Should I Settle My Car Accident Case?

Some People are Too Dangerous to Drive on Public Roads

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In our collective 30 years of experience representing clients injured in vehicle accidents, we’ve seen just about every scenario possible. A Rhode Island accident is one type we see too often. While many accidents are caused by drivers with clean or nearly clean driving records, some are caused by drivers with lengthy records of tickets and arrests who have clearly shown that they should not drive. Driving is a privilege – not a right.

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyers have the knowledge and experience to take on insurance companies and win. We represent severely injured victims throughout Kentucky who are involved in vehicle accidents. Call us toll-free at 855-385-9532 to learn more.

Police Say Musician Was Killed by Driver With Long History of Legal Trouble

Roderick Macleod, a 70-year-old musician and music teacher at Brown University, who was nominated for a Grammy award for his work with Roomful of Blues and a member of Rhode Island’s Music Hall of Fame, was killed by a driver in December while walking his dogs.

Rhode Island’s Hopkinton Police Department arrested 41-year-old Shannon Godbout after the accident. They report her vehicle left the roadway and hit several objects (including two telephone poles) before hitting Macleod, who was walking on the road’s shoulder, according to CBS News. He was transported to a hospital, where he died. His dogs survived and returned home.

Police say Godbout:

  • Possessed “numerous illegal narcotics and packaging materials commonly associated with drug distribution” at the time
  • Is charged with driving to endanger, resulting in death, and possession of narcotics with intent to distribute, and may face additional charges
  • Has been arrested more than a hundred times, ticketed 40 times for traffic violations in Rhode Island, and had 84 warrants issued for her arrest

In Godbout’s 23 years as an adult, she was involved in 36 criminal cases, reports WJAR, in a dozen Rhode Island towns and cities. The longest prison term she served was two years.

The state’s Attorney General’s office told the station that her past crimes were mostly “low-level, non-violent offenses such as simple drug possession and shoplifting.” They include the following:

  • Five drug possession charges
  • 13 shoplifting charges
  • Four charges of possessing a stolen vehicle or driving without the owner’s consent
  • Ten charges of driving with a suspended license

Most were resolved when Godbout pleaded no contest and received suspended sentences, so she didn’t go to prison. She’d been ordered to take substance abuse counseling seven times, most recently in April, and she received two speeding tickets in 2025 before Macleod’s death.

The Worse the Driving Record, The Greater the Risk of Future Crashes

Available research confirms what most of us would consider common sense. In the words of one study of prior published research, “Traffic offenders are a high-risk group for subsequent violations and crashes.”

“Over half of the observational studies demonstrated that traffic offenders were more likely to commit a subsequent traffic violation or had (an) elevated risk of crashes. Most of the intervention/evaluation studies demonstrated a significant reduction in driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol among the study participants. However, such positive effects observed during the active intervention period were not always sustained.”

A 2022 Australian study of younger drivers states that,

“We showed that drivers with police reported offences during the first 3 years of driving had increased rates of crash up to 9 years later compared with those with no driving offences. The rate of crash(es) increased with higher number of driving offences…Repeat driving offenders have a substantially higher risk of crash compared with drivers with no offences.”

Another Australian study concluded that after researchers accounted for the differences associated with age, gender, and crash type of the 1,136 drivers killed in vehicle accidents, only the total number of offenses and the number of unlicensed driving offenses predicted a significant change in a driver’s chances of being at fault for the accident that killed them.

“Furthermore, drivers who were identified as having versatile (i.e., multiple offenses from different categories) or criminal-type offense profiles (i.e., offenses that were considered to approximate criminal offenses) were each significantly more likely to be at fault for a fatal crash.”

The American Transportation Research Institute researched what offenses most likely predict a future commercial truck accident. Their 2022 report found that the following incidents or violations made a driver twice as likely to be involved in a crash compared to drivers who had no such history:

  • Failure to yield the right of way
  • Failure to use, or improper use, of signals
  • A prior crash
  • Reckless driving

If society and legislators put a greater emphasis on law enforcement and public safety, many troubled drivers might be prevented from driving before they seriously injure or kill someone. A personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit is one way to hold a dangerous driver accountable for the harm they cause after our criminal justice system fails to do so.

