2012 Fall

Lipsitz & Ponterio recently obtained a $2.4 million settlement on behalf of a former steamfitter for injuries resulting from job-related exposure to asbestos.

In a recent written decision, Judicial Hearing Officer and Retired Supreme Court Justice, John P. Lane,  held that a valve manufacturer may be liable for injuries arising from the use of its products. 

The production and refining of coal tar and its use in various other products involves a substantial risk of exposure to a group of chemicals known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).  Exposure to these chemicals can lead to a variety of diseases, including lung and other respiratory cancers, bladder cancer, and skin cancer.  Harmful exposure occurs when the tar, or refined products made from the tar, are heated and give off dust and fume, called coal tar pitch volatiles (CTPVs).

A wide variety of asbestos-containing products are implicated by the trusts, including pipe covering, insulating cement, joint compound, vermiculite insulation, fireproofing material, acoustical plaster, roofing materials, floor and ceiling tiles. Depending upon your job classification, and where you worked, you may be able to file claims with a few or many of the trusts.  Every case in this respect is different.

We are pleased to announce that Zachary James Woods has joined Lipsitz & Ponterio, LLC as an associate.

Because of increasing awareness of the hazard, more stringent governmental regulations and improved workplace conditions, the  threat of asbestos and mesothelioma has diminished greatly.

Lipsitz & Ponterio represents a 56-year-old man who worked at a Buffalo area pizza parlor. He was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in March 2011, and his only known exposure to asbestos was transite blocks.

We are pleased to announce that we have recently redesigned the firm’s website, www.lipsitzponterio.com. The redesign will allow the firm to better provide current and potential clients with key information about exposure to toxic substances at New York State job sites.

Federal law requires that personal injury plaintiffs, who are eligible for Medicare, take into consideration the interests of Medicare when settling their claims. 

This year, the CDC announced it is reducing the level of concern from 10 μg/dl to 5 μg/dl.