A Washington jury has awarded $3.5 million to the family of a former refinery worker who unknowingly placed his wife and children at risk for developing asbestos mesothelioma through secondary exposure.

This is the largest state pay-out to a family exposed to asbestos which led to the death of their father, Raymond B. and their mother Barbara B. The jury in the asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit, filed by Barbara and Raymond before their untimely deaths, found the defendant Brand Insulations liable for negligence.

The Raymond and Barbara filed the asbestos cancer lawsuit in August 2014 against the following seven defendants: Brand Insulations, ARCO, Kaiser Gypsum, Metalclad Insulation, Metropolitan Life Insurance, Hanson Permanente Cement, and Union Carbide.

All but Brand Insulations settled with the family out of court.

According to the asbestos lawsuit, the ARCO refinery had four showers available for its 200 employees, so rather than waiting for hours to shower after work, Raymond came home to his wife and eight kids in his work clothes. His wife Barbara would wash his clothes and clean up the dust not knowing the invisible asbestos fibers were being inadvertently inhaled and stored inside her lungs eventually causing asbestos mesothelioma.

Raymond died in January 2015 of various illnesses including asbestosis. Barbara died of asbestos mesothelioma on April 19, 2015, the day before the closing arguments in the Brand lawsuit.

Asbestos Exposure Complications

No longer considered a rare form of lung cancer, asbestos mesothelioma is responsible for an estimated 5,000 deaths in the United States annually. The primary victims are workers like Raymond who were exposed to the cheap product commonly used in construction materials for prolonged periods of time.

These professionals unknowingly inhale the jagged asbestos fibers that are nearly 700 times smaller than a human fiber, making them all but invisible to the naked eye. The asbestos fibers then begin to build-up, blocking the cell’s natural ability to defend against cancer. While asbestos mesothelioma may take an average of 15 to 35 years to develop after initial exposure, it can take just a few months to spread from the lungs to other organs including the heart.

Recent studies have shown that in addition to professionals being exposed to the life-threatening asbestos fibers, families are at a high risk for secondary exposure which also leaves them vulnerable to developing mesothelioma. Asbestos fibers can cling to clothes, hair and other items which place families of asbestos workers at a serious risk for exposure.

Mesothelioma is almost always in a later stage of development when diagnosed. Some of the symptoms include: fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, abdominal swelling and retaining fluids.

Asbestos Cancer Lawsuits

This Washington state asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit is just one of thousands being filed by plaintiffs who claim that manufacturers of building materials and supplies containing asbestos as well as employers failed to warn workers of the high risks of lung cancer associated with exposure to asbestos.

As one of the largest litigation movements in U.S. history, the number of asbestos cancer lawsuits continues to grow with more than 600,000 plaintiffs so far. If you have been exposed to asbestos and show symptoms of asbestos mesothelioma you may qualify to file an asbestos lawsuit.