Speak With an Experienced Kentucky Car Accident Lawyer

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyers have decades of experience helping injured clients obtain compensation from insurance companies and the parties responsible for accidents. If you want to discuss your claim with a knowledgeable Louisville lawyer, contact our office online or call us at 502-589-5600 or toll-free at 855-385-9532.

Pennsylvania Nursing Home Explosion Kills Two, Injures Many More

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A December nursing home explosion in Pennsylvania shows us the best and worst in people. Someone’s mistake, and possibly negligence, killed a nursing home employee and a resident two days before Christmas. Investigations into the explosion have just started, so we don’t know what or who caused the lethal blast, but buildings don’t blow themselves up.

Injuries and deaths caused by negligence in Kentucky nursing homes happen far more frequently than we would like to believe. Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, attorneys in Louisville, hold nursing homes accountable if their negligence causes harm. Learn more by calling us at 502-589-5600 (or toll-free at 855-385-9532). 

Rescuers Risk Death to Get Residents and Workers Out of the Building

At least two gas explosions in Bristol, a Philadelphia suburb, in the Bristol Health and Rehab Center, a nursing home, caused flames, flying debris, and demolished walls, but that didn’t stop the evacuation of dozens of employees and nursing home residents. A secondary explosion happened while rescuers were in the building. Before the blast, a utility crew was at the facility after a reported gas leak, reports the Associated Press (AP).

The part of the building with the cafeteria and kitchen was almost destroyed. The roof collapsed, wall sections were missing, and windows on adjoining walls were shattered.

The following day, everyone had been accounted for. Bristol Township’s police chief, Charles Winik, told reporters that he’d “never seen such heroism…They were running into a building that I could — from 50 feet away — could still smell gas, and walls that looked like they were going to fall down.”

The explosions trapped victims in stairwells, elevator shafts, and a collapsed basement, according to the New York Times. Some residents were carried out on rescuers’ shoulders. Some of the victims couldn’t talk or walk. Some needed wheelchairs to get around in the best of times.

The Saber Healthcare Group, which is affiliated with the nursing home, told the Times that Bristol Health “personnel promptly reported a gas smell” to the power company. The AP reports a certified nursing assistant told a local TV station that staff smelled gas the prior weekend. They didn’t think it was a serious problem because there was no heat in the room where the smell came from. Other employees told a speech therapist they smelled gas early the day of the explosion.

Gas Explosion Takes Sister, Mother, and Nurse from Community

The county coroner’s office identified 52-year-old Muthoni Nduthu as the deceased employee. At the time of the blast, the licensed practical nurse was finishing a shift before taking a trip to North Carolina to visit her relatives.

Nduthu’s sister, Rose Muema, told the Times she was very involved in her community, a great mother to her sons, a great wife, and a devout Catholic. She came to the US 21 years ago from Kenya, graduated from nursing school, worked in nursing homes, loved to cook, and worked hard.

Ms. Nduthu’s oldest son, Clinton Ndegwa, said his mother was excited for the trip to see family and planned to cook a Kenyan feast.

“We’re immigrant kids, first generation,” Mr. Ndegwa said. “She worked to try to provide for her family. She liked serving people. She took pride in that…She told us to go to school, get jobs…Life won’t be easy (she advised), but life will be much better.”

An unidentified female resident died at a Philadelphia hospital.

Nursing Home Has a Long, Troubled History of Failing to Maintain Safety

The Bristol Health and Rehab Center, according to the Times, formerly known as the Silver Lake Healthcare Center, has one out of five stars on the Medicare website’s nursing home ratings. That translates to “much below average” based on staffing measures and health inspections.

The facility was fined by the federal government twice in 2024, totaling $418,000.  The problems included the following:

  • Giving seizure medication to the wrong patient and not investigating the error
  • Failing to schedule appointments for patients
  • Not providing wound care to a patient after it was prescribed

A September 2024 health inspection resulted in 24 citations. This is more than double the Pennsylvania and national averages. Among the problems found by inspectors are the following:

  • Nurses failed to put a plan in place to address a resident’s drug abuse despite them having multiple overdoses and hospitalizations
  • The nursing home failed to give appropriate treatment to a resident with dementia
  • It gave the wrong medications to residents
  • It failed to consider residents’ food allergies
  • There were broken handrails in the hallways

About 200 complaints concerning the nursing home in the last three years resulted in citations, according to the Medicare website. In response to complaints, inspectors found:

  • A resident’s physician and family members were not contacted after a resident suffered a bruise
  • Staff didn’t react to a resident’s weight loss

It’s not known if the nursing home’s management played a role in the explosion, which is under investigation. But it’s clear from the record that they had other problems keeping their residents safe.

