The defense attorneys in the WR Grace asbestos trial have said that they will call their last witness on Wednesday. Until then, they plan to call six more witnesses. If the last witness is called on Wednesday and closing arguments take a full day, Judge Molloy predicts that deliberation could begin as early as next Friday, May 8.

However, there are still several motions for acquittal pending. This means that Judge Molloy can acquit the defendants before deliberation or can wait until they return a verdict. This means that even if the jury convicts the defendants, Molloy can still acquit them of all charges. However, if the jury returns an acquittal verdict, the motions will be dismissed.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed  with mesothelioma, contact the Montana mesothelioma attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 800-781-3955.

Researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital have come up with a test that will predict the prognosis of mesothelioma patients after surgery. In retrospective studies, the team found that expression ratios of four genes could distinguish between a good and a poor prognosis after surgery. They decided to perform another study to validate their findings.

In the new study, 120 mesothelioma patients were tested for the four gene expression pattern. The researchers also took multiple tumor samples from each patient and studied them in two different microarray platforms and two different biopsy techniques to make sure that the results were sound. The test was able to predict overall survival, showing a median prognosis of 6.9 months in the high risk group and 31.9 months in the low risk group.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact the mesothelioma attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 800-781-3955.

A report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has revealed that the state of Maine has the highest death rate from mesothelioma of all US states. Between the years of 1999 and 2005, 173 Maine residents died of mesothelioma cancer. The report also stated that the mortality rate is expected to peak next year.

Many of the mesothelioma cases in Maine may have been caused by asbestos exposure in buildings that have not undergone asbestos abatement. However, the majority of cases were likely caused by the large amount of asbestos use in paper mills, chemical plants and ship yards. Until the 1970s, these industries used a great deal of asbestos. However, it has since been phased out.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact the Maine mesothelioma attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 800-781-3955.

The Tacoma Housing Authority will spend $4 million of its federal stimulus money on asbestos abatement and renovations across seven housing projects. The projects currently house low income senior citizens and disabled persons. It is expected that the renovation and abatement projects will also stimulate the economy by creating about 150 jobs.

In addition to asbestos abatement, the projects will include repairing and replacing roofs, siding and parking lots and adding new water pipes. However, the asbestos abatement will likely be the most important part of the renovations as it will take away the danger of asbestos exposure. Work on these projects is expected to commence in the next 120 days. 

If you or someone you know has been exposed to asbestos, contact the Washington mesothelioma attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 800-781-3955.

In Youngstown, Ohio, the old West Elementary School is in need of asbestos abatement. The most recent estimate on the cost of that abatement has been priced at $1 million. Asbestos abatement is often very costly and can easily go well over $1 million for some buildings. For this elementary school, original estimates were over $2 million.

Asbestos abatement is so costly because of the way in which it is disposed. Asbestos and asbestos containing materials must be professionally removed to prevent it from becoming airborne. It must also be transported safely to specially designated areas for disposal. All of these necessities make abatement more expensive, but they also keep buildings and the people in and around them safe.

If you or someone you know has been exposed to asbestos, contact the Ohio mesothelioma attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 800-781-3955.