A wrongful death asbestos lawsuit was dismissed in Washington state this month. A man allegedly developed asbestos mesothelioma after working at a now bankrupt subsidiary of Pfizer Inc.

The estate of James O. alleged in the asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit that Pfizer was responsible for causing the mesothelioma and death of James, who was allegedly exposed to asbestos through Quigley Co. This former Pfizer subsidiary produced an insulation product called Insulag which contained asbestos.

The plaintiffs claimed that Pfizer was responsible for Quigley because of the Pfizer logo on some Quigley products in addition to a Quigley building being a “Pfizer construction site,” says the asbestos lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge Robert Bryan decided that the asbestos lawsuit could not hold Pfizer accountable because it was not the actual manufacturer of the asbestos product. He stated, “there is no evidence that Pfizer was in the ‘chain of distribution’” for the dangerous products.

Quigley was faced with numerous asbestos mesothelioma lawsuits after customers claimed their products caused them to develop asbestos mesothelioma. The company went bankrupt in 2004 after over 150,000 asbestos lawsuits were filed against them.

Several other asbestos mesothelioma lawsuits sought to prove that Pfizer was responsible for mesothelioma cases, but the court has often stated that Pfizer was not responsible for Quigley asbestos products.

Pfizer said that it is sorry for the loss of James but that it is glad to be cleared of all blame for this case.

While this wrongful death asbestos lawsuit was unsuccessful, many asbestos mesothelioma lawsuits have had success. Millions have already been awarded to asbestos mesothelioma victims. Companies such as Arco, Chevron, U.S. Steel, and dozens of other corporations have been faced with asbestos lawsuits.

Asbestos fibers may enter the body from products used at construction sites, in the insulation of millions of buildings, or from various other sources. Once entered, the asbestos fibers may remain in the body for years before mesothelioma is diagnosed. Some have been diagnosed 20 to 50 years after the initial asbestos exposure.

Asbestos exposure has lessened as more and more people are becoming aware of asbestos mesothelioma risks. It is no longer used in new buildings, but some buildings built as late as the 2000s may still put individuals at risk for asbestos mesothelioma.

Asbestos exposure risks are greater for shipyard workers, construction workers, roofers, and U.S. Navy and Military. Many are unaware that their work or living environment could lead to a potentially deadly mesothelioma.

Defendants may try to claim that a plaintiff’s smoking habit was the true cause of asbestos mesothelioma, but many have been able to prove that it was the asbestos fibers which lead to the mesothelioma.

This Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawsuit is Case No. 14-cv-5084, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.