ASBESTOS LAWYERS

On the asbestos law firm website of Roger G. Worthington is a photo of him and Dr. Robert Cameron in an operating room, both in scrubs, hovering above the splayed chest of a gravely ill person who is the legal client of one and patient of the other."The hardest working man in America. Easily," Mr. Worthington, a plaintiffs' attorney, says of Dr. Cameron on his legal blog. "An American hero."Dr. Cameron says of Mr. Worthington's devotion to clients: "He's more than their lawyer; he's almost their friend."Together the men have helped start two nonprofits dedicated to assisting patients of mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer. Dr. Cameron relied on funding from Mr. Worthington to build two research laboratories. When mesothelioma patients ask Dr. Cameron to recommend an attorney, he tells them to pick one who has donated toward finding a cure for the disease, and that includes Mr. Worthington.

The two have forged what has become an increasingly common relationship between a subset of cancer doctors and plaintiffs' attorneys, sharing what for each is an increasingly scarce but valuable resource: victims of mesothelioma.It is an unusual alliance in the world of medicine that some ethics experts say blurs ethical lines. This is particularly true when doctors refer patients to attorneys who provide financial support for their medical research.

It "has the taste of a kickback," said Dr. Jerome Kassirer, author of a book about financial conflicts of interest in medicine and a former editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine. "This is a disgrace to both professions," he said.

Mr. Worthington rejected any notion he was seeking to profit from his donations or that there is any quid pro quo. He sees himself filling a void to support research that should be paid for by the asbestos industry.

"I've given back. If that's a crime, I'm guilty as hell," Mr. Worthington said. "The fact that I've found a doctor who cares, that is just serendipity."

Dr. Cameron likewise said donations to his research are made with the explicit understanding that there are no strings attached. "I don't get kickbacks; I get money for research," he said. "If you see someone at the end of a freeway exit, that is me asking for money for research."

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining on the lungs and chest cavity believed to be caused exclusively by asbestos fibers. Depending on their course of treatment, victims essentially suffocate to death, typically within months of diagnosis. There is no cure.

Donate Car To Charity California Articles

 
Have you recently purchased a new car and are having problems with your old one? You don't know where to park them? Well, one good way of disposing these old vehicles is to donate them. The best place for car donation is the state of California.
Car donation in California is a famous alternative for those who have old vehicles. Car owners can donate their vehicles including vans, cars, boats and other types of vehicles to a charity of their choice. This is one good way of getting rid of an old useless vehicle. In addition, you are able to help those who are in need without bothering yourself about what to do with that car.
The vehicle does not need to be in very good condition to be donated. In fact, broken down cars may also be donated. These centers would tow the broken cars for free. They will then fix these and auction them for a profit. The money earned from the auction will be given to the charity of your own choice.
Another way of donating automobile is by giving it to a poor family. According to the research done by Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP), a non-profit agency, 20 percent of the American poor families can not buy a car. They are spending 40.2 percent of their budget with transportation expenses. STPP conducts a study about transportation alternative choices of Americans.
There are advantages in donating your ride in California. In other states, you are required to have the original title in order to donate. This is not the case here. In fact, as long as you are the legal owner of the car, you can still donate. The Center for Car Donations would provide you with a duplicate title form to be signed. On the other hand, car donors are entitled to a tax deduction. This is in accordance with the new tax law of 2005. In some cases, you are given a free vacation for your act of charity.
Another benefit of donating car in California is the free towing services offered. You're not required to bring the car to the Center for Car Donations. They are ready to pick it up especially if it is not in good running condition anywhere within the state.
You simply follow steps in giving out your car. First, prepare the vehicle. While it is not necessary for the car to be in good running condition, it would still be good if you make sure that it is presentable enough. Simply clean it and make sure you have nothing of your personal belongings left inside.
You also need to prepare all the important documents like registration and insurance. If you don't have the title, the Center for Car donation would provide you with a duplicate title form. After gathering all the documents to be transferred, make an online search for car donation companies that would facilitate your car donation. Make sure that the company is valid before submitting all the documents. This would prevent you from falling victim of scams.
When the car is picked up, the company would give you a tax form. This is important for you to avail of tax deduction. Make sure to file a notice of release of liability to a local Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV). Ask the people who picked up your car on how to fill out the form. Lastly, inform your insurance company that you donated your car to charity. Do this on the day you release your car. This is important for them so they can discontinue the insurance coverage.

