Damages sought by family after man dies of asbestosis

The family of a man exposed to asbestos on the job has recently filed a lawsuit claiming that exposure to the toxic materials contributed to his devastating death. The man was reportedly employed by Gulf Oil/Chevron and worked with products that contained asbestos before he died.

Cases like this one are tragically not uncommon. People all over the U.S. have gotten sick or died after being exposed to asbestos on the job. Many people were exposed when they worked directly with products made with asbestos but did not have adequate protection from breathing in the airborne fibers. According to the recent lawsuit, this is how the man developed asbestosis.

The man’s family is seeking compensation from his former employer. They argue that the company knew workers were exposed to asbestos, but failed to provide workers with adequate protection. They want the company to take responsibility for the man’s injuries and are seeking punitive and exemplary damages.

Asbestos has long been known to be a toxic material, and safety precautions have been available for quite some time as well. However, many parties have chosen to ignore these precautions in an attempt to save time and money. Decades ago, there was significantly less transparency when it came to workplace safety violations, and employers felt like they could get away with that.

This is why so many victims are now being diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness. It is important for victims and their families to remember, however, that just because the exposure may have happened as long as 50 years ago does not mean they do not have legal options.

Asbestos claims can be filed long after the exposure happened, but they must be filed within a certain time of a person’s diagnosis or death. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, you may want to speak with an attorney sooner, rather than later, in order to understand what options you have for taking legal action.

Source: The Southeast Texas Record, “Family of recently deceased man files asbestos lawsuit,” Kelly Holleran, Oct. 3, 2014