Belluck & Fox strongly supports the U.S. Senate’s unanimous passage of the “Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007”. For decades, corporations have sold asbestos without proper warnings. To this day, companies are still selling asbestos products, including roof cement available at many hardware stores in the United States. Because big business was unwilling to stop using asbestos, the United States Government stepped in and voted to ban asbestos in the United States. A companion bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives and we hope the House moves swiftly to pass its version of the bill.

Belluck & Fox applauds Senator Patty Murray for her determined efforts to ban asbestos. Sen. Murray first introduced this legislation six years ago and she has tirelessly pursued its passage ever since. We can only hope that once asbestos has been banned, the scourge of asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, will finally start to decline.

Labels: Press Releases

Belluck & Fox is proud to announce that partners Joseph W. Belluck and Jordan Fox have been named to the New York Super Lawyers list. The designation of Super Lawyer for Mr. Belluck and Mr. Fox confirms their status among New York’s premier asbestos and mesothelioma attorneys, as only five percent of New York Metro attorneys are named to the Super Lawyer list. The Super Lawyer selection process is a rigorous and objective assessment of an attorney’s abilities that includes peer nominations, independent research and blue ribbon panel review.

Joseph W. Belluck has prosecuted numerous cases involving injuries from asbestos, defective medical products, tobacco and lead paint, including a recent asbestos case that settled for over $12 million. He has lectured frequently on product liability, tort law, and tobacco control policy and is a highly qualified consumer law and tort litigation attorney.

Jordan Fox is one of the nation’s most experienced product liability litigators. Over the past seventeen years, Mr. Fox has represented and counseled victims of asbestos exposure, crime and other environmental injuries. He has prosecuted thousands of asbestos cases and has settled hundreds of millions of dollars in claims. On two occasions, his verdicts were featured as The National Law Journal’s Largest Verdicts of the Year.

Labels: Press Releases

Belluck & Fox Partner Jordan Fox was quoted in a Newsday.com article entitled, "Officials say no health risks after blast, but NYers have doubts," about the recent steampipe explosion on Manhattan's East Side. The article details the city's assurances that the air around the blast zone is free from asbestos and safe to breathe, while also noting the skepticism that many residents feel towards the city's proclamations regarding air quality. When asked about his position on the city's assurances, Mr. Fox said, "They lied to us on Sept. 11 and thereafter. It's clear they misrepresented exposure after 9/11. A lot of people would ask, 'Why should we trust them now?". He continued, "We're wary of outside air. I don't know anybody here who's going out to lunch.... It's musty out there, it's humid, and the air is kind of thick. That could keep the asbestos entrained in the air."

Mr. Fox's cautionary remarks mirror those of Linda Reinstein, executive director of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, who noted in a July 19th press release, "While it may be true that disease is 'unlikely' to occur from such an episode, it is never correct to characterize any level of asbestos as safe.... We are seeing from the unfortunate residual effects of 9-11, even short term exposure to asbestos can cause significant health problems."

The Newsday.com article can be seen here: Officials say no health risks after blast, but NYers have doubts.

Ms. Reinstein's comments can be found in an ADAO press release that can be seen here:
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization Issues Statement of Warning Regarding Asbestos Exposure During July 18 Explosion in New York.

Labels: Firm, Press Releases

Belluck & Fox partner Jordan Fox has been listed among the top Mass Tort Litigation attorneys in New York Magazine's "The New York Area's Best Lawyers." This list reflects lawyers from the New York area who are featured in the 2007 list of The Best Lawyers in America. The Best Lawyers list identifies top attorneys from all fifty states.

Mr. Fox is one of the nation's most experienced product liability litigators and for the past eleven years he has represented and counseled victims of mesothelioma and other forms of asbestos exposure, as well as lead paint exposure and other environmental injuries. Mr. Fox's listing in Best Lawyers confirms his reputation as a dedicated advocate for the rights of the injured. He has prosecuted thousands of asbestos cases and has settled tens of millions of dollars in claims. On two occasions his verdicts were featured as The National Law Journal's Largest Verdicts of the Year.

Mr. Fox is a former homicide and sex crimes/special victims prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. He is a frequent lecturer at national conferences on asbestos and injury law. He is a member of the Product Liability Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, as well as a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and the National Crime Victim Bar Association.

Labels: Firm, Press Releases

Belluck & Fox Partner Joseph W. Belluck will co-chair Mealey's National Asbestos SuperConference in Scottsdale, Arizona. The three day superconference, which will be held between September 26 and September 28, features in-depth sessions covering all aspects of asbestos litigation. The format brings together diverse topics that have not previously been offered within a single conference framework. Some of the topics to be covered include, but are not limited to, the current state of medical treatment for asbestos disease, the changing claimant profiles, and the ethical issues involved with asbestos litigation.

Mr. Belluck's co-chairmanship of the conference reflects the high esteem with which he is held by other members of the asbestos litigation community. His practice is focused on consumer, environmental and defective product litigation, especially litigation related to asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. He and his partner Jordan Fox have crafted Belluck & Fox into one of the nation's premier asbestos and mesothelioma litigation firms and have recovered over $100 million in compensation for their clients. Prior to his partnership at Belluck and Fox, Mr. Belluck served as counsel to the New York State Attorney General during the State of New York's litigation against the tobacco industry, where he was instrumental in settling New York State's tobacco lawsuit for $25 billion. Mr. Belluck also served as Director of Attorney Services for Trial Lawyers Care, an organization dedicated to providing free legal assistance to victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Information on the conference: Mealey's National Asbestos SuperConference

Labels: Firm, Press Releases

Belluck & Fox strongly supports Senator Patty Murray's efforts to ban asbestos and fully endorses the "Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007" bill.

Scientists have known since the 1930s how deadly asbestos can be to those who work with it and to those who live with asbestos workers, yet, asbestos continues to be a scourge to the welfare of all Americans. Asbestos is still a major component in multiple products, so many workers and their families are continually at risk for the terrible diseases it can cause: lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. While Europe and most of South America have already banned asbestos, the United States continues to put people at risk by building products with asbestos and by importing large amounts of it. According to Sen. Barbara Boxer's opening statements to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works EPW Hearing on the Health Effects of Asbestos, in 2005 the United States, "... imported 2,530 metric tons of asbestos, and ... more than 90,000 metric tons of products that may contain asbestos." These products include cement and gaskets, as well as brakes and clutch parts for automobiles.

Sen. Murray's "Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007" is an important step in protecting the lives of Americans and their families. Asbestos should have been banned years ago and its continued use is a threat to each and every one of us. Congress has the responsibility to protect American lives and turning this bill into law is a strong statement that it takes this responsibility seriously.

Labels: Firm, Press Releases

Belluck & Fox is pleased to announce that partner Jordan Fox has been appointed to the Association of the Bar of the City of New York's Product Liability Committee. Mr. Fox is one of the nation's most experienced product liability litigators. He has prosecuted thousands of asbestos cases and has represented and counseled victims of asbestos exposure, lead paint exposure and other environmental injuries. On two occasions his verdicts were featured as The National Law Journal's Largest Verdicts of the Year.

Mr. Fox is a former homicide and sex crimes/special victims prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. He is a frequent lecturer at national conferences on asbestos and injury law. He is a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and the National Crime Victim Bar Association.

Labels: Firm, Press Releases