Illinois may be in the midst of change regarding the way asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits are ruled upon by judges, as a recent verdict reversal may signal that more strict criteria is on the horizon.

Noting what could be the beginning of a trend in Illinois, a recent Forbes articleexamined a state appeals court ruling that overturned a $2.5 million jury verdict against Honeywell and Pneumo Abex. The settlement had been awarded to a woman who claimed her mesothelioma had been caused by asbestos fibers that were tracked into her house by her husband, a worker at Union Rubber & Asbestos Co. in the 1950s.

While a definitive link between the woman’s mesothelioma and either of the companies could not be found, state laws allowed for a judgment in the woman’s favor by finding both companies guilty of civil conspiracy. The ruling implied that both companies had allowed for asbestos use to continue – along with many other companies in the same trade group - by acting in “parallel conduct” with the company at fault, and therefore could be held accountable for the illness as a result.

However, that ruling turned out to be short-lived. The state appeals court recently threw out the case after deciding that the companies did not know in the 1950s that workers could carry asbestos fibers home on their clothes and therefore could not have committed a civil conspiracy.

Since that decision, other asbestos lawsuit rulings have been brought up for review that could potentially be reversed as well. Furthermore, any precedent set in Illinois could potentially have implications on mesothelioma lawsuits across the country that are brought by individuals who were exposed to asbestos by companies that were aware of the danger. Hopefully, whatever the implications, mesothelioma victims will still get the justice in court they deserve against asbestos companies that harmed them.

If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos by using certain products or working for certain companies and have subsequently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, there may be legal options worth pursuing to obtain a mesothelioma settlement. Contact a mesothelioma attorney if you have any questions about the details of asbestos law and what is needed to pursue a settlement from the manufacturer of the asbestos product.

With the new school year getting underway and many parents getting their children settled into new schools across the country, safety precautions are generally a top priority. For families at George Washington University, one of those precautions involves asbestos exposure.

According to the GW Hatchet, the University’s newspaper, Rice Hall – which houses offices for some of the school’s highest officials – underwent asbestos abatement projects in August to prepare for renovations that are scheduled for the building in the near future.

“GW has an asbestos policy that guides the maintenance of asbestos-containing materials in University buildings,” added William Flint, the university’s director of the office of health and safety. “Prior to renovation or demolition of any university building, a hazardous materials survey is conducted using District of Columbia and EPA regulations to determine the risk to students, staff, faculty and construction workers. If hazardous materials are discovered, proper abatement is conducted to remove the materials prior to construction or demolition.”

The abatement processes only took one week. Hopefully there will be no asbestos problems at the university as classes get underway this fall.

If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos by using certain products or working for certain companies and have subsequently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, there may be legal options worth pursuing to obtain a mesothelioma settlement. Contact a mesothelioma attorney if you have any questions about the details of asbestos law and what is needed to pursue a settlement from the manufacturer of the asbestos product (not necessarily your company).

Sad news out of Scotland: the recent death of an artist is being attributed to mesothelioma that was potentially caused by asbestos exposure in his own workshop.

According to the Daily Record, 79-year-old James Howie passed away earlier this month from mesothelioma and a pulmonary embolism. However, some found his death odd because he had never worked in factories or industrial buildings, settings that have led to a number of mesothelioma cases.

“He used to do layer upon layer of paint, always scraping, sanding, cutting it back to paint over it again and again in order to create a certain effect,” she said. “He would keep repeating this process until it resulted in the thing he was looking for.”

She added that, at the time of the article’s publishing, there had still not been final results from her husband’s autopsy to confirm or deny her suspicions.

Whether or not James Howie’s sanding methods ultimately led to the asbestos exposure that caused his mesothelioma diagnosis, his case is nonetheless another example that a mesothelioma diagnosis can happen to anyone, not just factory workers.

If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos by using certain products or working for certain companies and have subsequently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, there may be legal options worth pursuing to obtain a mesothelioma settlement.

Contact a mesothelioma attorney if you have any questions about the details of asbestos law and what is needed to pursue a settlement from the manufacturer of the asbestos product.