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April 4, 2016
Title: National Asbestos Awareness Week
Topic: Mesothelioma and Rare Diseases
Discussed by Dwana Waltman
with Lanier Law Firm (www.LanierLawFirm.com)
Years and years ago, buildings, houses, and other items may have
included a product we now realize is harmful – even deadly: Asbestos.
This week is “National Asbestos Awareness Week”. Dwana
Waltman, with the Lanier Law Firm, has handled several asbestos cases. She is
here today to spread awareness about the dangers of substance.
After discovering the harmful and deadly effect asbestos has on the environment,
humans, and even animals, one would assume the product would be banned. However,
it is NOT illegal – and that needs to change. Dwana explains that, in 1973, the
EPA’s Clean Air Act did ban asbestos in some spray application products:
concrete pool lining and attic insulation. However, this is just not enough.
The following list includes items which still use asbestos: construction
equipment, car gaskets and brake pads, welder’s blankets, and even some
clothing!! Dwana explains, “Asbestos does have a great fire-proofing component.
It’s not a useless product. Unfortunately, there isn’t a safe level of
asbestos.”
The most common disease connected to asbestos is mesothelioma, which is a tumor
of the tissue that lines the lungs, stomach, heart, and other organs. Symptoms
include a cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath. There is no cure for
mesothelioma, but treatments are available. Dwana explains that asbestos has no
smell or fumes or gas vapors so it is impossible to detect without special
equipment. Men and women who worked in factories or places where asbestos was
commonly used breathed in asbestos for years, never realizing they were
breathing in harmful, deadly fumes.
Most people with mesothelioma do not even realize they are sick because their
symptoms often mirror that of the flu or common cold. Once a diagnosis is made,
they usually have less than a year to live. “It’s a pretty serious disease,” she
says, remembering some clients who lived only three short months after being
diagnosed.
Did you know that China is actively mining for asbestos and placing the product
in children’s toys? We simply cannot ignore the hazards of asbestos any longer.
Listen in as Dwana Waltman discusses more about National Asbestos Awareness Week
and encourages everyone to contact their elected officials to urge them to place
a permanent ban on asbestos.
If you have questions or concerns about asbestos, please call Dwana Waltman,
with the Lanier Law Firm at 281.866.6800.
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February 26, 2016
Title: Mesothelioma and Rare Diseases
Topic: Mesothelioma and Rare Diseases
Discussed by Dwana Waltman
with Lanier Law Firm (www.LanierLawFirm.com)
Part 1 of 2
February 29 (yes that’s right) is recognized as “Rare Disease
Day”. In Europe, a disease is defined as “rare” when it affects fewer than 1 in 2,000 people. In the United States, that number jumps to 1 in 200,000. There are roughly 6,000 rare diseases, and most are genetic diseases.
Mesothelioma is one of those rare diseases that is often misunderstood and even misdiagnosed. New guest, Dwana Waltman with the
Lanier Law Firm, is with us today to shed some light on the facts and myths surrounding mesothelioma, which is a tumor of the tissue that lines the lungs, stomach, heart, and other organs. Symptoms include a cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath. There is no cure for mesothelioma, but treatments are available.
About 2,500-3,000 people in America are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year. Dwana explains that mesothelioma is categorized as a very rare disease, caused by asbestos and asbestos related products. People diagnosed with mesothelioma are usually men around the age of 70, but there are exceptions. “Typically, clients with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos many years prior to their diagnosis,” Dwana explains.
Dwana Waltman is the lead attorney for the mesothelioma cases at the Lanier Law Firm. She hears from people every week who have been diagnosed with the disease – but only after months and months of doctor visits and being misdiagnosed with old age, pneumonia, or other possible diseases. They call Dwana to see what their options are – and they are scared. Listen in as she explains what happens next.
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Title: Part 2 of 2 - Mesothelioma and Rare Diseases
Topic: Mesothelioma and Rare Diseases
Discussed by Dwana Waltman
with Lanier Law Firm (www.LanierLawFirm.com)
Where and how did people come in contact with mesothelioma decades
and decades ago? Dwana Waltman shares, “People who were in the
Navy or the boiler room of ships were exposed. People in construction or
electrical jobs were also infected.” Asbestos was found in brake linings,
cement, anything with a heat process, pipe fitters, roofing supplies,
insulation, and talcum powder just to name a few.
Did people not know that the products they used or worked with were dangerous?
NO, they didn’t. Dwana says, “There is ample evidence very early on in the
1900’s that asbestos had some hazards, but there was an effort not to share that
information.” It wasn’t until the mid-70’s and 80’s when people got more
information about the dangers of asbestos, but, by then, it was too late for
most.
Listen in as Dwana Waltman discusses more about what the Lanier Law Firm can do
to help you or someone you know who has mesothelioma. There is help and hope out
there. Don’t give up!
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