For purposes of this article, the mesothelioma victim in this case will be referred to as Ms. M.D.M.
Many years have passed since asbestos fibers that originated from vermiculite mines blew around Libby, Montana. Vermiculite and asbestos form under similar conditions, and therefore, asbestos contaminated Libby’s vermiculite deposit. Decades of mining in the vermiculite mines exposed workers and residents to toxic asbestos. Asbestos is a dangerous substance that can cause aggressive and fatal diseases. One of the most aggressive and fatal illnesses asbestos causes is mesothelioma. Decades after asbestos fibers blew around Libby, Montana, the tragic toll of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses persists. Victims and their families continue to seek justice and compensation against the entities responsible for their illnesses and deaths. In an upcoming court case, the family of a mesothelioma victim who passed away avoided sanctions BNSF Railway, the defendant, was seeking. BNSF was seeking sanctions because the family had cremated their loved one’s remains before they could get additional tissue samples for testing. Below is more on this case.
Among the many ongoing cases in Libby, Montana, is Ms. M.D.M. Ms. M’s case against MNSF Railway was filed two years ago. Initially, the defendant received tissue samples from Ms. M’s lung, but BNSF asked for more samples. The defendant asked the victim’s family to preserve her organ tissues in the event of death. However, the family did not respond to this request until days before Ms. M.D.M.’s death. According to the family, they could not accept the defendant’s request because of religion. Also, the family cited privacy concerns.