Speak To a Nursing Home Injury Attorney Today

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC attorneys will fight for your loved one to obtain respectful care, compensation for injuries, and accountability for those responsible for the injuries. To schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced lawyer, call our Louisville office at 502-589-5600 (toll-free at 855-385-9532) or contact us online.

Why a Utility May Be Responsible for a House Explosion

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Although a natural gas leak isn’t the only possible reason a home may explode, structures don’t explode by themselves. Natural gas buildup in or near a house is a common cause of these accidents. Depending on the facts of the case, the local gas utility may be liable.

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, attorneys represent those injured in home explosions and the family members of those killed in these accidents. If you have questions about your rights and potential compensation following a house explosion, call us at 502-589-5600 (toll-free at 855-385-9532).

How Can a Natural Gas Leak Cause a House Explosion?

Natural gas explosions rarely result from a single error. Instead, they typically result from multiple failures, overlooked warnings, or inadequate maintenance.

Gas distribution systems should operate at carefully regulated pressures. If that doesn’t happen, over-pressurization can rupture service lines or household piping, causing a rapid release of gas into a home. Failures at regulator stations can affect multiple homes, increasing the risk of explosions.

Another danger is a contractor excavating near an underground gas line and damaging it. The contractor should contact the utility to determine the location of the gas line. The contractor may fail to do so, or the utility may provide incorrect information.

A damaged gas line may leak gas underground for hours or days before it gets into a nearby home through:

  • Foundation cracks
  • Sewer or drain lines
  • Utility conduits
  • Basements or crawl spaces

Many utility companies operate aging gas infrastructure, including cast-iron or steel pipes that may corrode, crack, or fail at pipe joints, resulting in a gas leak. There could also be gas leaks inside the home from pipes, gas-fueled appliances, or the heating system.

If gas accumulates inside an enclosed space, an ignition source (a furnace, water heater, light switch, or static electricity) can trigger an explosion that could level a house.

What Should Happen if a Gas Leak is Reported?

The chemical, mercaptan. is added to natural gas (which has no odor) to provide a rotten egg/sulfur odor so you’ll know there’s a leak. If a homeowner smells it and notifies the local utility, it’s expected to respond promptly and thoroughly. Explosions may happen if a utility:

  • Fails to respond in a timely way, so there’s more gas in the home, making an explosion more likely and more dangerous
  • Their inspection is incomplete
  • Misclassifies the leak as “non-hazardous”
  • Allows a known leak to continue

An inadequate leak-detection survey or outdated equipment can allow dangerous conditions to continue, laying the groundwork for an explosion.

How Might a Utility Claim They’re Not Responsible?

A utility’s legal defenses, like the claims against them, should be based on the facts of the situation. After a house explosion, there may be multiple investigations into the cause, including by insurance companies covering the parties involved.

A wise utility will wait until the outcome of an investigation that clears it before denying responsibility. These investigations may identify multiple, and possibly conflicting, reasons why a house exploded.

A utility may claim that it exercised reasonable care by complying with industry standards and applicable laws and regulations. It may state that it:

  • Properly installed and maintained their system
  • Conducted routine inspections
  • Appropriately responded to complaints

Utilities frequently rely on compliance with federal pipeline safety and state utility regulations to argue they met their legal obligations; however, regulatory compliance, even if established, is not necessarily a complete defense. At issue is whether the utility, through its employees, was negligent and caused the explosion, regardless of whether applicable rules or laws were followed.

  • A utility may shift blame to others, including:
     • interior house piping beyond its control;
     • defective gas appliances; or
     • errors by homeowners or contractors.

A utility may investigate an explosion to identify alternative causes, potentially shifting blame to other parties the plaintiff may need to join in the litigation.

Utilities may argue the homeowner shares the blame because they:

  • Ignored gas odors and allowed the leak to continue
  • Failed to maintain gas appliances
  • Performed work in the home that damaged the gas line
  • Failed to evacuate or report the leak

Kentucky is a pure comparative fault state. If a utility successfully makes this argument to a jury, the case against them may be dismissed, or the plaintiff’s recovery may be reduced by their share of the explosion’s cause.

