Minnesota Mesothelioma and Asbestos Attorneys Blog | Dakota County MN Mesothelioma Lawyers

Mesothelioma: Seeking justice when negligence is the cause

On behalf of Chad Alexander of Sieben Polk P.A. posted in Mesothelioma on Thursday, May 16, 2019.

Many people in Minnesota and beyond have recently been informed by their doctors that they have an incurable illness. Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer that often occurs in people who have been exposed to asbestos. Symptoms of this disease are not typically immediately apparent.

In fact, you might contract mesothelioma and not realize you are sick for years. People often feel led to seek medical diagnosis when they develop a nagging, lingering cough or experience chest pain or other physical discomforts. Once a diagnosis is made, the focus often shifts to figuring out how to help the patient maintain as high quality a life as possible in the time he or she has left.

Asbestos exposure concerns prompt shut down of Montessori school

On behalf of Ryan Gott of Sieben Polk P.A. posted in Asbestos exposure on Friday, May 3, 2019.

The 2019 school year has not quite reached its end. However, more than 300 students and faculty members at a Montessori school in another state will be finishing out their year at a different location. Their school building has been shut down due to asbestos exposure concerns as well as other reported health risks. Employees and parents of students in Minnesota schools, in particular, schools where construction projects are ongoing, may want to follow this case.

A construction project had apparently been ongoing at the school when it came to light that plaster that had been drilled, scraped and otherwise manipulated might possibly contain asbestos. It is well known that asbestos is most dangerous in materials that are friable, meaning easily crumbled. Therefore, a risk of injury always increases in asbestos-laden materials that have been scraped, peeled, made wet, hammered, drilled, etc.

Occupations with asbestos

On behalf of Ryan Gott of Sieben Polk P.A. on Wednesday, May 1, 2019.

Asbestos is a rugged, heat-resistant, naturally-occurring element with thousands of applications. Thus, many different industries used this common material in a vast range of products. Even though asbestos was much more common from 1900 to 1980, it’s still used in many different products today.

Many different working environments contained asbestos and industrial workers and tradesmen often developed mesothelioma, lung cancer and other diseases. In addition, these tradesmen often brought home asbestos on jackets, boots, hats and other items. Asbestos fibers flew through air in these living spaces, and family members experienced second-hand asbestos exposure. With this exposure, many contracted asbestos associated diseases.

Beware the dangers of asbestos exposure in Minnesota

On behalf of Ryan Gott of Sieben Polk P.A. posted in Asbestos exposure on Wednesday, April 17, 2019.

There are currently many Minnesota residents who haven't been feeling well but are unsure of the underlying cause of their symptoms. Sadly, it is likely that some of them will learn that their symptoms have been caused by an illnesses they contracted in the workplace. Asbestos exposure is a danger many people face in this state and others as well.

It is not only workers who are at risk from asbestos-related injuries. Family members of workers can also contract serious illnesses from second-hand exposure to the dangerous microscopic fibers that may be clinging to their loved one's clothing, skin or hair when he or she comes home from work. Much more information is available today than there was several decades ago. Most employers are aware of such information and are legally obligated to provide proper training and information to their workers to help keep them and their families as safe as possible.

Asbestos exposure: Court orders compensation for dying woman

On behalf of Ryan Gott of Sieben Polk P.A. posted in Asbestos exposure on Thursday, April 4, 2019.

Minnesota readers who use Johnson & Johnson talc products may want to review a case involving a woman who is dying from cancer. Her disease has reportedly been linked to asbestos exposure. J &J products have been blamed for her terminal illness and the company has been deemed liable for damages.

The manufacturing icon has been ordered to pay nearly $30 million to the woman who used its talcum powder products for years before being diagnosed with an incurable cancer. The jury verdict found that the woman contracted mesothelioma from asbestos in the talc products she used. The verdict further found that the Johnson & Johnson company failed in its fiduciary duty to warn the woman of the known potential hazards associated with using its talcum powder products.

