Mesothelioma Statistics – Mesothelioma - Asbestos

If you check out the numbers in mesothelioma statistics, there's a good chance that you'll be astonished. Not only are the number of cases on the rise, the medical costs are exorbitant as well.

Mesothelioma Statistics - Know Your Numbers
Learning more about mesothelioma statistics can be helpful in understanding just how serious this condition can be. Even today, a large number of people are working in unsafe environments, totally unaware of the risks involved. By the time they contract this fatal disease, it is usually too late to do anything.

So who is at risk?
mesothelioma statistics show that people who work in the labor sector or in different industries are at the highest risk. The top four riskiest occupations are railroads, manufacturing, automotive industry and shipyards. The riskiest occupation of them all is the construction business, with nearly 1.3 million people being exposed to deadly asbestos every year.

Mesothelioma statistics also show that the disease affects more men than women. The most predominant are men aged fifty to seventy and this is probably due to the fact that the symptoms of mesothelioma take a while to show. Men who were first exposed to asbestos when they were in their twenties will only experience the effects when they are in their fifties or sixties. Recent studies have shown that due to secondary exposure, men in their thirties and forties are also contracting mesothelioma.

And exactly how big a problem is it? Mesothelioma statistics show that nearly 3000 people are newly diagnosed with the disease every year. About 80% of all cases were found to be directly linked to asbestos exposure. Once diagnosed, patients have as little as two to three years to live, with 230,000 people dying from this disease every year. The medical costs can be as high as $800,000 and there is no cure. If you have mesothelioma, it's important to meet a lawyer as soon as possible to build your compensation case.

Contractors in Iraq Suing Over Exposure to Cancer-Causing Toxin

Once again, the bloggers at Workers’ Comp Insider highlight an interesting legal case involving a group of employees who are suing their employer over exposure to toxic substances. What makes this case interesting is that it involves government contractors working for KBR in Iraq.

The Boston Globe has the story about the nine Americans who have accused the one-time Halliburton subsidiary of knowingly exposing them to a deadly substance and failing to provide them with the protective equipment needed to keep them safe. KBR says that the employees have no grounds to sue because they are covered by the Defense Base Act, similar to workers’ compensation for contractors working in Iraq.

The American contractors were working for Houston-based KBR to repair a water plant.

According to the Globe:

When the American team arrived in Iraq in the summer of 2003 to repair the Qarmat Ali water injection plant, supervisors told them the orange, sand-like substance strewn around the looted facility was just a "mild irritant," workers recall.

Edward Blacke, a safety representative on the project, said he tried to raise safety concerns but was told not to get involved. The workers got it on their hands and clothing every day while racing for 2 1/2 months to meet a deadline to get the plant, a crucial part of Iraq's oil infrastructure, up and running.

But the chemical turned out to be sodium dichromate, a substance so dangerous that even limited exposure greatly increases the risk of cancer. Soon, many of the 22 Americans and 100-plus Iraqis began to complain of nosebleeds, ulcers, and shortness of breath. Within weeks, nearly 60 percent exhibited symptoms of exposure, according to the minutes of a meeting of project managers from KBR, the Houston-based construction company in charge of the repairs.

Workers Comp Insider has a good discussion of the DBA and the possible ramifications of this lawsuit, which we’ll excerpt here:

Regular readers may recall that we've discussed Iraq-based contractors previously - all contractors - whether nationals or foreign - are covered by the Defense Base Act. Although this involves some creative insurance arrangements, the DBA essentially acts very similarly to workers comp.

As with workers comp, one of the cornerstones of the coverage is that the DBA is the employee's exclusive remedy. In other words, it is an employee's only legal redress in the event of injuries or illnesses. However, in workers comp, there are generally some exceptions, although the window for such exceptions is pretty narrow. Some states allow an employee to pierce the exclusive remedy shield if "willful intent" of injury can be proven or if there was substantial certainty that an injury would have been likely to occur. The burden of proof is on the employee, and courts usually require something more that goes beyond the realm of mere negligence - the employer's actions need to be quasi criminal.

KBR is relying on exclusive remedy for protection, but this troublesome matter may be a factor:

"But the company's own actions have undermined its case: To avoid payroll taxes for its American employees, KBR hired the workers through two subsidiaries registered in the Cayman Islands, part of a strategy that has allowed KBR to dodge hundreds of millions of dollars in Social Security and Medicare taxes.

That gives the workers' lawyer, Mike Doyle of Houston, a chance to argue to an arbitration board that KBR is not an employer protected by federal law, but a third-party that can be sued."

My colleague has talked about the matter of independent contractors vs. employees several times in the past - most notably in the case of the fascinating FedEx state-by-state saga. It will be interesting to see how the matter of these giant federal contractors plays out. Being a military contractor is apparently good work for the firms that can get it: lucrative no-bid contracts, U.S. taxpayers subsidizing the DBA coverage, and little in the way of pesky employee taxes, labor laws, or government oversight.

In looking into these issue, we stumbled on the Defense Base Act Blog (who knew there was such a critter?!) and blogger Aaron Walter makes some good points about being careful what you wish for - if KBR is not covered by DBA, then thousands of injured or deceased employees and their families would no longer receive income benefits or medical treatment.

For the full analysis, visit Workers Comp Insider, which also has some great links to more about KBR and the Defense Base Act.

Compensation For Mesothelioma – Mesothelioma - Asbestos Exposure

Unlike other forms of medical compensation, getting compensation for mesothelioma can be a little tricky. That's why it's so important to approach the right kind of lawyer for help.

Compensation For Mesothelioma - What's The Catch?

Why is getting Compensation for mesothelioma
so difficult sometimes? We all know that any kind of lawsuit for medical compensation can be a difficult affair. But with mesothelioma, it can be a little different. While a number of people have been well-compensated, others have found themselves lost in the legal labyrinths.

So what makes compensation for Mesothelioma so different? First of all, its symptoms don't manifest themselves until years after the initial inhalation and exposure. Studies have shown that it can take nearly thirty years for the effects of asbestos exposure to show. In fact, other research has shown that by 2015, nearly 2500 people will be suffering from the full-blown effects of today's asbestos exposure. What makes this even worse is that the effects are not some mild allergic reaction. Asbestos exposure leads to mesothelioma, one of the cruelest forms of cancer which gives people no more than three years to live.

As if that wasn't enough, people often have trouble tracking the employers who are responsible for this asbestos exposure. If a person has switched jobs a number of times in thirty years, it can be next to impossible to trace who the condition of mesothelioma started with. In some cases, the person might know the employer but might face difficulty in finding them. These factors make getting compensation for mesothelioma all the more difficult.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with this condition, the first thing that you should do is contact a legal specialist. Many lawyers deal specifically with cases relating to mesothelioma and other asbestos-related conditions. The sooner you get the legal wheels in motion, faster you'll be able to claim the compensation for mesothelioma.

Strict Safety Guidelines in Place to Protect Workers Exposed to Asbestos

Asbestos exposure is still a very real risk for hundreds of thousands of workers every year.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an estimated 1.3 million employees in construction and general industry face significant asbestos exposure on the job.

Construction workers are at the greatest risk, especially during demolition or asbestos removal jobs.

Asbestos is a known carcinogen. Exposure can cause asbestosis (scarring of the lungs), mesothelioma (a cancer affecting the membranes lining the lungs and abdomen), lung cancer and other cancers.

Because asbestos is highly toxic, OSHA has established mandatory guidelines that companies must follow when exposing employees to asbestos.

For the complete list, visit the OSHA Web site.