Asbestos & Mesothelioma Law Blog
A virtual mesothelioma cancer trial recently got underway via Zoom in a Washington state court with each side presenting their opening arguments to the 16 person jury in Seattle. King County, Wash., is one of the most active jurisdictions in the country when it comes to virtual hearings during coronavirus pandemic. The judge presiding over the case did so from her courtroom, while all the other parties logged into Zoom from their remote locations.
According to the mesothelioma cancer lawsuit , filed in Superior Court of Washington for King County, the plaintiff worked as a boiler worker in a shipyard replacing asbestos containing parts manufactured by Alabama-based Pryor-Giggey Co., a refractory company acquired by Allied Mineral Products Inc. in 2017. The plaintiff performed boiler upgrades on U.S. Navy ships, which involved removing and replacing asbestos-containing castable refractory named Lite-Wate, a heat-resistant material that lines the inside of the boiler.
The victim asserts that in the course of ripping out and replacing these asbestos containing refractories, a large amount of dust was created, and that it contained asbestos fibers which he would routinely inhale during the course of his daily work at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard during the 1970’s. The mesothelioma cancer lawsuit goes on to state that the dangers of asbestos exposure had already been well known in the industry by then, but the defendant continued to use the carcinogenic product in its parts supplied to shipyards.
As is common in many mesothelioma cancer lawsuits, the defendants in this case have denied their responsibility for causing the plaintiff’s cancer and have pointed to other alleged sources of the victim’s asbestos exposure. The plaintiff is seeking damages for his pain and suffering, as well as past and future medical bills to treat his mesothelioma cancer.
Asbestos was once commonly used in a variety of military, industrial, and construction applications or its heat resistant properties and ability to be molded to fit the necessary application. However, the naturally occurring mineral is also highly carcinogenic and exposure is linked directly to developing mesothelioma , a rare and deadly form of cancer that commonly affects the thin linings of tissue surrounding vital organs such as the lungs and heart, as well as the abdominal cavity.
Despite knowing for decades about the health risks associated with asbestos exposure, many industrial manufacturers continued to use asbestos in their products – putting profits of the wellbeing of innocent consumers. Unfortunately, it was not until the mid 1970s that federal legislation effectively banned the use of asbestos in everyday items but by that point, potentially millions of people had already been exposed to the carcinogen.
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If you or a loved one were diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact our office to speak to one of our experienced 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.