Armstrong International Inc. and other manufacturers are facing a new asbestos disease lawsuit, which was recently filed by a grieving widow alleging her husband died from mesothelioma cancer.

The woman alleges her husband was regularly exposed to asbestos during his career at a United States Navy shipyard, which allegedly caused him to develop mesothelioma cancer.

Plaintiff Sherri D. is filing this asbestos disease lawsuit on behalf of her late husband Thomas D., who allegedly died from mesothelioma cancer. Mesothelioma cancer is specifically caused by asbestos exposure when victims either inhale or swallow asbestos fibers in the surrounding environment.

These environments can include work environments in manufacturing plants or shipyards, where asbestos used to be commonly used. This was also allegedly the case with Thomas, who was reportedly exposed to asbestos throughout the course of his career.

According to his asbestos disease lawsuit, Thomas worked at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard from 1974 to 1981 as an apprentice, journeyman and outside machinist. During his time at the shipyard, Thomas was reportedly exposed to asbestos from the products manufactured and supplied by the defendants named in this lawsuit.

Sherri alleges that due to this regular asbestos exposure, Thomas was eventually diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer in February 2015. Even though Thomas received treatment for mesothelioma cancer, he ultimately died from the disease, Sherri says.

Sherri filed this asbestos disease lawsuit soon after his death, alleging the companies had failed to warn her husband and other people against the potential risks associated with their products.

Overview of Mesothelioma Cancer

Asbestos was popularly used for a wide range of manufacturing and construction purposes before the 1980s because of its fire and chemical resistant qualities. In addition to these qualities asbestos was also cheap to use.

Asbestos reached its peak in popularity during World War II, when it was implemented in a number of different United States Navy shipyards for insulation purposes. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started warning against the use of asbestos in the 1980s due to potential carcinogenic concerns.

The EPA soon declared asbestos as a carcinogen, which means it could cause cancer if inhaled. When asbestos fibers enter the body, they can become embedded in the mucus lining of the lungs and may eventually cause mesothelioma cancer.

It is important to note that mesothelioma cancer is a slow progressing disease, which can take up to 50 years to evolve to a stage where patients exhibit symptoms. This means that patients are often diagnosed at a late stage with limited treatment options, along with a shortened life expectancies.

Due to the serious nature of asbestos exposure, the EPA has implemented strict rules over the years to minimize the damage. The federal government has strict policies in place for asbestos removal, imposing penalties if a person is found to have disposed of the asbestos in an unsafe way.

In addition, manufacturing companies are required to provide disclosures to their clients and employees that they are working with asbestos, along with the potential health risks.

Armstrong International and the other companies named in the mesothelioma cancer lawsuit allegedly failed to do this, which allegedly caused Thomas to develop and later die from mesothelioma cancer. Sherri is seeking damages for the death of her husband.

This Mesothelioma Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-05527, in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Washington, at Tacoma.