Asbestos News Roundup: 10.3.13 – Safe Asbestos?

October 3rd, 2013. By LucyC

A roundup of 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.

Is There a Safe Level of Asbestos Exposure?

Earlier this year, as part of National Asbestos Awareness Week, the US Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, issued a statement concerning asbestos exposure—and urging Americans to learn about the dangers of asbestos exposure. In short, the message is that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. The lawsuits listed below bear testament to this fact.

In fact, the statement notes “that anyone who disturbs asbestos is at risk. However, it is of special concern for construction, insulation, and demolition workers, pipefitters, boilermakers and others who might disturb asbestos found in old buildings or equipment as part of their work. The hazard is also very real to home handymen, first-responders, and community volunteers.”

Veterans who served in any of the following occupations may have also been exposed to asbestos: mining, milling, shipyard work, insulation work, demolition of old buildings, carpentry and construction, manufacturing and installation of products such as flooring and roofing.

Additionally, veterans who served in Iraq and other countries in that region could have been exposed to asbestos when older buildings were damaged and the contaminant released into the air.

The Surgeon General’s statement explains that asbestos exposure can happen from activity that disturbs asbestos, making the asbestos fibers airborne. Inhaling these fibers leads to asbestos-related diseases. Three of the major health effects associated with asbestos exposure are lung cancer; mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that is found in the thin lining of the lungs, chest, abdomen and heart; and asbestosis, a serious progressive, long-term, non-cancer disease of the lungs. Specifically:

Asbestosis – Scarring of lung tissue that causes breathing problems, usually in workers exposed to asbestos in workplaces before the Federal government began regulating asbestos use (mid-1970s).

Pleural plaques – Scarring in the inner surface of the ribcage and area surrounding the lungs that can cause breathing problems, though usually not as serious as asbestosis. People living in areas with high environmental levels of asbestos, as well as workers, can develop pleural plaques.

Cancer – The two types of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos are lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer of the thin lining surrounding the lung (pleural membrane) or abdominal cavity (the peritoneum). Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer usually caused by asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Lawsuits

Erie, PA: 62-year-old Lloyd Baldwin has filed an asbestos lawsuit naming 30 defendants, alleging his asbestos-related lung cancer was caused by asbestos exposure on the job. Baldwin was diagnosed with lung cancer in on January 23, 2012, by doctors at the Cleveland Clinic.

In his lawsuit, Baldwin alleges his asbestos exposure began in the 1960s, while working as a machinist, laborer and deliveryman. As a deliveryman, Baldwin claims he was exposed to asbestos from loading and unloading a variety of asbestos-containing products including shingles and rolled roofing materials. He further claims he was exposed to asbestos dust and fibers while performing home renovations and doing automotive work, and while working as a laborer and machinist, and while working around other people who worked on boilers, pumps and valves.

The asbestos lawsuit states that Baldwin, during the course of his automotive work, was exposed to asbestos while working with brakes, clutches, mufflers and gaskets, and when he came into contact with construction materials such as insulation, drywall, joint compound, caulk, floor tiles, ceiling tiles and paint. According to the lawsuit, Baldwin purchased the asbestos-containing materials and supplies from a variety of lumberyards and retail stores.

The list of defendants includes, but is not limited to, Certainteed Corp., DAP Inc., Ford Motor Co., General Electric, Georgia Pacific, Honeywell International, Owens-Illinois, Pfizer, Sears Roebuck and Co., and Union Carbide Corp. (wvrecord.com)

Philadelphia, PA: The widow of a lung cancer victim is suing three companies that dealt in asbestos, alleging her late husband died as a result of injuries he sustained due to his on the job asbestos exposure.

The asbestos short form complaint was filed by Francesca Cerminara, in her capacity as special administrator of the estate of her late spouse, Francesco Cerminara.

The three defendants named in asbestos lawsuit are Ameron International Corp., Hajoca Corp., and J.A. Sexauer Inc.

According to the lawsuit, Francesco Cerminara died on May 1, 2012, at 81 years old, an apparent victim of asbestos-related mesothelioma. He was diagnosed with asbestos disease in the fall of 2011.

Cerminara had worked as a maintenance man, pipefitter, plumber and welder at Chemical Concentrate in Fort Washington, PA, from 1961 to 1974, and at AmChem in Ambler from 1974 to 1988, according to court documents.

The companies listed as defendants in the case are accused of negligence and strict products liability. The plaintiff seeks an unspecified amount of damages. (pennsylvaniarecord.com)

 

Tags: Asbestos, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Settlement, asbestosis, mesothelioma

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