Asbestos News Roundup: 12.20.12 – Auto Mechanic Asbestos Exposure

December 20th, 2012. By LucyC

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.

Auto Mechanics & Asbestos Disease

Auto mechanics are at risk for asbestos-related disease, without being aware of it. Asbestos was used in countless products, including automotive parts such as brake linings and clutch facings, from the 1930s until the 1980s. In fact, it is still used today in many products like car brakes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

According to an EPA document entitled “Guidance for Preventing Asbestos Disease Among Auto Mechanics”, “Millions of asbestos fibers can be released during brake and clutch servicing. Grinding and beveling friction products can cause even higher exposures. Like germs, asbestos fibers are small enough to be invisible and they can remain and accumulate in the lungs.” This can cause asbestos disease such as asbestos mesothelioma, which can take 30 years to manifest.

Asbestos Lawsuits

St. Clair County, IL: 31 companies have been named as defendants in an asbestos lawsuit filed by George Norris. In his complaint, Norris alleges the defendants caused him to develop lung cancer after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his career as a welder at Federal Paper Mill. He worked there from 1956 until 1988.

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

As a result of his asbestos-related disease, Norris alleges he has incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish. Further, 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.

Norris is seeking a judgment of more than $50,000, economic damages of more than $150,000, compensatory damages of more than $150,000, punitive and exemplary damages of more than $100,000 and punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish various defendants for their wrongdoing. (madisonrecord.com)

Charleston, WV: Elmer Lee Workman and his wife, Dorsey Workman, have filed an asbestos lawsuit naming 46 companies they claim are responsible for his asbestosis diagnosis.

On November 21, 2010, Mr. Workman was diagnosed with asbestosis. According to his lawsuit Workman was exposed to asbestos between 1939 and 1999, during which time he worked as a laborer and carpenter. From 1943 until 1945, Workman was in the U.S. Navy.

The defendants are being sued upon the theories of negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of expressed/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentations and post-sale duty to warn.

The 46 companies named as defendants in the suit are 3M Company; A.C.F. Industries, LLC, successor-in-interest to ACF Industries, Inc.; A.W. Chesterton Company; Brand Insulations, Inc.; CBS Corporation; Certainteed Corporation; Cleaver Brooks Company, Inc.; Columbus McKinnon Corporation; Copes-Vulcan, Inc.; Crane Company; Crown, Cork & Seal USA, Inc.; Eaton Corporation; Flowserve Corporation f/k/a the Duriron Company, Inc.; Flowserve Corporation as successor-in-interest to Durametallic Corporation; Ford Motor Company; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; General Electric Company, Inc.; Geo. V. Hamilton, Inc.; Georgia-Pacific, LLC; Grinnell Corporation; Hercules, Inc.; Honeywell International f/k/a Allied Signal, Inc.; Honeywell International, Inc.; IMO Industries, Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll-Rand Company; John Crane, Inc.; Kenova Box Company; Lockheed Martin Corporation; McJunkin Corporation; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Mobile Corporation; Oakfabco, Inc.; Ohio Valley Insulating Company, Inc.; Owens-Illinois, Inc.; Pneumo Abex Corporation; Premier Refractories, Inc.; Rapid American Corporation; Riley Power Inc.; Schneider Electric; Tasco Insulations, Inc.; Union Carbide Chemical & Plastics Company; Uniroyal, Inc.; Vimasco Corporation; Weil-McLain Company; and Yarway Corporation. (wvrecord.com)

Charleston, WV: Camden David Hudkins and his wife are suing 67 companies they claim are responsible for Mr. Hudkins’ diagnosis of asbestos mesothelioma.

Mr. Hudkins was an automotive mechanic at Cantrell Motors Ford in Weirton. He also performed residential construction work while employed at Yeonas Development Company in Fairfax, VA, according to his asbestos lawsuit. Hudkins claims he also worked as a laborer/helper at Weirton Steel Mill and performed maintenance and repair work on trucks and equipment for Hudkins’ Timber in Sutton.

Hudkins alleges that while employed in his various occupations, he was exposed to and did inhale asbestos dust and other dust from products of the defendants, which caused his mesothelioma. It was his exposure to asbestos during his working life that resulted in his diagnosis of asbestos-related mesothelioma, he claims in his lawsuit.

The defendants failed to warn Hudkins of the dangers of asbestos when they knew or should have known that exposure would cause disease and injury, according to the suit, and the defendants failed to exercise reasonable care to warn him of the dangers of being exposed to the products.

Hudkins claims the defendant also failed to inform him of what would be safe and sufficient apparel for a person who was exposed to or used asbestos products and failed to inform him of what would be safe, sufficient and proper protective equipment and appliances when using or being exposed to asbestos-containing products.

As a direct and proximate result of the defendants’ negligence, Hudkins suffered and will continue to suffer damages for medical treatment, drugs and other unknown remedial medical measures; great pain of the body and mind; embarrassment and inconvenience; loss of earning capacity; loss of enjoyment of life; and shortening of his life expectancy, according to the lawsuit.

The 67 companies named as defendants in the suit are A.O. Smith Corporation; Agco Corporation; Ajax Magnethermic Corp.; Allied Glove Corp.; American Optical Corporation; Aurora Pump Co.; Beazer East, Inc.; Borg-Warner Morse Tec, Inc.; Cameron International Corporation; CBS Corporation; Cleaver-Brooks, Inc.; Copes Vulcan, Inc.; Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc.; Dana Companies, LLC; Deere & Company; Dravo Corp.; Eichleay Corp.; F.B. Wright Co.; Fairmont Supply Company; Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust; FMC Corporation; Ford Motor Company; Foseco, Inc.; the Gage Company; Gardner Denver, Inc.; General Refractories Company; Georgia-Pacific, LLC; Goulds Pumps, Inc.; Grinnell, LLC; Hinchliffe & Keener, Inc.; Honeywell International, Inc.; IMO Industries, Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll Rand Company; Insul Company, Inc.; ITT Corporation; I.U. North America, Inc.; M.S. Jacobs & Associates, Inc.; Mallinckrodt, LLC; McCarls, Inc.; McJunkin Redman Corp.; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Mine Safety Appliances Company; Minnotte Contracting Corp.; Navistar, Inc.; Oglebay Norton Company; Pfizer, Inc.; Power Piping Co.; Premier Refractories, Inc.; Reading Crane; Riley Power, Inc.; RT Vanderbilt Company, Inc.; Rust Engineering & Construction, Inc.; Safety First Industries, Inc.; the Sager Corp.; Spirax Sarco, Inc.; Sterling Fluid Systems (USA), LLC; Taco, Inc.; Tasco Insulation, Inc.; Trane US, Inc.; Union Carbide Corporation; Vimasco Corporation; Warren Pumps, LLC; Washington Group International; the William Powell Company; Yarway Corporation; and Zurn Industries, LLC. (wvrecord.com)

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

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