With the first week of the new year drawing to a close, let's take a moment to pay tribute to two stars who succumbed to mesothelioma in 2013: MTV celebrity Sean Sasser and veteran character actor Ed Lauter.
Sasser and Lauter are the latest in a growing list of entertainers, politicians, and other well-known Americans whose deaths were due to mesothelioma, a rare and incurable cancer that is caused by asbestos exposure. In the United States, there are 3,200 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed annually.
The deaths of Sasser and Lauter are a sober reminder that this deadly disease does not discriminate among its victims.
Sean Sasser (1968-2013): AIDs activist Sean Sasser is best remembered for his appearances on MTV's popular reality show, The Real World: San Francisco. His romantic relationship with Real World cast member Pedro Zamora broke cultural ground and their commitment ceremony in 1994 was a first for American television.
Ed Lauter (1938-2013): Lauter's entertainment career spanned nearly 50 years in show business and included more than 200 films and television shows. An accomplished character actor, Lauter's best-known roles included Captain Wilhelm Knauer in The Longest Yard (1974) and Maloney in Family Plot (1976). He also appeared in many TV crime dramas including NYPD Blue and Miami Vice. He died of mesothelioma just two weeks before his 75th birthday.
Mesotheliom has killed other notable Americans including actor Steve McQueen, musician Warren Zevon, and U.S. Congressman Bruce Vento of Minnesota.
If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos and diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be eligible for financial compensation. Contact Sokolove Law today for a free case evaluation.
