Simmons Law Firm advocates for veterans who died from asbestos related diseases

On this Veterans Day, please remember to light a candle in memory of those who gave their lives to protect ours; to say a prayer for those who are still overseas protecting us; and to thank those who served and came home to a nation they made great. 

As a firm that specializes in asbestos-related diseases, many of our clients are veterans. Today, we’d like to advocate on behalf of those who passed away from lung cancer and mesothelioma due to their asbestos exposure during their time of service.

Throughout the twentieth century, the US military made widespread use of asbestos, a dangerous mineral linked to a number of diseases like lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Asbestos was popular because of its heat-resistant properties, making it especially useful for fireproofing living quarters and seagoing vessels.  

According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs, there are approximately 23 million veterans living in the country today. Thanks to the military’s decades of uncontrolled asbestos use, many of these veterans were unknowingly exposed to asbestos throughout their years of service. Navy veterans who worked on and around ships built before the mid 1970s are especially at risk, since they may have been exposed to concentrated doses of asbestos below deck. Since the firstsymptoms of mesothelioma normally do not appear until decades after exposure, many of these veterans have only recently been diagnosed with this fatal disease.

Despite this, close to 1,700 metric tons of asbestos was imported to the United States in 2008. It’s not banned, and – although it’s highly regulated – asbestos is still found in household products like insulation, shingles and siding.

America’s veterans who have been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease don’t back down from a fight. They don’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves or being resentful about something they know they can’t change. They remain proud of their service to their country and the time they spent in the Navy, Army, Air Force, or Marines. Like any hardworking American, though, they deserve a chance to be heard.

The same goes for any veteran who has fallen upon hard times. One of our attorneys, Mike Stewart, a veteran himself, volunteers with Madison County’s veteran court. It’s a court program run by veterans for veterans. The special court helps honorably discharged veterans who are struggling with legal problems resulting from drug, alcohol or mental health problems.

Here’s a great article about Madison County’s veterans court program that ran in yesterday’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

On behalf of the Simmons law firm, I would like to thank past, present and future U.S. veterans around the world for the sacrifices they made on behalf of our country. We are forever proud of the men and women who continually risked their lives to protect ours. We hope through their example we will be inspired to become better people and a better nation.

Working day-to-day, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. For that reason, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on all we’ve achieved this past year: the battles we’ve won, the projects we’ve spearheaded, and the goals we’ve reached.

There have been a number of factors that made 2009 an important year for our firm. In July, we celebrated our 10-year anniversary. Over the past decade, I’ve taken great pride in the work of our dedicated attorneys and staff who have committed themselves to serving the victims of mesothelioma. Through their efforts, we’ve reached thousands of patients and their families and helped fight for their rights as they’ve faced this preventable, life-ending illness.

As part of our 10-year anniversary celebration, we made the decision to change the name of our firm. As Simmons Browder Gianaris Angelides & Barnerd LLC, we will continue to build our legacy as one of the nation’s leading advocates for the victims of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. This new name reflects the strong leadership role taken by four of our partners, Perry Browder, Ted Gianaris, Michael Angelides, and John Barnerd. But since we know this new name is a mouthful, we’ll be more casually known as the Simmons Law Firm.

Earlier in 2009 we had a further expansion of our partnership with the addition of six new partners. Each of these individuals continue to bring extensive experience in asbestos litigation to our clients. 

In 2009, we redoubled our ongoing efforts to raise awareness about mesothelioma and work to improve life within our community. As part of that effort, we sponsored the very first “Miles for Meso,” a 5K run/walk to raise money for mesothelioma research.  This inaugural event raised approximately $30,000 and drew nearly 500 participants.

I was also incredibly proud of the work done by Simmons employees outside of the workplace to help those in need. During the summer, the Simmons Employee Foundation (SEF) held a dinner auction which generated over $150,000 to support a variety of local charitable organizations. In November, the SEF held an annual food drive, collecting more than 50,000 pounds of food for Madison County pantries. Even in this climate of economic uncertainty, Simmons employees made generous donations that speak to their commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others.

It’s this spirit of service and commitment that we’ll be taking into the new year. As we move into 2010, we’ll continue to fight for the rights of patients and their families. We’ll work to raise awareness about mesothelioma, generate funds for research, and call for legislation banning the use of asbestos. We are grateful for 2009, and look forward to the challenges of the coming year.

Have a safe and happy holiday. See you in the new year.

Attorneys at the Simmons Law Firm represent clients from all over the United States in various types of cases.  In late 2007, the firm made a decision to find a way to give something back to the local community where the main office is located in Madison County, Illinois.  After speaking with several judges on the local bench, a program was started within the firm that would allow the attorneys to be appointed pro bono, or free of charge, as Guardians Ad Litem in cases where the assigned judge deemed it necessary. 

Guardians Ad Litem (GALs) are appointed to represent the interest of people who are the subject of litigation but are not otherwise represented by an attorney or capable of representing themselves.  In most cases, GALs are appointed to represent the best interest of children involved in custody or visitation cases, although there are also situations in which GALs are appointed to represent the best interest of disabled adults in cases concerning their medical treatment or financial affairs. 

To launch this pro bono program, the Simmons Law Firm hosted a training that was co-sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association; more than fifty local attorneys attended the training, including twenty-five Simmons Law Firm attorneys.  Since then, the Simmons Law Firm attorneys have been appointed in more than thirty cases. 

