Asbestos News Roundup: 3.1.13 – Veterans & Asbestos

March 1st, 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.

US Veterans and Merchant Marines at Risk for Asbestos Disease

Beginning in the 1930s, nearly all ships built by the US Navy—including submarines—contained insulation or other machine parts containing asbestos. From that time, until the 1970s, when the US Navy stopped using asbestos in shipbuilding, thousands of US Navy Veterans and former Merchant Marines who served during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and other conflicts were exposed to harmful levels of asbestos, placing them at risk of developing mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis or other asbestos diseases. Shipyard workers, boiler mechanics, electricians and pipefitters who handled asbestos products are also at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases.

Because of the long latency period of the disease, it may take up to 30 years—or more—before Veterans who were exposed to asbestos begin to develop the first symptoms of mesothelioma or other asbestos-related cancers.

Many Veterans who were exposed to asbestos during their time in the military have filed lawsuits against the companies who manufactured asbestos products and the equipment that utilized these products on board US Navy and Merchant Marine ships. In their lawsuits, the Veterans’ alleged they were not warned about the risks of asbestos exposure, even when the companies who manufactured these asbestos products were fully aware of the danger they posed.

Asbestos Lawsuits

Jefferson County, TX: Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Shell Oil are among the companies facing an asbestos lawsuit brought by the widow and children of Louis Darjean who died from asbestos-related lung cancer. According to the lawsuit Darjean was exposed to asbestos through his work as a supervisor at the defendants’ refineries. The lawsuit claims that during his work, Louis Darjean was exposed to asbestos fibers and dust, which caused his disease and subsequent death, the complaint says.

Pamela Herbert, Mary Darjean and Ricky Darjean also name Huntsman Petrochemical, Guard-line, Triplex, Elliott Turbomachinery, Yarway Corporation and Zurn Industries as defendants in their asbestos lawsuit, alleging they knew about the harms of asbestos for decades, but failed to warn Louis Darjean of the product’s danger and failed to ensure that its employees were not exposed to the carcinogen. (setexasrecord.com)

Charleston, WV: 55 companies have been named as defendants in an asbestos lawsuit brought by a man who claims they are responsible for his asbestos-related lung injury.

Charles William Dawson has been diagnosed with asbestosis, which, he alleges in his lawsuit, is a result of his exposure to asbestos and/or asbestos-containing products during his employment at various job sites in West Virginia from 1960 until 2010.

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

Dawson is seeking a jury trial to resolve all issues involved. He is being represented by Bronwyn I. Rinehart of James F. Humphreys & Associates.

The 55 defendants named in the suit include: 3M Company; Aleris International, Inc.; A.W. Chesterton Company; Borg-Warner Corporation; Brand Insulations, Inc.; CBS Corporation; Certainteed Corporation; Cleaver Brooks Company; Columbus McKinnon Corporation; and Copes-Vulcan, Inc. (wvrecord.com)

Charleston, WV:  A couple from Huntington have named 61 companies as being responsible for Robert Leon Null’s recent diagnosis of asbestosis. Mr. Null was diagnosed with asbestosis on February 7, 2011, according to the Null’s asbestos lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims that it was during his employment as an insulator and machinist, from 1959 until 2013, that Mr. Null was exposed to asbestos and/or asbestos-containing products.

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

Certain defendants are also being sued as premise owners and as Robert Null’s employers for deliberate intent/intentional tort, according to the suit.

The 61 defendants named in the suit are: 3M Company; A.W. Chesterton Company; American Electric Power Company Inc.; American Electric Power Service Corporation; Appalachian Power Company; Ashland Inc.; Beazer East Inc.; Borg-Warner Corporation; Brand Insulations Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; Cleaver-Brooks Inc.; Cooper Industries Inc.; Copes-Vulcan Inc.; Crane Co.; Crown Cork & Seal USA Inc.; Dravo Corporation; Eaton Electrical Inc.; Flowserve Corporation; FMC Corporation; Ford Motor Company; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; General Electric Company Inc.; Genuine Parts Company; Georgia Pacific Corporation; Goulds Pumps Inc.; Grinnell LLC; Hercules Inc.; Honeywell International; IMO Industries Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll-Rand Company; ITT Corporation; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Mack Trucks Inc.; McJunkin Corporation; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Nitro Industrial Coverings Inc.; Ohio Valley Electric Corporation; Ohio Valley Insulating Company Inc.; Owens-Illinois Inc.; Rapid American Corporation; Riley Power Inc.; Rockwell Automation Inc.; Rust Constructors Inc.; Rust Engineering & Construction Inc.; Sargent & Lundy, LLC; Schneider Electric; State Electric Supply Company; Sterling Fluid Systems (USA) LLC; Tasco Insulations Inc.; UB West Virginia Inc.; Union Carbide Chemical & Plastics Company; Uniroyal Inc.; United Conveyer Corporation; United Engineers & Constructors and Washington Group International; Viacom Inc.; Vimasco Corporation; Warren Pumps Inc.; West Virginia Electric Supply Company; Yarway Corporation; and Zurn Industries Inc. (wvrecord.com)

 

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

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