Edwardsville, IL: before attending law school and working at Goldenberg Heller Antognoli & Rowland, PC, one of the foremost asbestos litigation firms in the US, attorney R.J. Abernathy was a union laborer for more than 20 years. “I worked in construction from 1983 until I went to law school,” says Abernathy. “My father died of asbestos-related lung cancer and then my uncle was diagnosed with mesothelioma. I wanted to help others in some way and wound up in asbestos litigation.”
Abernathy is unique within his profession: he worked in the same or similar factories, refineries and power plants as many of his clients. these experiences provide him with a personal understanding of the types of equipment and products to which they were likely exposed. because of his 20-plus years in construction, he can help identify a myriad of exposures during his clients’ lifetimes that have contributed to their disease.
My mother was recently diagnosed with small cell stage 4