Mesothelioma

"Nobody realizes, except her mother and I and her sister, what she went throug.

The surgeries, the constant pain."Her father says Amanda's only source of asbestos exposure was the clothes he wore home from his job at Alcoa for decades."They knew we were in asbestos," Satterfield said.

"We didn't know we were in asbestos.

They knew what it would do to us.

We did not know what it would to us."Alcoa's attorneys, plus lawyers for the TN Chamber of Commerce, convinced a local judge that what happened to Satterfield's daughter would be out of any company's control.But an appeals court has now ruled that if Alcoa knew the risks, it had a responsibility to protect employees and their families.

"They could have avoided this, but for some reason they chose not to," Satterfield said."It's the first case of its type in Tennessee," Satterfield's attorney Greg Coleman explained.

"That is, an employer would have a duty to a non-employee family member."Coleman also says only a handful of cases like this one have gone forward anywhere in the country.

"It means her life will stand for something," Satterfield said.That may be some consolation for the family of the woman who didn't live past age 25, and her father who still struggles with the possibility he had anything to do with it."Yes," Satterfield said, failing to choke back tears.

"Knowing you had something to do with...

Residue he claims sprouted the tumors that killed her more than twenty years later.

"That's hard enough right there, you're a part of your daughter's death," He said.

"There's no law like this in Tennessee whereby an employer has a duty to a non-employee household member," said Greg Coleman, Satterfield's attorney Alcoa used that argument to get a Blount County Court to rule it couldn't be sued, but Satterfield claims Alcoa knew at least five years before he started working there that asbestos exposure could harm workers families.

He says though the company knew the danger, they provided no warnings, protections, or remedies.

"I know a lot of people rolled it up in balls and threw it at each other," Satterfield said, "some people it affects" Given such claims, a Tennessee Appeals court says Alcoa should have understood that someone in close contact with the residue would have a "reasonably foreseeable probability of injury." That means that Satterfield can sue after all.

"Hopefully, people will realize from this that asbestos is dangerous," Satterfield said.

A spokesperson says only that Alcoa consid...

Taking over the role of vice president is former health service manager, Amanda Stevens.

Based in Charles Russell LLP’s Guildford office, Stevens, a partner and head of the firm’s personal injury group, has an interest in occupational disease, catastrophic injury and clinical negligence cases.

She has a particular interest in health and safety issues and plays a key role in APIL’s promotion of rehabilitation.

Stephen Lawson of Cheshire firm Forshaws today takes up his position as APIL’s secretary.

Lawson heads the civil litigation department at the firm and handles a varied personal injury caseload including fatal accident claims, as well as inheritance disputes, and Child Support Agency (CSA) claims. Similar Articles Lewis joins No5 Chambers LawAlliance member appointed to CSC New vice-president of APIL announced Send this page to a colleague Home News Features Reviews Service Directory L&M Conference Clinical Negligence Expert Witness Forensics Funding/Insurance IT Mediation Personal Injury Regulation Rehabilitation About Contact Write for us Advertise Here Magazine subscription Print this page Search: The online magazine for the medico-legal profession Friday, 20 April 2007 Free newsletter sign up now Subscribe online & save £20 Copyright © 2007 Barker Brooks M...