Why Should I Retain Satterley & Kelley, PLLC if My Home Exploded Because of Another Party’s Negligence?

Natural gas explosions lead to complex, high-stakes, and expert-driven legal claims. Proving liability can require engineering experts and aggressive discovery to uncover the following:

  • Facts
  • Data
  • Internal communications
  • Documents
  • Physical evidence

They can help establish the following:

  • The explosion’s cause
  • What the utility knew about related problems
  • When it learned about these problems
  • What it did and failed to do in response

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyers can:

  • Preserve evidence after the explosion
  • Retain qualified experts
  • Challenge utility defenses and blame-shifting
  • Pursue full compensation for your property loss, displacement, and injuries

These cases are far too complex for a homeowner to handle themselves if they want to discover the truth of what happened and obtain fair compensation for their losses.

Get The Legal Help You Need After a House Explosion

If you’re injured in a gas explosion or a family member was killed in one, you may be entitled to compensation. To talk to an experienced attorney about your situation, contact our Louisville law offices online or call us at 502-589-5600 (toll-free at 855-385-9532). We can discuss what happened, how Kentucky law may apply, and how we can help you and your family.

How Do I Collect Compensation From a Trust Fund

Be Reasonable and Limit Your Harm or Risk Less Compensation

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If you’re injured in an accident caused by another’s negligence, you may have a right to obtain compensation for your losses. This comes with responsibilities along with legal rights. You must take reasonable steps to minimize your damages, or mitigate them, or you risk getting a far lower settlement or jury verdict.

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC represents Kentucky people injured by others’ negligence. If you’re severely injured in an accident, you may receive compensation. Contact us if you have questions or want to learn more about how we can help. Call us today at (855) 385-9532.

What Are Damages?

There are two parts to an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. The injured claimant or plaintiff must show that the insured party or defendant did something, or failed to do something, that was negligent to cause the accident and injury. As a result, they are liable, or they have an obligation to compensate you for your losses.

You must also prove that you were harmed or suffered losses as a result. Damages put a dollar value on the harm caused by an accident. They compensate you for a wide range of negative things that happened in your life due to the other party causing the accident. Damages cover past losses and what may be reasonably expected in the future. Damages include the following:

  • Economic, or special, damages compensate you for measurable financial losses. They should be calculated using bills, receipts, pay stubs, and other documentation. Economic damages include medical expenses, lost wages, lost benefits, lost earning capacity (if you’re chronically disabled and it impacts your ability to work), property damage, and out-of-pocket expenses
  • Non-economic, or general, damages cover real but intangible harm that is more difficult to measure. They include pain, suffering, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and the negative impacts on relationships, as well as disfigurement and scarring

Without damages and the evidence to establish them, you have no insurance claim or basis to sue the other party.

What is Mitigation of Damages?

Mitigation of damages is a fundamental legal doctrine requiring you to take reasonable action to reduce or prevent additional harm following an accident. You cannot allow your injuries or losses to worsen when reasonable steps could be taken to prevent that from happening.

The other party may be responsible for the harm caused by the accident, but not for additional harm that you could have reasonably prevented by taking appropriate action.

The reason for this approach is that the law expects injured parties to act reasonably and responsibly in managing their injuries and losses. The law won’t reward people who treat an accident injury as an excuse for an extended vacation or to “milk” the situation for as much money as possible.

Why Does Mitigation of Damages Matter?

Failure to mitigate your damages may significantly reduce your compensation. The insurance company and its attorneys will scrutinize your actions (and failures to act) following an accident, to determine if there’s evidence that you failed to mitigate your damages.

If they can show that you neglected to take reasonable steps to minimize your harm, or did something to make them worse, they may argue that you should not recover compensation for the additional injuries or losses due to your actions or inaction.

If you delay medical treatment after your accident and your condition worsens, the insurance company may claim that the worsening was your fault, and they shouldn’t compensate you for it. If a doctor recommends that you have physical therapy, but you refuse or can’t bother to attend, the insurance company could argue that your recovery is taking longer because you fail to follow reasonable medical advice, rather than due to your accident.