Asbestos exposure: FDA says consumers are at risk

On behalf of Ryan Gott of Sieben Polk P.A. posted in Asbestos exposure on Tuesday, March 19, 2019.

Minnesota parents often worry about their children's health and safety. Everyday life issues can place kids at risk for injury, such as falling while playing outdoors. There are often more serious, hidden risks present in children's lives as well. The Food and Drug Administration recently reported such a risk regarding popular cosmetic products that many teenagers and parents purchase from Claire's and Justice stores. The FDA says people who use certain products from these stores are at risk for asbestos exposure.

Asbestos particles are microscopic. There is no safe amount of exposure. If ingested or inhaled, these particles can linger in the lungs or other areas of the body, resulting in various types of incurable diseases, such as mesothelioma or asbestosis. The FDA recently published the results of tests done on products from Claire's and Justice stores. These results state that asbestos was found in several cosmetic products from both stores.

Asbestosis: Getting the care and support you need

On behalf of Ryan Gott of Sieben Polk P.A. posted in Asbestosis on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.

Can you recall when you first began to notice that something wasn't right and you just didn't feel well? Perhaps, at first, you thought you were overly tired from work or maybe had contracted a minor illness. Were you prompted to schedule an appointment with a Minnesota medical doctor when you realized your symptoms were not subsiding? Asbestosis often presents like that -- slowly developing symptoms that linger and feel worse over time.

Sadly, many people receive diagnoses of this disease and others, such as mesothelioma, after using certain products or working in certain industries. These illnesses often stem from asbestos exposure. In fact, there isn't such a thing as a safe amount of exposure to asbestos. Once a diagnosis is made, the main focus becomes how best to care for the asbestos-injured person as he or she comes to terms with the fact that his or her illness is terminal.

Who is responsible for your cancer?

On behalf of Ryan Gott of Sieben Polk P.A. on Monday, March 4, 2019.

For decades, parents used baby powder while diapering their children. Perhaps your parents used Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder to keep you dry and comfortable as a baby.

In light of recent allegations regarding the asbestos contamination of the company’s powder, you might be curious about how a product deemed safe for use on infants could lead to multiple class-action lawsuits.

Yet another school community facing possible asbestos exposure

On behalf of Ryan Gott of Sieben Polk P.A. posted in Asbestos exposure on Wednesday, February 20, 2019.

This blog has recently reported on several schools and universities in several states encountering problems related to asbestos. In each situation, parents and faculty have been greatly concerned that school officials did not act quickly enough to inform them of potential health risks associated with possible asbestos exposure. The topic has once again surfaced in a Montessori school in another state. Minnesota parents of school age children may want to closely follow these cases and also learn more about where to seek support if a similar problem occurs in their hometowns.

The most recent report states that more than 200 parents gathered at a meeting to discuss a situation where asbestos has been found at their children's school. Construction has been ongoing at the school since November. School officials recently confirmed that workers may have drilled into drywall that contains asbestos. Drilling, hammering, scraping and other activity that disturbs asbestos-laden materials substantially increases the risk to the health of anyone exposed to the microscopic fibers in the air.

Asbestos exposure scare at university has many people concerned

On behalf of Ryan Gott of Sieben Polk P.A. posted in Asbestos exposure on Tuesday, February 5, 2019.

The microscopic asbestos fibers that are found in many building materials can be highly dangerous to human health. In fact, scientists say there is no known safe amount of asbestos exposure. This may be why many people who attend school and work at a university in the Midwest are worried about their own health and that of their loved ones. Minnesota residents who work or go to school in old buildings may want to follow this case.

It was recently announced that a particular building on campus was found to have high levels of asbestos. University officials shut the building down. However, doing so has prompted a lot of questions from numerous employees, including one man who has worked there for 25 years.

Eagan Minnesota Mesothelioma and Asbestos Law Blog