Asbestos News Roundup: 4.11.13 – Surgeon General’s Asbestos Statement

April 11th, 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.

No Safe Level of Asbestos Exposure – Surgeon General Issues Statement

On April 1, 2013, as part of National Asbestos Awareness Week, the US Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, issued a statement concerning asbestos exposure. In short, the message is that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.

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

Charleston, WV: Wayne Junior Rider, who was diagnosed with an asbestos related lung injury on January 28, 2012, has filed an asbestos lawsuit naming 55 companies he alleges are responsible for his illness.

In his lawsuit, Rider claims the defendants exposed him to asbestos and/or asbestos-containing products during his employment at various work sites in and around West Virginia from 1944 until 1980.

Rider is suing the defendants based upon the theories of negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of expressed/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentation and post-sale duty to warn.

Certain defendants are also being sued as premises owners and as Rider’s employers for deliberate intent/intentional tort, according to the lawsuit.

The 55 defendants in the suit include: 3M Company; A.C.F. Industries; A.W. Chesterton Company; Aurora Pump Company; Borg-Warner Corporation; Brand Insulations, Inc.; Buffalo Pumps, Inc.; CBS Corporation; Certainteed Corporation; and Cleaver-Brooks Company, Inc. (wvrecord.com)

Jefferson County, TX: Ann Skelton, the recent widow of Robert Skelton, has filed an asbestos lawsuit naming E.I. DuPont De Nemours as the defendant. In her lawsuit, Skelton claims the company exposed her late husband to asbestos throughout the course of his career, and that exposure subsequently led to the illness which caused his death.

According to the lawsuit, DuPont employed Robert at its Beaumont Works facility, where he was exposed to asbestos containing products.

The lawsuit alleges that as a result, he developed lung cancer, “from which he died a painful and terrible death on February 6, 2013.”

The defendant is accused of using benzene products without warning workers of the health risks and failing to take proper safety precautions. Skelton alleges the defendant acted with malice, entitling her to exemplary damages. (setexasrecord.com)

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

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