Kazan Law Articles
Asbestos a threat to many U.S. schools
Asbestos was used in the construction industry for many decades because of its resistance to fire and utility as an insulator. The use of the naturally occurring carcinogen didn't slow down until the 1970s and 1980s, when federal regulators began to limit the ways that asbestos could be used. This happened because in the mid-1960s it was found that exposure to asbestos could cause malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis, however, it is still not banned entirely in the U.S. Due to its once widespread use, asbestos still exists in a great deal of older buildings in America, including schools, where the impact of the substance could have serious health consequences for the nation's youth.
Asbestos violations a worldwide problem
Tens of thousands of people die each year around the globe because of asbestos-related diseases such as malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis, according to the World Health Organization. And because of the extremely hazardous nature of asbestos, which was once widely used in construction as an insulator and flame-retardant, its handling needs to be undertaken with the utmost care.
NYC asbestos inspector who faked reports sentenced to five years
A former New York City safety inspector who faked hundreds of asbestos reports was recently sentenced to five years in prison by a federal judge.
British medical journal lashes out at Canada over asbestos
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and British medical journal The Lancet have decided to join the campaign against Canadian government plans that would potentially expand one of its asbestos mines, the Vancouver Sun reports.
Historic North Carolina mill needs redevelopment
The Imperial Mill in Belmont, North Carolina, which has been in place since 1907, may be completely demolished within the next three months if the property is not redeveloped, the Gaston Gazette reports.
Canadian government studying asbestos mine waste
A Canadian federal government plan to transform a significant amount of asbestos mining waste in Quebec into plants and even biofuel crops could put nearby citizens at risk, according to internal documents.
City reaches settlement with fire chief who had firefighters remove asbestos
A Missouri city has reached a settlement with its fire chief who was accused of making firefighters remove asbestos-containing materials from a building.
Famed Pearl Harbor tower to be repaired with federal funds
Referred to as the Empire State Building of Pearl Harbor by Ken DeHoff, executive director of the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor, the iconic control tower on Ford Island currently stands as a symbol of rust and neglect.
Study: Women with mesothelioma may live longer after surgery than males
Mesothelioma research is a popular topic in the medical world right now, due to the increasing number of people showing symptoms of the deadly disease. While research is leading doctors to a clearer path on how to treat the disease, there are still many difficulties in diagnosing and treating asbestos-related diseases.
Asbestos takes toll on British Columbia workers
WorkSafe British Columbia (BC), a government workplace safety agency in the Canadian province, recently compiled documents that show at least 50 workers in the region die annually from asbestos-related diseases.
Kansas prisons undergo asbestos testing
A number of prisons in Kansas will need to undergo asbestos abatement after an audit conducted by the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) revealed that guards and inmates were possibly exposed to the deadly mineral.
UK construction firm fined for asbestos violations
An English construction company recently pleaded guilty to asbestos violations after knowingly exposing its employees to the deadly mineral.
Baucus, Sebelius face criticism for expansion of Medicare to asbestos victims
Montana Senator Max Baucus worked hard to include a provision in the recently passed healthcare reform that provides Medicare to anyone with an asbestos-related disease in Libby, Montana, a city that has been ravished by the deadly mineral from the nearby, now-closed W.R. Grace vermiculite mine. However, rather than be thankful for the bill's provision, many Montana residents are upset with the legislation as a whole.
Researcher looking for at-risk volunteers for lung cancer study
A University of Queensland researcher is looking for volunteers who may have been exposed to asbestos in order to further a study learning more about how to detect lung cancer early.
by Matt Miller, originally published in The Deal.com
DaimlerChrysler Launches Dr. Gag Campaign
DaimlerChrysler moved for a gag order to stop Oakland law firm Kazan, McClain, Abrams, Fernandez, Lyons, Farrise & Greenwood from fielding calls from the press, including Legal Pads sister publication The Recorder.
Dying Oakland Plant Worker Awarded $20,500,000
OAKLAND. On April 12, 2001. Bill and Vonda Hardcastle were awarded $20,500,000 by an Alameda County jury in California. Bill Hardcastle contracted a rare cancer which he alleged was caused by the asbestos released at his workplace by the manufacture of asbestos-cement pipe. The defendant was J-M AC Pipe Co. of Stockton, California.
Asbestos removal one of two major projects to be completed at New Jersey school
According to the Town Journal, removing asbestos from the basement of the Brookside School is one of two significant projects that will be undertaken this summer in the Allendale School District in New Jersey.
Taking care of personal matters during a mesothelioma lawsuit
A frank discussion about some steps that victims of asbestos-caused disease might want to consider taking.
A pack in your pocket and a cigarette in your mouth
Back in 1980 The Firm filed what proved to be the first case in which an individual successfully sued and collected damages from both the asbestos and tobacco industries.
Testimony by Steven Kazan to the U.S. Congress House of Representatives, Judiciary Committee, February 5, 1998, about the Proposed Tobacco Settlement:
- Statement of Steven Kazan
- Summary of Steven Kazan's testimony
- List of Exhibits to the testimony of Steven Kazan
- Exhibit A: Curriculum Vitae of Steven Kazan
- Exhibit B: Medical Aspects of Asbestos and Tobacco
- Exhibit C: Chart, "Relative risk of dying of lung cancer for smoking and nonsmoking asbestos workers and smoking and nonsmoking control group members," from The Health Consequences of Smoking: Cancer and Chronic Lung Disease in the Workplace, A Report of the Surgeon General, 1985, p.218.
- Exhibit D: R.J. Reynolds "Son of a bitch" memo, cited in Haines v. Liggett Group Inc., 814 F.Supp. 414 (D. N.J. 1993)
- Exhibit E: Statement of the Asbestos Victims of America
- Exhibit F: Statement of the International Association of Heat & Frost Insulators & Asbestos Workers
- Exhibit G: Statement of the Alliance for a Fair Tobacco Settlement