Help! Time is running out for my family to file suit

[Amy6627]

against Rocketdyne now Boeing. Google: Simi Valley Rocketdyne Cancer

This is a re-post that I did on 3/29 in General Discussion. I got some good suggestions, but so far none have panned out, so I thought I would post it here and give it another try!

We need a lawyer to take our case! Here are the details:

Everyone in my family has cancer. I strongly believe that it is from contamination from a company (called Rocketdyne now called Boeing) we lived near for approx 30 or more years. We lived in Simi Valley CA about 40 miles North of Los Angeles.

Our findings are not consistent with genetic cancer. We were tested for the known genetic markers and we do not have them. Three of my family members were diagnosed with cancer just within a few weeks of each other in 2003. My mother age 75, one sister age 46, another sister 50. At age 42 I had abnormal biopsy cells but not yet cancer. Then my grandmother, my other sister age 38, brother age 28 in early 1980's. The common denominator with all of us was we lived in Simi Valley approximately 5 miles from Rocketdyne in the same house not far from The Brandeis Institute (won law suit on contaminated
water from Rocketdyne).

1. Families with genetic predisposition are diagnosed at the same age or close meaning everyone at age 46 or whatever age is in their genetic codes. We were diagnosed in the same year but at different ages. This is consistent with an environmental exposure.

2. Also even though the last three of us that were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, all of the breast cancers are so very different. My mother lobule. One sister with ductal with moderate aggression estrogen receptive negative. Another sister ductal highly aggressive estrogen receptor positive. Which means our cancer treatments are different. Different breast cancers different
treatment. Genetic cancers are of the same type.

3. My niece born in 1992, While her parents lived on Waltham St in Simi Valley died shortly after birth with no known cause but toxicology wasn't performed. Water tests done on Waltham St show extremely high levels of toxins.

4. Although we did move several places before settling 1966. The only place we all lived together in the same house was Simi Valley. It appears very likely that we were exposed at the same time to an environmental cause.

5. Toxins that Rocketdyne used have been shown to cause mammary cancer in mice.

[MADem]

1. Where's that Brockovitch woman? Call her

...maybe you can get her team to pro-bono you, or take a cut of the settlement in payment.

[Amy6627]

3. We did contact her office, they declined. And we can't find out why.

We also contacted the lawyer that worked on the Brandeis Institute in Simi Valley that successfully sued Rocketdyne. But he says that there is no tie to breast cancer, and we have proof from several newspapers to the contrary. We really don't get why someone does not jump on this.

[tsuki]

2. This is her firm.

http://www.masryvititoe.com/erin_brockovich.shtml

California Environmental Litigation Attorneys
Injured?
Free Environmental Litigation Case Evaluation

Over the last several years, society in general has become more concerned with "saving the planet" and environmental issues. Consequently, heightened awareness of how corporate America impacts our environment has increased. Many people consider us one of the leading firms in the nation litigating environmental issues, chemical contamination, and toxic torts.

The Law Offices of Masry & Vititoe is involved in multiple complex toxic litigation cases throughout the United States. For each case, we assign its own toxic tort litigation team. We are happy to report that Erin Brockovich continues to be the Director of Research for Masry & Vititoe.

[Amy6627]

4. Her office doesn't want to get involved. See my reply to #1

[tsuki]

9. How about:

http://www.baronandbudd.com/AU_ATT113.html

http://www.manatt.com/showresume.asp?id=1809

http://www.scarlettlawgroup.com/environmental_disasters.php4

Or calling the Association of Trial Lawyers, Environment Law Section

Resource http://www.litigationlawfirms.com/index.cfm?source=GStateLitigationLawyer1

[tubbacheez]

5. Did Lieff Cabraser turn you down?

I thought they'd at least offer a referral if they themselves couldn't take the case.


http://www.lieffcabraser.com/

[Amy6627]

6. I filled out their on-line form and no one has contacted me.

[tubbacheez]

8. Well, they didn't say no yet. If you need a rush answer, you might call.

http://www.lieffcabraser.com/offices.htm

San Francisco
Embarcadero Center West
275 Battery Street, Suite 3000
San Francisco, CA 94111-3339
Tel. [phone]
Fax. [phone]



Beverly Hills
9401 Wilshire Boulevard
Twelfth Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90212-2997
Tel. [phone]
Fax. [phone]

[Amy6627]

10. Good point. I'll call them. Thanks! n/t

[tubbacheez]

7. Some resources you might be interested in.

California State Bar's Lawyer Referral page:
http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10182&id=1403&county=Ventura






Lawyer Referral Services Program (LRS)
The State Bar of California
180 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
e-mail: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]

1-866-442-2529 or 866-44-CA-LAW
(toll free in California)

415-538-2250
(from outside California)







San Fernando Valley Bar Association Lawyer Referral and Information Service
21300 Oxnard Street, Suite 250
Woodland Hills, CA 91367

Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]
Web site: http://www.SFVBA.org

[pelagius]

11. Cappello & Noel LLP in Santa Barbara has handled some of...

...these claims against Rocketdyne, according to an associate I met at a social gathering several months back.

You might want to give them a call at [phone].

This is not a recommendation or reference, just a lead.

Good luck!

[Amy6627]

12. We did contact them, and they declined. They said there was

no link with breast cancer. But, we have newspaper articles and websites that do link it with breast cancer. We are really baffled as to why no one seems to want to take this on.

[pelagius]

13. I can tell you why -- they don't think your case is good.

"Good" means one they can win and make money on and has little to do with the validity of your claim. Unfortunately that's the way the system works.

All you can do is keep trying, I guess. Best of luck.

[tubbacheez]

17. Six cancer adult cases, plus one wrongful death case, might add up.

If suing for a combined recovery of everyone's medical expenses, permanent disabilities (if any), and maybe pain & suffering... the total value of the case could be pretty big.

Add on a wrongful death claim for the infant neice, and we might be talking about a recovery serious for a firm to take the case.




As always, the details will determine what can happen and what can't.

[pelagius]

18. I hope you're right... for the sake of this family! n/t

[doodadem]

14. I'm wondering if it might help to call Barbara Boxer's office

She's been pretty active in pursuing perchlorate investigation (rocket fuel contamination) in Calif. Maybe they can at least network you.
Also, try contacting the National Resources Defense Council, where Robt. F. Kennedy Jr. is involved as senior atty, and see if you can get a referral. Telephone: [phone]. You may also want to try contacting universities that have environmental litigation law classes, and check out their professors/clinicians/advisors.
Just curious--have you heard anything about the health of your other neighbors in that area?
Good luck!

[pelagius]

15. There's a NRDC branch in Santa Monica, too...

at 1314 Second Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401, 310-434-2300. You might want to give them a quick call, since it's after business hours on the East Coast now.

[Amy6627]

16. Great suggestions, thanks very much. We don't live there anymore,

we moved to San Diego a year ago. But on the block we lived on before we moved, 8 out of 10 households had someone with some type of cancer. We grew up in Simi Valley and my sister met her husband there. His family lived there at the time of the spill (we moved here right after), and two out of six in his family have cancer, but they only lived there for 10 years, we were there for over 30 years.

[Liberty Belle]

19. pm me with details and contact info. My husband is a lawyer

in San Diego (La Mesa, a suburb). Maybe someone at his firm would be interested, or know a lawyer who would take this on. His firm specializes in construction defect litigation, but in the past my husband has done some personal injury/product liability cases, so maybe the partners would consider this if the facts were strong.

Or e-mail to [e-mail] and I'll forward it to him.