A court may cut your damage award by the amount that your losses were unnecessarily increased because you failed to take reasonable steps to mitigate your losses.

How Do I Mitigate My Damages?

This varies based on your circumstances, as not all accident victims suffer the same damages. You must act reasonably, but not heroically, and endure unreasonable hardship. Here are some issues to consider:

  • Obtain prompt medical care. See a healthcare provider as soon as possible after your accident. Some severe injuries don’t have obvious symptoms, and delayed treatment can cause complications that worsen your condition. Gaps in medical treatment create opportunities for insurance companies to argue that your injuries were not serious or that they resulted from something other than your accident
  • After you start receiving medical care, comply with your healthcare provider’s reasonable recommendations. Attend scheduled appointments, take prescribed medications, complete physical therapy sessions, and follow activity restrictions. Tell us if financial constraints or transportation issues prevent you from following these recommendations. There may be available solutions, and if documented, these problems shouldn’t be viewed as unreasonable medical non-compliance
  • Consistent medical care is evidence of the seriousness of your injuries and your effort to recover. Missing appointments without valid reasons can be used against you.  The insurance company may claim your injuries are not as serious as you claim, or you’re not interested in recovery
  • You must act reasonably. If you believe your physician’s recommendation is unreasonable, ask questions about alternatives and discuss them with your physician. If your concerns or fears are not resolved, contact us so we can talk about your situation. What you’re being told may or may not be consistent with how other clients dealing with the same injuries have been treated. We may suggest another well-qualified physician so you can get a second opinion and learn about possible options
  • Document your medical treatments, expenses, lost work time, and how your injuries impact your daily life. This is evidence to support your damages claim and demonstrates your efforts to treat your injuries and mitigate your losses. Keep a journal describing your pain levels, limitations, and recovery progress
  • If you’re cleared to return to work, even if you have restrictions, you generally have a duty to do so. Staying out of work when you are medically cleared to do so can be viewed as a failure to mitigate your lost wages. You shouldn’t come back to work against medical advice or before you are truly capable either, because if this worsens your injuries, your failure to act reasonably by staying home could also be seen as a failure to mitigate your damages. If you genuinely feel it’s unsafe to return to work, but your physician says you should, contact us so we can talk about how to approach this situation

Whether it’s talking to us, your physician, or your employer, you must consider your situation before speaking and be honest. Exaggerating your symptoms or being dishonest creates credibility issues that can undermine your claim. If you’re overly optimistic and not truthfully discussing your pain and limitations, your damages claim can also be reduced because your statements make it sound like you’re healthier than you actually are.

Ensuring that our clients mitigate their damages is an important step we take to educate them about their obligations and help them obtain the maximum possible compensation.

Speak to a Satterley & Kelley, PLLC Accident Injury Lawyer Today

If you’re the victim of an accident caused by another’s negligence, or a family member was killed in one, Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyers can protect your interests and rights to compensation. To reach our Louisville office, call 502-589-5600 or toll-free at 855-385-9532. You may also complete our contact form for a free initial consultation.

Mesothelioma and Cancer Treatment Centers

Powerful Tool to Ensure Medical Device Safety is Rarely Used

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As the US population ages, more medical devices like artificial hips and knees are being surgically implanted. If defective, patients can suffer a lot of harm as a result, including chronic pain, physical limitations, and additional surgery. The federal government can recall dangerous medical devices, but it rarely does so. That may mean more people needlessly suffering injuries and harm from medical devices that never should’ve been sold.

You may have a valid compensation claim if you suffered an injury due to a dangerous or defective medical device. Call Satterley & Kelley, PLLC at 855-385-9532 or contact us online to learn more.

Overworked and Understaffed Safety Agency Not Up to the Job

The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates medical devices and can remove defective devices from the market if the risk of serious harm is great enough. But the agency is so poorly staffed that it may be unable to ensure companies take critical steps to protect patients, according to a report by the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) released in December.

ProPublica reports that GAO was asked nearly two years ago by US Senate members to investigate FDA’s ability to recall medical devices after an investigation into the 2021 recall of breathing machines that endangered the health of millions of Americans.

Senators wanted to know why the FDA didn’t do more to protect users of Philips Respironics devices after receiving reports that the devices used a hazardous industrial foam that could break down and be inhaled. Philips’ tests showed foam in the machines released dangerous chemical compounds.

