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The Law Offices of James Sokolove (LOJS), dedicated to providing greater access to the civil justice system, today announced that the company has expanded its highly successful Mesothelioma Resource Center (MesoRC) to include resources for victims of other asbestos-related diseases. The website (MesoRC.com) will now offer critical information and a community forum for patients and families affected by asbestosis, pleural disease and interstitial fibrosis, which, like mesothelioma, are rare diseases often caused by exposure to asbestos. The site’s expansion was prompted by the strong response to MesoRC, which LOJS originally launched in September 2007 to fill a void the company recognized in the resources available to its mesothelioma clients. Because those affected by other asbestos-related diseases expressed similar needs for information, connectivity and community, LOJS decided to expand the website’s reach to address this underserved population.
“Our clients have furthered our understanding that one of the most devastating elements of their situations is the difficulty they experience in finding resources for coping with the disease,” said Mike Skoler, CEO of LOJS. “The early success of MesoRC showed us that the site was making a significant difference for mesothelioma patients who literally had nowhere to turn, and we knew that victims of these other rare diseases could also benefit from an online resource center. As a firm, our mission is about finding innovative, customer-focused ways to serve our clients’ needs, and expanding MesoRC to help more people is one way we’re doing that.”
Although asbestosis, pleural disease, and interstitial fibrosis differ in prognosis and severity, they are all rare, debilitating diseases with little funding for research and few resources available to victims and their families. With two of the diseases – pleural disease and interstitial fibrosis – the challenge of finding information and connectivity is compounded with the additional difficulty of finding a law firm willing to help; because these diseases can have causes other than asbestos, proving a case can be complicated and costly. “We’re committed to helping asbestos victims navigate the complicated legal issues surrounding asbestos exposure,” Skoler continued. “Now we’re also addressing needs beyond just the legal aspects of their situations. This website is an important step in that direction.”
The MesoRC website is just one example of LOJS’ efforts to take a consumer-focused and holistic approach to legal services, which also include the firm’s licensed social worker who nurtures the online community and helps connect clients to additional resources. To date, LOJS has successfully helped over 2,000 people affected by mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Since the initial MesoRC launch, the community site has witnessed an incredible response that has more than validated the concept. “We’re beginning to see a new level of engagement among the users of the site, with people offering support to one another through the site’s blogs and discussion boards,” Skoler noted. “There’s excitement in seeing one person reach out with their own experiences to help another in need, and that’s something we were hoping the site would enable people to do.”
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