WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Lipsitz & Ponterio, LLC is hosting a free seminar for Niagara Falls Area Plant Workers on Wednesday, October 17th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Falls, which is located at 7001 Buffalo Avenue in Niagara Falls.  The seminar will cover the legal rights of Workers, as well as asbestos exposure from past operations that occurred at a variety of Niagara Falls Industrial Facilities, including, but not limited to, Hooker Chemical, Carborundum, Carbide Graphite, DuPont and others.  Lipsitz & Ponterio is encouraging all Workers, their family and friends to attend this seminar - especially if any impacted Worker breathed in asbestos or other hazardous materials at work.  Seating for this seminar is limited.  Call (716) 849-0701 or e-mail lp@lipsitzponterio.com to reserve your seat.

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – For many years, the Buffalo Law Firm of Lipsitz & Ponterio, LLC has been there to help a variety of Union Workers who’ve been left to deal with the repercussions of exposure to asbestos in their workplaces. 

Committed to Asbestos Justice is much more than a series of words to Firm Principals John Lipsitz and Michael Ponterio, who recently offered their opinions on a number of questions submitted to them by WNYLaborToday.com:

When did Lipsitz & Ponterio decide to make Asbestos Litigation its primary practice? John Lipsitz: We were young lawyers when there was a movement to open the courts in New York State to the victims of Asbestos Disease, including Mesothelioma.  Until 1986, before the legislature passed the Toxic Tort Act, the statute of limitations made it almost impossible for Workers and their families to pursue the Asbestos Industry.

What has been the most rewarding result of your practice in this area? John Lipsitz: Every time we are able to help a victim of the Asbestos Industry obtain a recovery, we feel that our efforts have been rewarded.  Sometimes the injured Workers are Retirees and the husband is looking out for the welfare of his wife and family after he is gone. Occasionally, a case involves a much younger person or a person with young children.  Helping these families who are really struggling to survive is very rewarding.

Can you provide me with a couple of client examples, without revealing any names? Michael Ponterio: Recently, we helped the family of a former Cancer Researcher.  He was a man with an advanced degree, who, in his youth, worked in a factory where he was exposed to asbestos.  He was a kind and altruistic individual.  We are proud to have represented him and his family.  Another case involves a woman who suffered from Mesothelioma, for several years, as a result of childhood environmental asbestos exposure.  Her death was heartbreaking and involved significant legal challenges.

Can you provide WNYLaborToday.com with a list of Western New York job sites where your clients were employed? Michael Ponterio: Allied Chemical, Bethlehem Steel, Republic Steel, Ashland Oil, Durez Plastics, Niagara Mohawk, Hooker Chemical, Carborundum, Carbide Graphite, Chevrolet Buffalo and many other job sites throughout the Buffalo-Niagara Region.  Kodak, Xerox and Rochester Gas & Electric in Rochester.  We have also represented individuals who worked in the Trades at various industrial and commercial sites, such as Insulators, Pipe Fitters, Boilermakers, Electricians, Contractors and General Laborers who applied and removed asbestos-containing insulation materials at commercial buildings, residential properties and industrial facilities throughout the State of New York.

Why did the Lipsitz & Ponterio Law Firm decide to hold seminars, like the upcoming one in Niagara Falls? Michael Ponterio: Prior to the late 1970s, asbestos was used heavily in a variety of industries, including steel plants, chemical manufacturing facilities, power plants - and in other industries around Western New York and throughout the country.  Asbestos was also used as an insulation material in commercial and residential buildings.  Workers were exposed to asbestos occupationally and asbestos dust was brought home on their clothing - subjecting their families to this asbestos dust.  The latency period for Mesothelioma, a cancer caused only by asbestos exposure, can be up to fifty years.  We decided to hold these informational seminars because it is especially important to highlight past asbestos exposure.  When asbestos use was widespread, fifty years ago, that would mean that Retirees and their families are at risk for developing diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer now.

How many seminars has the Lipsitz & Ponterio Law Firm held over the years? John Lipsitz: We started holding seminars in 1998, and over the years, Michael Ponterio and I have addressed many groups, large and small.  In recent years, we started holding seminars in order to address Retirees and former Workers exposed to asbestos in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, because this population is now facing the time period where asbestos-related diseases may begin to surface.

What is the reaction of those who attend the seminars? John Lipsitz: The attendees are happy that we are holding seminars in order to address their asbestos disease concerns.  We have been told by many different groups that they have benefited from the information presented to them.

Do any stories or reactions stand out, especially from any Union-Represented Workers? Michael Ponterio: One particular story involved a client with terminal cancer.  This man had seven daughters, six of whom obtained a Master’s Degree.  Our client, who worked as a Laborer, went to night school to obtain his college degree.  After several years, he finally received his degree at the same time as one of his daughters.  They walked the graduation line together.  This is one example of the type of honest and hard-working client we have represented over the years. Many of our clients are part of the Greatest Generation.

Are the majority of your clients members or former members of the United Steelworkers (USW) Union? The Lipsitz & Ponterio Law Firm: We have represented many individuals who are, or have been, members of Local Unions throughout New York State, including the Steelworkers Union.

Has the Lipsitz & Ponterio Law Firm represented other Union Workers, such as those in the Building Trades? The Lipsitz & Ponterio Law Firm: Yes, we have represented many Union Workers from the Building Trades.

Overall, how rewarding has this work been? Michael Ponterio: We made the decision many years ago to represent a smaller number of clients so that we could spend more time with them and really get to know each one of them and their families.  It is heartbreaking to see our clients battle terminal cancers.  It is rewarding because we form a special bond and friendship with them, and it is especially rewarding to know that the family will be taken care of.  

How do you see the Lipsitz & Ponterio Law Firm continuing to progress in the years to come? John Lipsitz & Michael Ponterio: We have a core commitment to help families affected by Occupational Diseases of all sorts, including Asbestos-Related Diseases.  When you have a deep understanding of how a complex case works, such an asbestos case, you will be able to develop a deep understanding as to how a somewhat less complex case works, such as an automobile accident, which is just as serious.  Our firm is growing and our primary focus is representing injured Workers and their families in Asbestos/Mesothelioma Litigation.  However, we have also built our practice in other areas, including Motor Vehicle Accidents, Medical Malpractice, injuries caused by defective products and toxins, environmental exposure, General Personal Injury and Lead Paint Poisoning.  Our motion and appellate work has significantly contributed to case law governing Asbestos-related Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Actions in New York State.

What Lipsitz & Ponterio is doing is not only needed, but your Law Firm’s commitment to the Western New York community goes beyond that.  With that said, can you provide WNYLaborToday.com with additional information with regard to these efforts: John Lipsitz & Michael Ponterio: Lipsitz & Ponterio is dedicated to improving Western New York, the community where we live and work and where many of our attorneys were born and raised.  We donate money to a long list of non-profit organizations, including the world-renowned Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospice Buffalo.  We care about our clients and are committed to their health and safety.  We are proud supporters of groups that safeguard our environment, such as the Clean Air Coalition and organizations such as Western New York Area Labor Federation and the Western New York Council on Occupational Safety and Health (WNYCOSH), which protect Workers' Rights.  We also support other not-for-profit organizations throughout Western New York.