Philips received thousands of complaints before it recalled the device and didn’t notify the FDA. Customers who used the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines and other devices reported that they suffered cancer, respiratory illnesses, kidney, and liver conditions.

One of the Senators involved, Richard Durbin, stated the GAO report detailed that the problem was the result of “drastic staffing cuts” and that “weakened enforcement authority has made it even more difficult for FDA to carry out critical oversight activities.”

The GAO found that the FDA rarely requires manufacturers to recall defective devices from the market, though it has the legal authority to do so. It’s recalled medical devices four times, most recently in 1992. There’ve been about 900 voluntary recalls by manufacturers in each of the past five years.

If companies start the process, FDA staff can’t ensure the following:

  • Recalls aren’t delayed
  • Whether mistakes are made when defective devices are taken off the market
  • Whether companies miscommunicate with consumers

The FDA regulates more than 190,000 medical devices, an increase of about 15,000 since 2016. ProPublica and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette found patients who hadn’t learned about the 2021 recall of their possibly toxic CPAP machines for months or years afterward.

Since 2021, the FDA has received more than 500 reports of deaths connected to the devices, according to the FDA’s most recent update. A cardiologist quoted by ProPublica stated the FDA’s recall notification system is “primitive by today’s standards” and that improvements have been urgently needed for years. She cited the agency’s reliance on fax machines because it lacks a comprehensive, modern recall system.

FDA employees told the GAO they often can’t complete basic tasks, such as reading reports from companies written while they recall their products. These reports state the following:

  • How many people are notified
  • The number of products repaired
  • The estimated time to finish the recall

The FDA’s staff has been reduced since the GAO investigation, so the problem may be worse.

The Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA’s parent agency, in response to the GAO report, stated that it would determine whether it needs additional staff and additional statutory authority to improve recall management.

Company Denies Dangers, Then Settles Lawsuits for More Than $1 Billion

Philips claimed the original foam in the devices caused no “appreciable” harm to users. The company later entered into an agreement with the Justice Department over the issue, promising it would hire an independent safety monitor and regularly inspect its facilities.

Philips also agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits by those claiming the devices injured them. Not surprisingly, Philips didn’t admit fault or liability in the terms of the agreement.

Injured Patients May Receive Compensation for the Harm They Suffer

There are various government agencies charged with making our lives safer, including the FDA. The reality is they’re not up for the job. They lack the resources, and politicians who create and fund these agencies may not want to take on major industries that profit from defective and dangerous products. In theory, products like CPAP machines should be universally safe, but that’s not always the case.

As a result, patients get hurt. You’re told a medical device is safe and effective for its intended use, but it may not turn out that way. Instead of government spending resources to prevent the sale of dangerous medical devices or quickly take them off the market if they’re not, Americans are Guinea pigs engaged in real-world testing.

Medical device companies would rather deal with lawsuits filed by law firms like ours, representing injured people like you, and profit from a defective medical device than make the necessary investments early in the process to make it safer.

Schedule A Free Consultation by Contacting Us Today

You might have a valid compensation claim if a dangerous or defective product injured you, killed a family member, or caused extensive property damage. Schedule a free consultation to discuss your case with an experienced Satterley & Kelley, PLLC product liability lawyer. Call 855-385-9532 or contact us online to reach our Louisville office.

Asbestos exposure can cause illness decades later

Asbestos May Cause Autoimmune Disorders in Addition to Cancer

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Asbestos has been linked to many types of cancers as well as asbestosis, which impairs a person’s ability to breathe. A recently published medical journal article that reviews prior research suggests that one type of asbestos fiber can lead to autoimmune disorders. They’re conditions that cause the immune system to attack healthy tissue rather than infectious or diseased tissue.

Our immune system is not only responsible for detecting external threats that have entered the body and destroying them, but also for eliminating cells that no longer function properly. Asbestos fibers can disrupt the delicate and complex balance between the immune system’s response to potential and actual health threats while avoiding healthy cells.

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC attorneys represent those diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases who seek compensation for the harm they suffer. If you are in this situation, call us at 855-385-9532 to learn more about how we can help you obtain compensation for your injuries.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is the name used for a group of mineral fibers that are extremely strong, light, and durable. One of these fibers is so small that you can’t see it with your naked eye, and so light that it can float in the air for hours. Asbestos fibers are resistant to fire, heat, chemicals, and electricity. These qualities made asbestos attractive to companies that made thousands of products containing it over centuries.

