Asbestos News Roundup: 11.22.12 – Oil Workers & Asbestos

November 22nd, 2012. By LucyC

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This week’s asbestos news roundup includes all the recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of reported asbestos hot spots in the US from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.

Oil Industry Workers at High Risk for Asbestos Disease from Asbestos Drilling Mud

Drilling mud is widely used in the oil industry, both onshore and offshore, to help cool the drill bit and flush debris from the well hole during drilling. Many oilfield workers may have been exposed to toxic asbestos products without knowing its harmful, and often lethal, effects.

Drilling mud composition contained asbestos, which led to mud engineers being exposed to asbestos drilling mud, and the potential to develop asbestos-related disease such as asbestos mesothelioma. The two drilling mud brands that were mainly used were Flosal and Visbestos: both products were packaged in 50 lb. bags and were used for sweeping the hole as a viscosifier.

Asbestos Lawsuits

St. Clair County, IL: Earl Marshall and his wife Bertha have filed an asbestos lawsuit naming 64 defendant corporations, which, they allege, are responsible for Earl’s diagnosis of lung cancer.

In their lawsuit, the Marshalls allege the defendant companies caused Earl Marshall to develop lung cancer after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his career as a plumber at Hawthorne Racetrack in Cicero, Illinois, from 1963 until 1977; as a cook at Peter Pan Restaurant in Chicago, Illinois, from 1977 until 1978; and as a self-employed construction/demolition worker from 1978 until 1989.

The Marshall’s allege the defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for the plaintiff’s safety.

Earl Marshall has become disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, as a result of his asbestos-related illness, the lawsuit states. In addition, he is no longer able to work and, consequently, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him, he claims.

In his six-count complaint, Earl Marshall is seeking a judgment of more than $100,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000, punitive and exemplary damages of more than $100,000 and punitive damages in an amount sufficient to prevent the defendants from performing similar conduct in the future, plus other relief the court deems just. (madisonrecord.com)

St. Clair County, IL: Gerald Campbell, who was recently diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer, has filed an asbestos lawsuit seeking damages from 54 defendant corporations.

Campbell alleges the defendant companies caused him to develop lung cancer after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout the course of his work as a laborer at St. Regis Paper Mill from 1956 until 1957 and as a rigger at Monsanto from 1957 until 1993.

Campbell further claims the defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for the plaintiff’s safety. Consequently, Campbell is disabled and disfigured, has incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, all caused by his asbestos disease. Further, he claims he became prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him.

In his five-count complaint, Campbell is seeking a judgment of more than $50,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000, punitive and exemplary damages of more than $100,000, economic damages of more than $150,000 and punitive damages in an amount sufficient to prevent the defendants from performing similar conduct in the future, plus other relief the court deems just. (madisonrecord.com)

Beaumont, TX: Goodrich Corporation and Michelin North America have been named as defendants in an asbestos lawsuit filed by the widow of Herbert Carmon. According to the asbestos lawsuit, Herbert Carmon was employed by B.F. Goodrich in Jefferson County, where he was exposed to asbestos dust and fibers.

The lawsuit states that as a result of such exposure, Herbert Carmon developed an asbestos related disease, pleural disease and mesothelioma/lung cancer, from which he died a painful and terrible death on July 24, 2011.

The lawsuit accuses the defendants of negligently failing to warn employees of the dangerous of asbestos.(setexasrecord.com)

Asbestos Law

Boston, MA: A Massachusetts man is being sued by state Attorney General Martha Coakley for improperly removing asbestos materials from three homes he was renovating, violating the Massachusetts Clean Air Act in the process .

On three separate occasions between September 2009 and April 2011, Ronald Oliviera arranged for the renovation of three different multi-family homes in New Bedford, two of which he currently owns and rents out to tenants. During the renovation projects, contractors hired by Oliveira allegedly caused asbestos fibers from asbestos shingles to be released into the air.

At another renovation site, Oliveira allegedly told contractors to cover the asbestos shingles with new vinyl siding and drill through shingles to install heating vents, which also released asbestos fibers into the air as a result.

For renovations at the third renovation, contractors recklessly tossed asbestos shingles to the ground from the third floor of the building while installing vinyl siding and stripping wooden molding from the exterior.

“Asbestos removal must be done properly in order to prevent exposure to asbestos fibers, which can create serious health risks,” Coakley said.

“The scattering of asbestos debris in a residential neighborhood presents an unacceptable public health hazard to residents and workers,” added Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell. “Contractors who do not remove and dispose of asbestos properly will face enforcement and significant penalties.”

The asbestos lawsuit seeks civil penalties up to $25,000 per day for each violation of the Massachusetts Clean Air Act. (cisionwire.com)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Exposure, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Mesothelioma

This was posted on Thursday, November 22nd, 2012 at 2:17 pm and is filed under Asbestos Mesothelioma, lawsuits . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.