A former Navy shipyard worker filed an asbestos lung cancer lawsuit against several of his former employers, alleging they negligently exposed him to asbestos.

Plaintiff Billy Way filed the asbestos cancer lawsuit along with his wife. He worked for a number of different employers that used asbestos in their day-to-day operations including a Navy shipyard, Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, and Lockheed Martin. The asbestos cancer lawsuit states that Way was diagnosed with lung cancer in August of 2012.

Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral that came into widespread use during the Industrial Revolution due to its extremely useful properties. Asbestos consists of clumps of microscopic glass-like fibers with a consistency similar to cotton. The structure of asbestos makes it both extremely heat-resistant and virtually fireproof — even at industrial temperatures. The applications for asbestos were seemingly endless as a fireproofing material and an insulator. Products as diverse as plumbing tools and space shuttle components used asbestos. However, health concerns led the United States to phase out and eventually ban asbestos.

Despite its usefulness, asbestos had deadly drawbacks. The same microscopic fibers can work their way into the body, damaging DNA and promoting diseases like asbestos lung cancer. Within decades of its regular use, doctors and researchers noticed that people who worked with asbestos suffered a higher rate of various diseases. In one of the seminal observations of the occupational health field, various lung diseases were linked to asbestos exposure. However, even as evidence mounted that asbestos exposure led to higher rates of mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other diseases, companies continued to mine, manufacture and sell the material until it was banned.

Asbestos lawsuits like the one filed by the Ways allege that companies endangered workers’ health by using asbestos. Such lawsuits allege that companies put profits ahead of the well-being of their employees, leading to illnesses like  asbestos lung cancer. Many larger corporations that once worked with asbestos (and successor companies that inherited their legal responsibilities) have prepared multi-billion-dollar trusts to cope with asbestos claims. Other companies have gone bankrupt from multi-million dollar payouts for asbestos lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related illnesses.