What You Should Know About Your Legal Rights

ConcerningSilica-Related Diseases

KELLE

Y &

FER

RA

RO

Attorneys at Law

888.8

39.8

479

Kelley & Ferrarois one of the

fastest growinglaw firms in

America.

Kelley & Ferraro

A D V E R T I S E M E N T O N L Y

The attorneys at Kelley & Ferraro have built a

national practice in obtaining outstanding results for

men, women, and families victimized by occupation-

related diseases.

Since it was founded in 1997, the Cleveland-based

law firm of Kelley & Ferraro has compiled the largest

number of civil cases of any law firm in Ohio. Most

of the firm’s more than 30,000 pending cases are on

behalf of workers exposed to silica, asbestos, and

other related workplace substances.

Ohio Lawyers Weekly reported that four of the 13

largest court settlements negotiated in Ohio in 2002

were negotiated by Kelley & Ferraro. From these

combined settlements, our clients obtained more than

$12 million. Nationwide, in just one 12-month

period, Kelley & Ferraro successfully negotiated $500

million in asbestos settlements for clients.

Serves You and Your Family

Obtaining money for your injuries from silica or

other toxic substances is not the only way Kelley &

Ferraro works for you.

At Kelley & Ferraro, we help our valued clients in

other areas of the law, including worker’s compensa-

tion, products liability, medical malpractice, wrongful

death, automobile accidents, and all types of personal

injury matters.

But before we can help, you must call us so that we

can answer your questions Or better yet, we would be

happy to schedule an appointment to meet with you.

Feel free to call Kelley & Ferraro at 216.575.0777 or

toll free at 1.888.839.8479.

Meanwhile, this brochure

provides straightforward answers

to questions about diseases caused

by exposure to silica and silica-

containing products and how

Kelley & Ferraro strives to secure

just compensation for your injuries.

The Problems of Silica ExposureIf you or a loved one has a silica-related disease,

you may be entitled to compensation.

Many workers in the foundry, steel, sandblasting,

refractory, construction, brick, and railroad industries

have been harmed from inhaling high levels of

respirable silica.

Inhalation of silica may cause silicosis, a disabling

and non-reversible fibrotic condition of the lungs,

as well as lung cancer, lupus, sclerodroma, and

rheumatoid arthritis.

Frequently Asked Questions About Silica

What is Silica?

It is a mineral that is mined. Another name is quartz.

How Does Silica Exposure Occur?

It occurs when crystalline silica dust is inhaled.

How Many People are Exposed to Silica?

Over one million annually.

What Occupations Put Workers at anIncreased Risk to Silica Exposure?

• Construction

• Demolition

• Mining

• Sandblasting

• Stone masonry

• Abrasives and Glassmanufacturing

• Pottery

• Railroad track setting,laying, and repair.

What Materials Have Crystalline Silica?

Common construction

materials, including:

• Blasting abrasives

• Brick

• Concrete

• Cement mortar

• Granite, sandstone, slate

• Mineral deposits, rock

• Sand

• Topsoil

• Asphalt.

What Diseases are Caused by Exposure to Breathable Free Silica?

• Silicosis

• Cancer

• Mixed Dust Pneumoconiosis

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, including emphysema

• Autoimmune diseases, including scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis

• Tuberculosis

• Chronic kidney disease.

What is the Principal Silica Disease?

It is silicosis, which is caused by exposure to

breathable free silica. Silicosis is an occupational

lung disease. It causes inflammation and scarring

of the lung tissue. This inhibits the normal flow of

oxygen into the lungs and bloodstream.

When Was it Identified?

The name silicosis was first used in the 1930s. Before

then, it was known as dust consumption, grinders

asthma, grinder’s rot, grit consultation, miner’s asthma,

potter’s rot, rock tuberculosis, and stonemason’s disease.

What are the Types of Silicosis?

• Chronic silicosis, which results from long-termexposure to low amounts of silica.

• Accelerated silicosis, which occurs more quickly than chronic silicosis, usually due to exposure to larger amounts over a shorter period of time.

