KELLEY & FERRARO Attorneys at Law What You Should Know About Your Legal Rights Concerning Silica-Related Diseases

Transcription

1 KELLEY & FERRARO Attorneys at Law What You Should Know About Your Legal Rights Concerning Silica-Related Diseases

2 A D V E R T I S E M E N T O N L Y Kelley & Ferraro Kelley & Ferraro is one of the fastest growing law firms in America.

3 Serves You and Your Family The attorneys at Kelley & Ferraro have built a national practice in obtaining outstanding results for men, women, and families victimized by occupationrelated diseases. Since it was founded in 1997, the Cleveland-based law firm of Kelley & Ferraro has compiled the largest number of civil cases of any law firm in Ohio. Most of the firm s more than 30,000 pending cases are on behalf of workers exposed to silica, asbestos, and other related workplace substances. Ohio Lawyers Weekly reported that four of the 13 largest court settlements negotiated in Ohio in 2002 were negotiated by Kelley & Ferraro. From these combined settlements, our clients obtained more than $12 million. Nationwide, in just one 12-month period, Kelley & Ferraro successfully negotiated $500 million in asbestos settlements for clients.

4 Obtaining money for your injuries from silica or other toxic substances is not the only way Kelley & Ferraro works for you. At Kelley & Ferraro, we help our valued clients in other areas of the law, including worker s compensation, products liability, medical malpractice, wrongful death, automobile accidents, and all types of personal injury matters. But before we can help, you must call us so that we can answer your questions Or better yet, we would be happy to schedule an appointment to meet with you. Feel free to call Kelley & Ferraro at or toll free at Meanwhile, this brochure provides straightforward answers to questions about diseases caused by exposure to silica and silicacontaining products and how Kelley & Ferraro strives to secure just compensation for your injuries.

5 The Problems of Silica Exposure If you or a loved one has a silica-related disease, you may be entitled to compensation. Many workers in the foundry, steel, sandblasting, refractory, construction, brick, and railroad industries have been harmed from inhaling high levels of respirable silica. Inhalation of silica may cause silicosis, a disabling and non-reversible fibrotic condition of the lungs, as well as lung cancer, lupus, sclerodroma, and rheumatoid arthritis.

6 Frequently Asked Questions About Silica What is Silica? It is a mineral that is mined. Another name is quartz. How Does Silica Exposure Occur? It occurs when crystalline silica dust is inhaled. How Many People are Exposed to Silica? Over one million annually. What Occupations Put Workers at an Increased Risk to Silica Exposure? Construction Demolition Mining Sandblasting Stone masonry Abrasives and Glass manufacturing Pottery Railroad track setting, laying, and repair.

7 What Materials Have Crystalline Silica? Common construction materials, including: Blasting abrasives Brick Concrete Cement mortar Granite, sandstone, slate Mineral deposits, rock Sand Topsoil Asphalt.

8 What Diseases are Caused by Exposure to Breathable Free Silica? Silicosis Cancer Mixed Dust Pneumoconiosis Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, including emphysema Autoimmune diseases, including scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis Tuberculosis Chronic kidney disease. What is the Principal Silica Disease? It is silicosis, which is caused by exposure to breathable free silica. Silicosis is an occupational lung disease. It causes inflammation and scarring of the lung tissue. This inhibits the normal flow of oxygen into the lungs and bloodstream. When Was it Identified? The name silicosis was first used in the 1930s. Before then, it was known as dust consumption, grinders asthma, grinder s rot, grit consultation, miner s asthma, potter s rot, rock tuberculosis, and stonemason s disease.

9 What are the Types of Silicosis? Chronic silicosis, which results from long-term exposure to low amounts of silica. Accelerated silicosis, which occurs more quickly than chronic silicosis, usually due to exposure to larger amounts over a shorter period of time. Acute silicosis, which occurs due to short-term exposure to large amounts. It can develop within weeks or up to five years after exposure. What are the Symptoms of Silicosis? Shortness of Breath Coughing Wheezing Fatigue Chest pain Loss of appetite Fever Bluish skin at the ears and lips. What is Silicoproteinosis? This is a fatal lung disease characterized by a decreased ability of the lungs to produce sufficient oxygen.

10 Can Anyone Contract a Silica-Related Disease? Yes, but the vast majority of victims are men and women who were subjected to prolonged exposure to on-the-job silica in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. Many who were exposed to silica-containing products were NOT warned about the dangers. How Does Someone Suffering from a Silica Related Disease Seek Compensation? If you or a loved one believe that you have been exposed to silica and might have a claim, contact Kelley & Ferraro at or toll free at to schedule an appointment.

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12 Firm Leadership Michael V. Kelley Before forming Kelley & Ferraro, Michael V. Kelley had a flourishing practice that focused on class action suits, as well as aviation disasters and tobacco and asbestos litigation. As a winning litigator, Kelley has helped secure some of the largest jury verdicts in Ohio for clients. What is more, he has been extraordinarily skillful in negotiating lucrative settlements for asbestos clients, obtaining more than $1 billion on their behalf. The son of a Cleveland firefighter, Kelley graduated with a BA from Case Western Reserve University in He studied law at night at Cleveland State University s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law while working by day as an administrator for the Ohio State Auditor. He received his law degree in Kelley was licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio and in the District of Columbia in He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Fifth and Sixth U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, and various U.S. District Courts.

13 James L. Ferraro James L. Ferraro, co-founder of Kelley & Ferraro, established his national reputation when he was chosen as one of ten national finalists for Trial Lawyer of the Year in 1997 for his courtroom triumph against the chemical giant, DuPont & Company, for causing a birth defect in his client s child. The Florida jury held DuPont accountable and awarded the victimized mother of the infant $4 million. An appeals court upheld the verdict. Court TV covered the trial, and the verdict received worldwide attention. Since then, Ferraro has filed 12 suits on behalf of families whose children were born with similar defects without their eyes due to the wrongful conduct of DuPont. Beyond the DuPont case, Ferraro has attained many multi-million dollar jury verdicts and settlements for clients. Ferraro is licensed to practice in Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio.

14 Attorneys in Our Silica Practice Anthony Gallucci, a partner, is involved in asbestos litigation, along with products liability, toxic torts, personal injury, and wrongful death. Gallucci also is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Brooke H. Thayer is a partner whose practice includes commercial, mass tort, and personal injury litigation. In a period of 12 months, Thayer was involved in the negotiation of more than $500 million in settlements with many of the largest asbestos producers and distributors in the world.

15 John A. Sivinski also handles asbestos litigation, products liability, toxic torts, personal injury and medical malpractice. Sivinski, a partner in the firm, is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. John Martin Murphy, whose litigation practice also includes personal injury and asbestos litigation, is the part-time magistrate in Bratenahl Village and Grand River Village, suburbs of Cleveland.

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