A Texas woman suffering from mesothelioma is blaming her father's employers for her exposure to asbestos.

Cynthia Leigh Chason named at least three defendants she believed caused her father to work among asbestos. Cynthia suspects that he was exposed to asbestos consistently for about 20 years, and during this time brought fibers home on his clothing. He worked for Marathon Petroleum Company and as a contractor at BASF Corporation and shipyards.

The claim states Chason "was exposed to large quantities of asbestos from the products and/or machinery manufactured, sold, designed, supplied, distributed, mined, milled relabeled, resold, processed, applied, or installed by the above-named Defendants."

The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics announced its 2008 research projects today. The partnership is a collaboration between the state, Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Stephen Russell of the Mayo Clinic is collaborating with Dr. Robert Krattzke from the University of Minnesota to develop virotherapy for mesothelioma. According to the goal of the project, the group aims to "get a measles virus developed at Mayo to target malignant mesothelioma, a deadly lung disease with poor survival rates. Some people in northeast Minnesota have 'substantial risk' of developing the illness."

The research will cost $867,114. For the complete research announcements, click here.

A Washington man suffering from mesothelioma filed a suit naming 68 defendants this week.  He was employed by the U.S. Army for forty years, and like the 67 other defendants, they are facing charges regarding asbestos negligence.

The claim also named major companies such as CBS, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, General Motors, Goodyear, Honeywell International, and Ingersoll-Rand.

James Regal was diagnosed with mesothelioma on February 8. In his claim, he states that the defendants failed to educate employees and consumers on the dangers of asbestos. Regal believes they also did not adequately teach employees how to prevent bringing asbestos fibers home.

Regal also suffers "great physical pain and mental anguish, and also will be hindered and prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment, thereby losing large sums of money," the complaint states. He is seeking at least $300,000 in damages for negligence, willful and wanton acts, conspiracy, and negligent spoliation of evidence among other allegations.

The Mesothelioma Resource Center--MesoRC--was founded to fill a void for mesothelioma patients who needed a comprehensive and inclusive place to find information, support, and advice.   The success of the site has prompted an expansion; MesoRC now includes resources for non-cancerous asbestos-related diseases.

The site aims to extend its sense of community and connectivity beyond mesothelioma patients to people affected by asbestosis, interstitial fibrosis, and pleural disease. These rare, debilitating diseases are often underfunded; in expanding MesoRC to address these conditions, the Law Offices of James Sokolove hope to provide an understandable and thorough resource for a population of patients that remain under-served. “The early success of MesoRC showed us that the site was making a significant difference for mesothelioma patients who literally had nowhere to turn, and we knew that victims of these other rare diseases could also benefit from an online resource center. As a firm, our mission is about finding innovative, customer-focused ways to serve our clients’ needs, and expanding MesoRC to help more people is one way we’re doing that," said Mike Skoler, CEO of LOJS.

Read the full press release here.

Earnest L. Edwards of Texas spent his life working as a pipe-fitter and consistently came in contact with asbestos. When he was diagnosed with asbestos-related disease, he filed a lawsuit and received compensation. Now deceased, Earnest's family is suing for a "different malignant asbestos-related injury," which they claim ended his life.

The suit names 35 defendants who, according to the claim, knowingly put Earnest and other employees at risk by failing to warn them of the risks associated with asbestos and insisting on using the material even when safer substitutes were available.

Though Earnest sued while he was alive, a 2000 precedent in Texas determined that an individual may sue again if he/she develops cancer after the original claim. The opinion overruled a long history of Texas cases holding that a person may only bring one lawsuit for an asbestos-related injury, even if he develops a second, catastrophic asbestos-related cancer at a much later date.