• Acute silicosis, which occurs due to short-termexposure to large amounts. It can develop within weeks or up to five years after exposure.

What are the Symptoms of Silicosis?

• Shortness of Breath

• Coughing

• Wheezing

• Fatigue

• Chest pain

• Loss of appetite

• Fever

• Bluish skin at the ears and lips.

What is Silicoproteinosis?

This is a fatal lung disease characterized by a

decreased ability of the lungs to produce

sufficient oxygen.

Can Anyone Contract a Silica-Related Disease?

Yes, but the vast majority

of victims are men and women

who were subjected to prolonged

exposure to on-the-job silica in

the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.

Many who were exposed to

silica-containing products were

NOT warned about the dangers.

How Does SomeoneSuffering from a SilicaRelated Disease SeekCompensation?

If you or a loved one believe

that you have been exposed to

silica and might have a claim,

contact Kelley & Ferraro at

216.575.077 or toll free at

1.888.839.8479 to schedule

an appointment.

Michael V. KelleyBefore forming Kelley &

Ferraro, Michael V. Kelley had a

flourishing practice that focused

on class action suits, as well as

aviation disasters and tobacco

and asbestos litigation.

As a winning litigator,

Kelley has helped secure some of the largest jury

verdicts in Ohio for clients. What is more, he has

been extraordinarily skillful in negotiating lucrative

settlements for asbestos clients, obtaining more than

$1 billion on their behalf.

The son of a Cleveland firefighter, Kelley graduated

with a BA from Case Western Reserve University in

1974. He studied law at night at Cleveland State

University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law while

working by day as an administrator for the Ohio State

Auditor. He received his law degree in 1981.

Kelley was licensed to practice law in the State of

Ohio and in the District of Columbia in 1991. He is

admitted to practice before the United States

Supreme Court, the Fifth and Sixth U.S. Circuit

Courts of Appeals, and various U.S. District Courts.

Firm Leadership

James L. FerraroJames L. Ferraro,

co-founder of Kelley & Ferraro,

established his national reputa-

tion when he was chosen as one

of ten national finalists for Trial

Lawyer of the Year in 1997

for his courtroom triumph

against the chemical giant, DuPont & Company, for

causing a birth defect in his client’s child.

The Florida jury held DuPont accountable and

awarded the victimized mother of the infant

$4 million. An appeals court upheld the verdict.

Court TV covered the trial, and the verdict received

worldwide attention.

Since then, Ferraro has filed 12 suits on behalf of

families whose children were born with similar

defects — without their eyes — due to the wrongful

conduct of DuPont.

Beyond the DuPont case, Ferraro has attained

many multi-million dollar jury verdicts and settle-

ments for clients. Ferraro is licensed to practice in

Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio.

Attorneys in Our Silica Practice

Anthony Gallucci, a partner, is

involved in asbestos litigation, along

with products liability, toxic torts,

personal injury, and wrongful death.

Gallucci also is a member of the

Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Brooke H. Thayer is a

partner whose practice includes

commercial, mass tort, and

personal injury litigation.

In a period of 12 months,

Thayer was involved in the

negotiation of more than $500

million in settlements with

many of the largest asbestos producers

and distributors in the world.

John A. Sivinski

also handles asbestos

litigation, products liability,

toxic torts, personal injury

and medical malpractice.

Sivinski, a partner in the

firm, is a member of the

Million Dollar Advocates

Forum.

John Martin Murphy, whose

litigation practice also includes

personal injury and asbestos litigation,

is the part-time magistrate in Bratenahl

Village and Grand River Village,

suburbs of Cleveland.

1300

Eas

t N

inth

Str

eet,

Sui

te 1

901

Cle

vela

nd, O

H 4

4114

216.

575.

0777

Tol

l Fre

e1.8

88.8

39.8

479

PRSR

T ST

D

U.S

. PO

STA

GE

PA

IDC

LEV

ELA

ND

, OH

PER

MIT

#1