Lindsay Lohan's a Pathetic, Porsche-Smasher

R.I.P. ... Kendrick Lamar just killed the game with a RUTHLESS verse on Big Sean's new track "Control" -- and nobody escaped his wrath ... not Drake, not A$AP Rocky, not Mac Miller, not even Lindsay Lohan.

There are no words to describe how nuclear this is. The rap game hasn't felt this kind of lyrical earthquake since ... we can't even remember ... and the Internet's on fire talking about it.

Bottom line: Kendrick's tired of the superficial BS in hip hop these days (cars, bitches, drugs) and he calls out his own friends for playing into the nonsense (Drake, A$AP, Mac, you name it).

The verse is a gold mine ... but the standout lyric is the unprovoked attack on Lindsay: "Mollies'll prolly turn these n****s to f***in' Lindsay Lohan / A bunch of rich ass white girls lookin' for parties/ Playin with Barbies, wreck the Porsche before you give 'em the car key."

Translation: the trappings of luxury (specifically drugs like Molly) are turning grown men into "a bunch of rich ass white girls" who act like children and take what they have for granted (Porsches). Kendrick's unsuspecting poster child ... Lindsay

Sinkhole Swallows Part of a Building at a Resort in Florida

In the realms of fantasy near Walt Disney World, disaster rides abound. But no one would buy a ticket for the real-life sinkhole adventure that swallowed part of a building in nearby Clermont, Fla., early Monday and sent hundreds of vacationers out into the night.

A guest flagged down a security guard shortly after 11 p.m. to say that a window in her villa “had just broken, inexplicably,” said Paul Caldwell, the president of the resort, Summer Bay. “As he stood talking to her, two or three more windows broke.” The guard began evacuating the building and those around it, as did emergency crews that arrived soon after.

At midnight, he said, the central section of the three-story building collapsed into the sinkhole, estimated to be as much as 60 feet across and 15 feet deep. “Everyone was out, no one was injured,” Mr. Caldwell said. But the 14-year-old building “probably will be a total loss.”

Amy Jedele, a holistic practitioner and counselor from Denville, N.J., was staying at a building connected by a breezeway to the sinking building. When she and her fiancé, Darren Gade, heard screams and noises, they thought the commotion might be coming from a television. After hearing sirens, they stepped outside and saw the ground sinking from Building 104. “There was just no earth underneath it at all,” Ms. Jedele said. “It was just hovering.” Then sections of the building tumbled into the growing hole.

Tommy Carpenter, the manager for the Lake County Emergency Management Division, said, “Sinkholes are, unfortunately, a reality of living in Florida,” which is rich in karst — formations that include layers of soluble rock, mainly limestone, under the soil.

In late February, a man was killed when his bedroom was swallowed by a sinkhole beneath his home in Seffner, Fla., outside Tampa. His body was never recovered.

Randall Orndorff of the United States Geological Survey said that in the area between Tampa and Orlando, often called “sinkhole alley,” four other sinkholes had been reported since the spring. But none was this destructive.

Commercial development and agricultural concerns could be accelerating the problem, Mr. Orndorff said. “Once you start paving those parking lots and roads, putting up houses,” he said, “all that water runs off and is collected in ditches and storm drains, and it has to go underground in, basically, a torrent.” And the torrents cut channels in the weak rock, he said.

Development requires pumping enormous amounts of water out of the ground, which can contribute to the area’s vulnerability. “We have changed the environment,” Mr. Orndorff said. “Are we increasing the number of sinkholes? We don’t know. But as we develop into these prone areas, we’re definitely seeing more.”