McCune Law Group Partner Michele Vercoski Investigating Link Between Colonia High School and Occurrences of a Rare Brain Tumor

McCune Law Group, (MLG) Partner Michele Vercoski Leads an Investigation into the Link Between Colonia High School Alumni and a Rare Brain Tumor

Michele M. Vercoski, a partner of McCune Law Group, is investigating the potential link between the rare brain tumor and many former Colonia High School students out of the MLG’s office in Newark, New Jersey. Reports claim that more than 60 former students and staff of Colonia High School have been diagnosed with a rare brain tumor called glioblastoma. Ms. Vercoski, who was raised in Carteret and Middlesex County and who recently lost a close friend and alumnus of Colonia High School to this rare brain tumor, is utilizing her personal investment in this investigation to become part of the solution to provide answers and relief to  alumni and staff affected by this rare brain tumor.

Ms. Vercoski takes a special interest in the connection between health problems and exposure to environmental issues affecting New Jersey, the state where she grew up and where her family and friends continue to live. She believes that every child’s home, school, and town should be safe to grow up in and that no one should suffer due to circumstances outside of their control. Ms. Vercoski graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Nursing. She left the nursing profession in 2001 to pursue a legal career with a special emphasis on using her nursing knowledge to help those in legal need. She graduated from Tulane Law School in 2004 and passed the bar in New York, New Jersey, and California. MLG Partner Michele Vercoski has over 16 years of experience as a trial attorney with a significant portion of her professional career dedicated to seeking justice for harm caused to people by environmental and occupational exposures.

If you are a Colonia High School graduate, student, or staff member who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, contact MLG today to participate in the investigation.

Colonia High School Alumni, Students, and Staff Need to Understand What is Causing This Brain Tumor

As tens of thousands of students and hundreds of staff have attended and worked at Colonia High School, and 1,300 students currently attend school there, it is urgent to understand the cause of this elevated occurrence of brain tumors. If students and staff are being subjected to harmful environmental exposures at Colonia High School, swift and urgent action must be taken to protect the future health of the students and staff. Additionally, alumni and staff need to know what is causing these brain tumors in order to protect themselves and monitor their health carefully.

Brain Tumors Can Cause Irreversible Damage Physically and Financially

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor with an incidence rate of 3.19 per 100,000 persons in the United States, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). Even if the brain tumor is not technically cancer, it can grow and become life-threatening if left untreated. Brain tumors represent the highest per-patient initial cost of care for any cancer group with an annualized mean net cost of care approaching $150,000; and the highest annualized mean net costs for last-year-of-life care, relative to other cancers, at $135,000 to $210,000 (depending on age and sex) per patient. Depending on the results of the investigation, those who have been most affected may be entitled to substantial compensation.

Glioblastoma can cause numerous symptoms that can affect and impair daily life. Many of these symptoms can prove especially dangerous for those who drive or operate heavy machinery, including:

• Headaches
• Migraines
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Seizures
• Confusion
• Memory loss
• Irritability
• Vision problems
• Dizziness

If you are a graduate, current student, or staff member at Colonia High School and have developed a glioblastoma or other brain tumor, contact MLG immediately to become part of the investigation.

MLG is Seeking Justice for Those Affected

If you are one of the former students or staff who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, we want to hear from you. In addition to Ms. Vercoski’s medical and legal expertise in environmental areas, MLG has an in-house team of lawyers and public health professionals, including two PhDs in public health, who  are ready to lead the investigation to protect current and former students and staff of Colonia High School against the fallout from this rare brain tumor.

Ms. Vercoski can be reached directly at mmv@mccunewright.com.