Many of these appointments are done pursuant to Supreme Court rule.  For example, I was recently appointed GAL for an elderly woman who was the subject of a guardianship action.  She suffered from Alzheimer’s and had been in a long-term care facility for many years.  Her son had been handling her affairs throughout that time.  Unfortunately, her son passed away unexpectedly.  She had an adult daughter who was willing and able to step into the son’s shoes and act as guardian for the mother, but she  had not been able to complete the necessary legal paperwork because she did not have the money to hire an attorney.

In addition to hiring an attorney, Supreme Court rule requires that a GAL be appointed in every case where someone is seeking guardianship of a disabled adult, so the family would have to pay GAL fees in a normal situation. This family was simply not in a financial position to do that. A family friend who is an attorney volunteered to prepare the necessary paperwork, and the Court appointed the Simmons Law Firm to act as GAL free of charge. 

I met with the disabled adult, who is a lovely woman.  She is very well-adjusted to her current care situation, but very obviously not in touch with reality.  Her nursing staff told me that her daughter who had applied for guardianship visited her mother regularly.  It was easy for me to make a recommendation to the Court that the daughter be appointed guardian. 

With very little effort on my part, we were able to make this family’s life so much easier.  Attorneys are in a unique situation to provide these kinds of services to people in the community—we should all try to do it more often.   

The Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic (VLSC) at the John Marshall Law School was one of the first clinics established to specifically aid our nation’s veterans. Every year our veterans return home with life-changing injuries and, sadly, many of these veterans will not be able to afford or locate capable legal representation to help them sort out their affairs. This is something John Marshall Law School is attempting to change, and the Simmons Law Firm is right on board. 

The Simmons Law Firm recently worked with the Madison County Bar Association to provide advocacy training at the VLSC. The effort was spearheaded by the Simmons Law Firm attorney Karoline Carstens and firm partner Amy Garrett, both focused on helping victims of mesothelioma and asbestos exposure. The training program was attended by nearly 40 attorneys. Presently, over 15 attorneys at the firm are able to assist the VLSC with pro-bono cases.

Pro-bono work is, without a doubt, incredibly important to our attorneys. The Simmons Law Firm has represented over 100 St.-Louis area veterans and was instrumental in getting $13 million in compensation for workers who had contracted cancer from exposure to thorium while making nuclear weapons in Madison, IL.

Last year the Illinois Bar Association recognized the Simmons Law Firm with the John C. McAndrews Award. The award is given to members of the profession that show extraordinary commitment to providing free legal services to those who cannot otherwise afford it.

The VLSC is dedicated to serving the men and women who have served our nation, and the Simmons Law Firm is proud to join the effort to provide our veterans with the experienced legal help they deserve.

The Simmons Law Firm attorney Gloria Colon is featured this week in Missouri Lawyers Weekly for her inspiring story and dedication to helping veterans. Colon is part of our asbestos litigation team, but also puts countless hours into helping homeless vets throughout the St. Louis region. Her pro-bono work with veterans helped the Simmons Law Firm win recognition as the Illinois State Bar Association's Pro-Bono Firm of the Year for 2008.

Colon, along with one other attorney and two legal assistants, has served nearly 250 veterans in 2008 thus far. Her legal efforts include handling the traffic tickets and other minor citations that prevent veterans from getting work. Often, the veterans will be unable to pay their tickets and will eventually have a warrant issued for their arrest. These warrants prevent them from seeking employment. Colon and the others work to stop this cycle. On some weeks, her efforts take her to multiple courthouses. 

Colon served 22 years in the military and, for a brief period, was homeless in New York City. In the article, Colon says the work reminds her of who she was and where she's been. "Every face of every veteran is my life right in front of me in their eyes," she says. "It makes me certainly count my blessings."

Read more at the Missouri Lawyers Weekly web site.

There was encouraging news on Capitol Hill yesterday. The “Bruce Vento Ban Asbestos and Prevent Mesothelioma Act of 2008” was introduced in the House by the Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee.

The legislation would prohibit the import, manufacture, processing and sale of asbestos-containing products, thus protecting American consumers and workers from asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.

The occurrence of asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis, continues to increase. Studies estimate that during the next decade, 100,000 victims in the United States will die of an asbestos-related disease -- equaling 30 deaths per day.

Linda Reinstein, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, had this to say: “A ban on asbestos in the United States is long overdue, and we applaud Chairman Green and other members of the committee for taking such a strong leadership role in enabling the introduction of this critical bill."

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation also approved of the progress. Rob Grayson of the Foundation writes this in an email: "The Meso Foundation is encouraging all patients, family members, researchers and advocates to contact their House Representative to ensure support of H.R. 6903 and to insist that asbestos disease research funds are included in this landmark legislation."

We encourage everyone to visit the Meso Community ACTION CENTER to contact your representative. Please spread the word on this important asbestos legislation.

The federally funded effort supporting free asbestos screenings for the residents of Libby Montana is coming to an end. September 19 will be the last day for residents in Libby to receive a free screening through the MASSA (Montana Asbestos Screening and Surveillance Activities) program. The initiative began in 2003 and has provided approximately 4,500 lung tests in Libby.

The screenings can help discover early signs of an asbestos-related disease. If you have not been screened, additional resources may be available through The Libby Asbestos Medical Plan.

More information on the asbestos tragedy in Libby can be found here.