A new study reveals that approximately 15,000 people die every year in this country from asbestos exposure.  People may be exposed to asbestos through their jobs, typically from materials used in the construction or utility industries. Although there has been a substantial decrease—which began in the 1980’s—in the amount of asbestos used in products, the effects of asbestos exposure can take decades to appear.

It is well-documented that asbestos exposure causes asbestosis (a chronic lung disease), lung cancer, and mesothelioma (cancer of the protective lining of the body’s organs).

The study analyzed records from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), from the years 1999 to 2013, of people who had died from either asbestosis or mesothelioma. Researchers also included death records of those who had died from lung cancer which was linked to asbestos exposure. There were a total of 20,317 deaths caused by asbestosis during that time period. The total number of deaths from mesothelioma was 39,870. Deaths from lung cancer during that time were between 127,579 and 159,480.

The study found that there were at least 2,000 to 5,000 more deaths every year from asbestos exposure than what had previously been reported.

Asbestos exposure has also been linked to ovarian cancer, cancer of the larynx, colon cancer, and stomach cancer; however, those death records were not included in the study. A former assistant surgeon general—who was not part of the research group—says that if you considered the number of deaths caused by those asbestos-causing diseases, the number of deaths from asbestos exposure is much higher than what the study found. Dr. Richard Lemen also points out that several studies have found much higher rates of lung cancer in asbestos-exposed workers than what has been reported by government and other organizations, adding to an even higher number of deaths.

If you have been diagnosed with a work-related illness, such as asbestosis, please contact an experienced Westport personal injury attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have against those responsible for your illness. For a free initial consultation about your case, call Attorney Richard H. Raphael at 203-226-6168 today.

The New York Times recently reported on the enormous increase in the use of medical imaging and the impact that increase has had in the number of cancer deaths in the last two decades.

Cancer is the number two cause of death in the United States, but it is quickly catching up to and may soon surpass the leading cause of death – heart disease. Medical imaging – particularly CT scans – exposes the patient to high doses of radiation. According to the Mayo Clinic, a CT scan performs by    combining “a series of X-ray views taken from many different angles and computer processing to create cross-sectional images of the bones and soft tissues inside your body.”

The radiation from a CT scan (also referred to as a cat scan) is 100 to 1,000 times higher than X-rays. Many doctors have always concluded that the benefits of using CT scans for diagnostic purposes far exceeded the risks of that exposure. Today, however, in a 2009 study, the National Council on Radiation Protection & Measurements (NCRP) reported that there will be an extra 29,000 cases of cancer caused from CT scans performed in the year 2007. And 14,500 of those cancer cases will be terminal.

In another study, the NCRP also reports that in 1980 there were 3 million scans performed. Today, there are 62 million CT scans performed annually.

The correlation between the radiation in CT scans and cancer has been documented in several studies. Just one CT scan exposes a person to enough radiation that could cause cancer and has been compared as the same amount of radiation exposure as people were exposed to in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many who later died of cancer.

Research has also revealed that children are even more at risk than adults. They are three times more likely to develop brain cancer or leukemia from CT scan radiation exposure.

Medical experts say that better guidelines and standards need to be established on the use of medical imaging. They also say that better oversight is needed. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is only responsible of the approval of scanners, but does not have any jurisdiction on how they are used.

If you have suffered injuries or illness brought on by medical error, contact a qualified Westport medical malpractice attorney today to find out what kind of civil options you may have for pain and loss.