Asbestos & Mesothelioma Law Blog
An asbestos cancer trial recently got under way in Circuit Court in Illinois over allegations thst the defendants knew about the asbestos contained in their products but did nothing to warn the plaintiff or others about the risk of asbestos exposure. The lawsuit names Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation, Inc. as the only remaining defendant in the case and seeks to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. As is common in many asbestos cancer lawsuits, the defendants would rather take their case to trial than accept responsibility for their negligence.
According to the asbestos cancer lawsuit, filed in St. Clair County, Illinois, the plaintiff began working for Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation soon after graduating high school in 1968, making a career out of it. The company was in the business of installing various types of insulation, including asbestos insulation, fiberglass insulation, foam insulation, and eventually asbestos abatement for other companies.
The asbestos cancer lawsuit claims that the defendant improperly removed asbestos at the company’s work site after investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigators determined the asbestos insulation covering pipes at the facility posed a health risk to workers. Testimony from one witness for the plaintiff claimed that Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation left behind large amounts of carcinogenic debris, which forced the evacuation of the facility on at least one occasion.
Asbestos was once commonly used in a number of commercial, industrial, and military applications because it was inexpensive, could be molded into a variety of shapes and sizes, and had excellent heat-resistant qualities. However, asbestos is also directly linked to a rare and deadly form of cancer called mesothelioma. The disease commonly affects the thin linings of tissue surrounding vitals organs like the heart, lungs, and abdomen.
Although federal authorities did not begin regulating the use of asbestos until the mid-1970s, companies manufacturing and using asbestos products had already known for decades about the serious health risks that exposure to the substance posed. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people have developed mesothelioma over the past decades and prompted lawsuits on behalf of victims and their families to hold wrongdoers accountable and recover vital compensation.
Unfortunately for the plaintiff in this case, he passed away before trial. Because of the 20-to-50-year latency period it takes for mesothelioma to develop after exposure, many victims are left with little time to live after receiving their diagnosis. Although there are many promising treatments on the horizon for asbestos cancer patients, there is still no cure for the disease and many patients are left only with the options to surgically remove tumors and treat the disease with radiation and chemotherapy.
Nationwide Mesothelioma Lawyer
If you or a loved one were diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact our office to speak to one of our experienced nationwide mesothelioma attorneys about your situation. Our office can help investigate your case and determine if compensation can be sought from negligent parties to help pay for your medical treatment to help you and your family live a more comfortable life.
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