The family of a man who died of lung cancer is suing the manufacturer of products he handled while working as a general laborer, claiming it failed to warn him of the potential health hazards of asbestos exposure.

Hilton Jacob Jr. died of lung cancer on Sept. 2, 2013. His family alleges in a recent asbestos lawsuit that his death was directly caused by his exposure to hazardous levels of raw blue asbestos from products manufactured by CSR Limited.

CSR Limited owns the supply company that regularly sold equipment to Jacob’s former employer, Johns Manville.

The family’s asbestos exposure lawsuit says Jacob worked as a general laborer for the defendants from April 17, 1957 to Oct. 23, 1967. On the job, he regularly worked with raw blue asbestos, due to his occupational duties of his job. At no point in time did the defendant provide any safety equipment or protective masks to the decedent, nor did they warn him about the potential health hazards of asbestos, the asbestos lawsuit claims.

The Jacobs family accuse the defendant of supplying and exposing the decedent to the dangerous substance, which ultimately led to his illness and death.

The family is filing various product liability and wrongful death charges against the defendant, including: negligence, misrepresenting a product, and concealing information. The company is also being accused of selling an unreasonably dangerous product and causing unnecessary asbestos exposure, and possibly second-hand asbestos exposure.

The family is seeking damages for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, physical disability, medical expenses, loss of income and benefits, loss of love and affection, and other similar charges.

Overview of Asbestos Lung Cancer

Asbestos is a construction material that was popularly used before the 1990s for its fire and chemical resistant qualities. It was cheap and easy to install, easing construction costs for various realtors and manufacturing companies. Asbestos fibers are up to 700x smaller than a human hair, so many people do not realize that they are in an asbestos environment or that they have been exposed.

While undisturbed the material is harmless, these asbestos fibers can cause devastating health consequences if accidentally inhaled. Asbestos fibers can also attach to clothing, making it possible for second-hand asbestos exposure to occur in the home.

One of the most commonly reported consequences of asbestos exposure is asbestos lung cancer.

Lung cancer by itself is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with up to 200,000 new victims per year. While the cause of lung cancer varies between patients, it has been reported that some of the most severe cases of lung cancer have been caused by asbestos exposure.

Unlike mesothelioma which affects the mucus linings of the lungs, abdomen and chest cavity, asbestos lung cancer affects the entire lung organ. The fibers of asbestos scratch and scar the patient’s lungs when inhaled and give way for the potential development of cancer.

Unfortunately, many workers who were exposed to asbestos sometime in their life are not aware of the fatal consequences they could be in for. Doctors often do not catch asbestos lung cancer until 20 to 50 years after initial asbestos exposure, due to its slow-paced development.

It is this very reason that so many asbestos lawsuits are popping up around the country, turning asbestos injury litigation into the longest-running mass tort in the history of the United States. As of now, thousands of asbestos lawsuits are being filed across the country, with plaintiffs alleging their employers negligently exposed them to asbestos.