A Louisiana man has filed a secondhand asbestos lawsuit against the company that employed him, his father and his family members claiming that secondhand asbestos exposure is the reason behind his asbestos mesothelioma.

Plaintiff Raymond B., his father Raymond B. Sr., and two of his uncles, Bernard B. and Harold H. worked at PPG Industries in Louisiana. According to this secondhand asbestos exposure lawsuit, all of the men listed, while working for PPG, were exposed to asbestos and asbestos products.

Raymond, even though he also worked for PPG Industries, claims that he experienced additional exposure to asbestos through secondhand asbestos exposure because of the fibers his father and uncles carried home on their clothing.

What is Secondhand Asbestos Exposure?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined from the earth for use in insulation products as well as fire retardant products. Undisturbed, asbestos is not considered dangerous.

However, when the fibers of asbestos are disturbed, they can be inhaled by those in the vicinity. Inhaled asbestos fibers are, in fact, dangerous because they may lodge in the lungs and the lung lining.

When asbestos fibers are inhaled either due to secondhand asbestos exposure or firsthand exposure and become lodged in the lungs, this can lead to inflammation. Over time, this inflammation can cause cancerous cells to grow, resulting in a number of different asbestos-related cancers. These include asbestos lung cancer and asbestos mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is the cancer of the lining of the lungs and is almost always connected to asbestos exposure, including secondhand asbestos exposure.

Some employees who work in asbestos-related fields may come home from work with asbestos fibers on their clothing. Due to the normal course of household work and interaction, the family members of those employees may inhale the secondhand asbestos fibers and may develop certain asbestos cancers as a result.

According to Raymond’s lawsuit, “when inhaled or otherwise ingested, asbestos, shortly after inhalation or ingestion causes irreparable and progressive damage that can manifest itself as asbestos-related pleural diseases, asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, and other diseases and injuries.”

There are many products containing asbestos with which both Raymond and his family members came into contact. According to this secondhand asbestos exposure lawsuit, these include pipes, pipe insulation, insulating cement, weather coating, ducts, gaskets and other construction materials.

He believes that the defendant knew or should have known because of industry and medical studies about the inherent health hazards regarding asbestos products and secondhand asbestos exposure. Raymond claims that he “has received injuries, both physically and mentally, including, without limitation, malignant mesothelioma.”

The employer did nothing, Raymond claims, to warn or protect himself or his family members of the dangers of handling asbestos products.

Raymond is bringing the counts of negligence and strict liability in different forms against his and his family members’ employers.

This Secondhand Asbestos Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-12646-MLCF-JVM in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.