A recent widow has filed a new lawsuit against a slew of companies after her husband’s death, alleging his fatal cancer was a product of occupational asbestos exposure.

The plaintiff, Lydia P., filed the lawsuit on behalf of her late husband, Joseph P. The lawsuit alleges that Joseph’s occupational asbestos exposure throughout decades of work as a machine operator, equipment technician, and similar positions at other jobs, all led to his cancer diagnoses that ultimately proved fatal.

The companies named in the lawsuit as causing occupational asbestos exposure include Aurora Pump, Bridgestone/Firestone, Carrier Corp., General Electric, and dozens of others. According to the lawsuit, these companies were each responsible for the manufacture, sale, and distribution of asbestos and asbestos-containing products that allowed the dangerous occupational asbestos exposure to occur in the first place.

Joseph began working at a factory in Pennsylvania in 1964, and worked for a number of different companies throughout his career as a technician, machine operator, and worker in auto parts departments. He worked in these or similar capacities until his death in 2015. During this time, occupational asbestos exposure caused him to develop cancer. He also suffered occupational asbestos exposure during his time with the U.S. Navy in the 1960s, the lawsuit alleges.

Joseph was diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer on Nov. 10, 2015, which the lawsuit claims was a direct result of his occupational asbestos exposure over the decades. Joseph died from the illness on Dec. 19, 2015, leaving his wife Lydia behind. Lydia filed the occupational asbestos exposure lawsuit on Joseph’s behalf.

Basics of Asbestos

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that used to be popular for commercial purposes such as electrical or building insulation, as well as countless others. However, the material is now known to be hazardous, and regulations regarding the use of asbestos have been in place for decades.

The microscopic fibers of asbestos can accumulate in a person’s lungs via the air, attacking the lining of the lungs, and then quickly spreads to distant organs. Asbestos exposure can cause several serious health problems, the worst of which is mesothelioma cancer.

In many cases, mesothelioma can take decades to develop, so it is often diagnosed at a late stage of development, when it has reached its later and more dangerous stage of development. Even though the use of asbestos has been heavily regulated in the last few decades, this delay in cancer development means that those exposed to asbestos decades ago are only now being diagnosed with life-threatening cancer.

Filing a Lawsuit Over Occupational Asbestos Exposure

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with or died from an asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma cancer after occupational asbestos exposure, you may be able to file a mesothelioma lawsuit.

Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of cancer like mesothelioma, or bring a loved one back to life, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical bills and lost wages.

The Occupational Asbestos Exposure Lawsuit is Case No. 8610-0001, in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.