

Baron & Budd, P.C. Susan Knape, 214-629-0596 susan@susanknape.com

Copyright Business Wire 2011

Baron and Budd Shareholder Bruce Steckler Part of Negotiation Team in $800 Million Chinese Drywall Settlement

Islander Roger Hammett has spent his career on the water. For decades Hammett, 84, worked as a deckhand aboard naval boats, commercial ships and ferries throughout the Puget Sound. He even met his wife as a deckhand on the north end ferry.

About a year ago Hammett learned that it was his maritime career that would ultimately cause his death.

In August of 2010, Hammett was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a terminal lung cancer that resulted from his exposure to asbestos on ships. Hammett was in good health before the cancer, and now doctors say he can expect to die in the next year.

Last week, however, there was a bright spot in what Hammett says has been a “psychological disaster” since he learned his fate.

On Thursday Hammett and his wife Anita, 64, won a lawsuit against Sea-Land, the owner of a boat Hammett worked on for just 67 days in 1966. they were awarded $1.45 million for pain, suffering disability and loss of enjoyment in life.

“I was elated,” Hammett said of the win. “Now I know my wife will be taken care of, and my grandchildren.”

A few months ago Hammett also won a smaller, undisclosed amount when he settled out of court with Washington State Ferries, where he worked for 28 years and was also exposed to asbestos.

Matthew Bergman, Hammett’s attorney, said that although Hammett was exposed to asbestos on several of the ships he spent time on, his exposure was most intense on the SS Seattle, owned by Sea-Land Service, inc., now Residual Holdings.

A jury determined that Sea-Land didn’t take proper safety precautions regarding asbestos — which was used as insulation on ships until the 1970s — and was 70 percent responsible for Hammett’s disease.

Bergman, whose Seattle-based law firm files around 50 asbestos-related cases a year, said that it’s a common misconception that the risks of asbestos weren’t known until recently. On the contrary, he said, asbestos’ harmful properties have been known since the 1930s, and Sea-Land was in violation of government health regulations regarding the material.

“Whether (Sea-Land) knew, it should have known, because there was a wealth of information available,” Bergman said.

Mesothelioma symptoms usually don’t appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Bergman said there is now a generation of elderly people who have developed the terminal disease after being exposed to asbestos decades ago on ships, as well as at aluminum smelters and paper mills. In fact, Bergman said, Washington now has the highest rate of mesothelioma in the country because those industries were prevalent in the state.

“So many people worked in one of those industries,” Bergman said.

Hammett began having trouble breathing nearly 20 years ago, a symptom he attributed at the time to asthma. He learned his condition was much worse after he fell in his garden last year, couldn’t breathe and was rushed to the hospital.

Though a surgery Hammett had helps prevent his lungs from filling with liquid, he said the disease has caused him much pain and many sleepless nights.

“It’s a slow, painful death. It’s not like a heart attack,” Hammett said on Sunday as he sat with his wife in their home on Monument Road, where the two have lived for more than 30 years.

Hammett, who is friendly with a dry sense of humor, says he still tries to garden — his favorite hobby — but it’s becoming more and more difficult.

“I use a shovel as a walking stick, and I do OK,” he said.

According to Bergman, most people die within a year of being diagnosed with mesothelioma. Roger says he’s thankful to have made it past that mark, but still feels as if he’s been robbed of life.

Statistics used in court showed that on average a man Hammett’s age will live seven more years.

“That’s what he was looking forward to before he got diagnosed,” Bergman said.

Before going to court, Sea-Land offered the Hammetts a $5,000 settlement, which Roger Hammett called “chicken feed.”

Hammett praised Bergman for his work on the case and said he is glad that his large award will cover hospice care so he can eventually die at home. He also hopes to finish remodeling his house and to build a music room for his wife, who plans to stay on in their home for as long as she can. He’ll leave the rest to his wife, five children and six grandchildren.

Anita Hammett, who is warm and soft spoken, said the ordeal has been difficult for her as well.

“I love Roger deeply, and I wish he didn’t have this disease,” she said. “We just don’t know what the next day is going to bring forth.”

Contact Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Reporter Natalie Johnson at njohnson@vashonbeachcomber.com or 206-463-9195. Related Stories

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Mesothelioma Treatment Web SitesBy Marcus Peterson

Mesothelioma is an unusual form of cancer of the mesothelial cells that line the lungs, heart and the stomach. in recent times, in the U.S, there has been an alarming rise in the occurrence of mesothelioma cases mainly caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma that develops in the lining of the heart is known as pericardium mesothelioma. When found in the sac that lines the chest or abdomen, it is called malignant mesothelioma. Asbestosis is a chronic lung ailment that produces shortness of breath, coughing and even permanent lung damage. many treatment programs for mesothelioma have been initiated with a purpose of curbing or curing the disease. There are a number of Web sites that provide information on various treatments of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma treatment depends on many factors that include the various stages of cancer, location, state of cancer, appearance of cancer cells and the patient?s age and requirements. Web sites on mesothelioma provide information on the different types of treatments including traditional care for malignant mesothelioma. this involves surgery that removes the cancer, chemotherapy that uses drugs to fight the cancer, and radiation therapy that uses high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells.

Certain Web sites provide useful articles on experimental therapies for mesothelioma treatments, which include usage of the drug Alimta. they feature articles on various clinical trials and research studies that promise new or experimental mesothelioma treatments. these Web sites list typical treatment strategies based on different stages of mesothelioma.

Generally, Web sites of top cancer centers for mesothelioma treatment are listed alphabetically by state and are of great convenience to patients. People can register themselves online and consult top experts who after verifying their problem through a questionnaire, advice on appropriate drugs that help to cure mesothelioma. many Web sites also provide information on victims of mesothelioma and their families. Patients of mesothelioma can share their experience with them and get emotional support. On the whole, mesothelioma treatment Web sites offer a great source of information that creates awareness about diverse treatment options available for mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Treatment provides detailed information on Mesothelioma Treatment, Mesothelioma Treatment Options, Alternative Mesothelioma Treatment, New Mesothelioma Treatment and more. Mesothelioma Treatment is affiliated with Mesothelioma Doctors Info [http://www.e-mesotheliomadoctors.com].

Mesothelioma Treatment