What are the Types of Asbestos?

There are six types: chrysotile (white asbestos), crocidolite (blue asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos), tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite. Researchers focused on amphibole fibers, which are crocidolite, amosite, and anthophyllite. They have a needle-like crystal structure and are considered the most hazardous asbestos type because they stick into flesh after they’re inhaled or swallowed.

What is an Autoimmune Disease?

An autoimmune disease is the result of your immune system (which normally protects your body from infections and mutated tissue like cancer tumors) targeting and attacking your healthy tissues, according to USA Today.

This causes a chronic inflammatory response that, if not stopped, can cause tissue damage and organ dysfunction. There are as many as 150 autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, type one diabetes, and Crohn’s disease.

Medical Journal Article Makes the Case that Amphibole Asbestos May Cause Autoimmune Disorders

Researchers who wrote a 2024 article in Autoimmunity Reviews conclude that amphibole asbestos is associated with systemic autoimmune diseases. That means there appears to be a connection, though there isn’t enough evidence to establish that these fibers cause these conditions. Most occupational studies have not shown an association between chrysotile fibers and autoimmune conditions.

Most of the evidence comes from studies of people exposed to asbestos in Libby, Montana, Italy, and Australia. Forty-eight studies involving humans and 15 involving lab animals show that amphibole asbestos can drive the body’s production of the following:

  • Pathogenic autoantibodies (PA): Antibodies circulate through the body to identify and destroy infections and unhealthy tissues. Pathogenic autoantibodies mistakenly target and attack healthy cells and tissues. They are associated with pleural fibrosis, which thickens the lungs and makes it more difficult to breathe
  • Antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA): These are a type of pathogenic autoantibodies. They also destroy healthy tissue, particularly the nucleus of a healthy cell (a part of the cell that controls and regulates it). They are associated with causing lupus

If enough of these autoantibodies are present, they can cause systemic autoimmune diseases (SAID).

Which SAIDs are Associated with Amphibole Asbestos?

The article states that they include the following:

  • Systemic sclerosis (or scleroderma):This involves the tightening and hardening of the skin, though it may also affect blood vessels, internal organs, and the digestive tract
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus:This is chronic disease affects many parts of the body. It causes inflammation that can injure the skin, heart, lungs, brain, joints, and blood
  • Rheumatoid arthritis: This chronic inflammatory condition causes pain, swelling, and joint irritation. It can also damage the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, and blood vessels

The process by which asbestos fibers enter the body and lead to these conditions is complex and involves many factors.

How Do Asbestos Fibers Cause an Autoimmune Response?

The article states the following:

“Amphibole asbestos induces pathways of inflammation, ROS and cell death… leading to inflammasome activation, release of DAMPs, loss of regulatory T cell activity, and activation of B cells with autoantibody production. Cell death pathways result in altered signaling, antigen modification, and immune cell recruitment. Altered signaling leads to immune dysregulation, TH17 responses and lost tolerance.”

Translated to English, this means the following:

  • These asbestos fibers activate internal sensors in cells that are part of the immune response. There’s a quick, local inflammation that causes swelling
  • Exposure to an asbestos fibers release damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). These are molecules released by damaged or dying cells, signaling the immune system to start inflammation
  • Asbestos exposure reduces the activity of regulatory or suppressor T cells, a type of white blood cell that helps control the immune system by suppressing responses to prevent autoimmune diseases
  • B cells (a type of white blood cell that protects you from infections by making proteins called antibodies to destroy a perceived threat) are activated
  • Cells exposed to asbestos die. How cells chemically signal each other changes, and chemicals on the cells that can trigger an immune response change
  • The immune response is to send its own cells to this area, and, because of this, changes chemical signaling and the less active T cells, the immune system over-responds and attacks healthy cells

Another factor in the process is that a person may be genetically predisposed to respond to asbestos fibers in this way.

Call Us Today for a Free Consultation

We are your boots on the ground if you or someone you love in Kentucky suffers from mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness. To reach our Louisville office, call 502-589-5600 or toll-free at 855-385-9532. You may also complete our contact form for a free initial consultation.