Headlines

Federal health regulators have announced that Yaz®, Yasmin® and other birth control pills containing the hormone drospirenone (synthetic version of the naturally occurring female hormone progesterone) will now carry new labeling warning that these drugs may be more likely to cause blood clots than other types of birth control. The new labeling is based on recent studies that compared drospirenone-containing pills to low-dose estrogen pills.

A recent article by Consumer Reports addresses the potential risks associated with medical devices such as artificial joints and pelvic mesh. Although millions live each day with artificial medical devices in their bodies, the article reports that "Often, the only safety ?testing' that occurs is in the bodies of unsuspecting patients."

Motley Rice welcomes three new lawyers to its Mt. Pleasant, S.C., headquarters: Max N. Gruetzmacher (SC), P. Graham Maiden (SC) and Ann E. Rice Ervin (SC)

The Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers (AIMPE) issued a warning that inspection of some foreign vessels, including flagships and tug boats, found the vessels to be "riddled with asbestos." These vessels carried fake documentation stating that the materials on board were asbestos-free. Such discoveries prompt concern about the health of seafarers and the global need to enforce health and safety laws requiring asbestos-free workplaces

Many parents of Boomers, or Boomers themselves, have suffered from an asbestos-related disease, like asbestosis or mesothelioma, the most deadly form of asbestos related cancer. Why?

Beyond a basic familiarity with asbestos litigation, however, some are unaware of what asbestos is or who is at risk for exposure. Here are five common questions and answers regarding asbestos that may help you assess past asbestos exposure and also prevent future exposure.

JetBlue pilot Clayton Osbon experienced what passengers and crew members described as a mental breakdown ultimately leading to an emergency landing during Flight 191's route from New York to Las Vegas. Osbon is being charged with interfering with a flight crew and has been suspended pending a full investigation.

April 1 - April 7, 2012, marks Global Asbestos Awareness Week, an international campaign spearheaded by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) to reduce the use of asbestos around the world and advocate for the rights of asbestos exposure victims.

Motley Rice member and asbestos lawyer Anne McGinness Kearse has been invited to participate in the American Bar Association's (ABA) 21st Annual Toxic Torts and Environmental Practitioner's (TTEL) Spring Meeting, "Scorching in the Desert: Hot Topics Facing Corporate Counsel and Toxic Torts and Environmental Practitioners."

Motley Rice member Don Migliori, who also serves as a RWU School of Law Adjunct Professor and as RI Association for Justice President, will serve as the conference's keynote speaker for the Scribes Award Dinner on Thursday, March 29, 2012, at the Westin Providence.