Personal Injury & Auto Accident Info

Mesothelioma Asbestos

Mesothelioma Asbestos: One-Time ‘Magic’ Mineral Now a Worldwide Health Menace as Human Toll from Exposure Reaches Epidemic Proportions
Date Published: December 7, 2005
By Steve DiJoseph on newsinferno.com

On Monday, major settlements of asbestos-related death and injury claims were announced in Japan and Australia. The United States has been the center of mesothelioma asbestos-related litigation for several years and at present, Congress is attempting to reach an accord with respect to a trust fund that would finance the resolution of asbestos claims over the next several decades by shielding the corporations responsible for the problem by implementing what many see as nothing more than a corporate bailout of the asbestos industry.

Simply stated, asbestos is as deadly a natural time-bomb as the world has ever known. Yet, it continues to be mined and exported from advanced countries like Canada and Russia to developing nations where more death and disease will eventually follow.

Asbestos producing countries have repeatedly blocked the addition of chrysotile (white) asbestos to the UN list of highly dangerous substances that cannot be exported to developing countries without their knowledge and agreement.

More Auto Insurance tips

Know your state's auto insurance requirements:
Most states require you to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage. Many states have "no-fault" auto insurance systems. Coverage for medical costs for you and your passengers is optional in some states. Coverage for damage to your car is optional.

Read your policy:
Yes, even the fine print! Ask questions. Keep your policy at hand. Call your insurer to keep your policy up-to-date, inform your agent of any changes (new car, new job, new driver, etc.), and ask periodically about any possible discounts. Review your policy yearly with your insurer.

Keep your auto insurance information with you:
Many states require drivers to carry a proof-of-insurance card with them when driving. Ask your insurer for a card, and keep it in your wallet or in your car.

Auto Insurance - Tips

The best way to keep low auto insurance is to have a good driving record!

Here's some other tips for the best auto insurance:

1. shop around for auto insurance, get at least 3 quotes
2. compare auto insurance rates for the car before you buy it
3. aks for higher deductibles
4. reduce auto insurance coverage on older cars that aren't worth that much
5. buy home and auto insurance from the same provider, many offer discounts
6. ask if your company provides group rates for auto insurance
7. ask about other discounts from your auto insurance provider

Mesothelioma - Asbestos Cancer

Plaintiffs with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related cancers -- is increasing, such that "jury verdicts that were coming back two to three years ago in the $2.5 to $3 million range are now coming in at the $4.5 to $6 million range," Joseph F. Rice of Motley Rice, a national plaintiffs' mass tort practice said.

In the United States, the average mesothelioma-related settlement was $1 million; for cases that go to trial awards averaged $6 million, according to a study by the RAND Corporation. Only a small fraction of the thousands of asbestos-related lawsuits in the United States every year are related to mesothelioma. In 2004, a bill in the United States Senate aimed at asbestos litigation reform failed to reach a floor vote. In January of 2005, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter announced he would again try to pass an asbestos litigation reform bill.

A separate bill introduced on March 17, 2005, the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005 (FAIR act of 2005), seeks to ensure a set amount of compensation dependent on the symptoms of the victim. The range is from Medical Monitoring for victims with Asbestosis or Pleural Disease to $35,000 for victims with Mixed Disease With Impairment all the way to over $1,000,000 for Mesothelioma victims and nonsmoking Lung Cancer victims.

Can I use my structured settlement as collateral for a loan?

Generally, the answer is no. The laws regarding structured settlement are designed to protect you  from abuse, and the ability to use the structured settlement as collateral would void that intended purpose. The payments however, can be claimed as a form of income so that if you want to buy a house, the payments represent the same financial ability that a take home paycheck of the same amount would provide.

Mesothelioma

New data my provide important treatment advances in mesothelioma and lung cancer

Press Release by Eli Lily and Company; June 5, 2005

Patients with a cancer of the lining of the lung, known as malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), lived longer than previously reported(1), when treated with Eli Lilly and Company's Alimta(®) (pemetrexed) in combination with cisplatin, according to updated data presented today at the 11th annual Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC).

Alimta is the first and only approved therapy to show a statistically significant survival advantage in patients suffering from this difficult-to-treat cancer(2). Alimta is also approved in the United States, the European Union and several other countries as a monotherapy for second-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

"Before Alimta was available, patients suffering from mesothelioma had no hope -- rarely living a year after diagnosis," said Nicholas J. Vogelzang, MD, director of the Nevada Cancer Institute in Las Vegas. "At 18 months, there is still a statistically significant difference in survival, which demonstrates patients are living longer when treated with this Alimta combination. If you look out further to 24 months, 22 percent of patients treated with Alimta are still alive."

Mature data presented at WCLC represent an update from trial results from the largest randomized, Phase III mesothelioma trial ever reported involving 448 patients published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) in July 2003(2). Today's data showed median survival of patients treated with Alimta plus cisplatin was almost thirteen (12.8) months after diagnosis and 42 percent (3.8 months) longer than patients who received cisplatin alone (p = 0.003).

In addition, 33 percent of mesothelioma patients treated with Alimta plus cisplatin survived 18 months compared with 23 percent treated with cisplatin alone. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.030). When treated with Alimta plus cisplatin, 22 percent of patients survived 24 months compared with 17 percent receiving single-agent cisplatin (p = 0.209).

When Alimta is given as a single agent, the most common side effects include disorders of the blood and lymphatic system, gastrointestinal disorders, fatigue, and rash. The risk and severity of side effects associated with Alimta can be controlled when used with folic acid and vitamin B12 -- a supplement unique to Alimta therapy.

Structured Settlement

Why should I sell my structured settlement?
Selling your structured settlement lets you free up the cash so you can have it right away, instead of waiting for the payments. You can use the money to pay off medical bills, start a business, eliminate debt, or to pay for a college education. There are many great reasons to cash in your structured settlement today.

Car Accident Attorney

Q: Should I release my medical records to another driver's insurance adjuster?
A: Definitely not without discussing it first with your Car Accident Attorney. Medical record releases should only be signed under limited circumstances and after consulting with a qualified Car accident attorney. If your medical information gets into the insurance adjuster's hands, it could hurt your case.

Personal Injury - What To Do if You Are in a Car Accident

Before leaving the scene of a car accident - regardless of who is at fault - it is important to collect the following information. Your personal injury lawyer will need this data to help build an effective case:

• Names and addresses of drivers, driver's license numbers
• Names and addresses of passengers
• Names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses
• Names and addresses of registered owners of the vehicles
• Names of insurance companies, policy numbers
• Location of the car accident
• How the car accident occurred
• Whether or not any of the drivers seem to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol?
• Injuries
• Damages to vehicles
• Names of police officers that responded to the scene
• Whether or not anyone admitted fault (Do NOT admit fault)

Personal Injury Attorney: Statute of Limitations

Q : Does a personal injury lawsuit have to be filed within a certain amount of time?

A : Every state has certain time limits, called "statutes of limitations," that govern the period during which you must file a personal injury lawsuit. In some states, for example, you may have as little as one year to file a lawsuit from an automobile accident. If you miss the statutory deadline for filing a case, your case is thrown out of court.  It is recommended to speak with a personal injury lawyer as soon as you receive or discover an injury.