A Navy veteran who served at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard says his mesothelioma cancer was caused by asbestos exposure during service.

Plaintiff Gary P. filed a lawsuit against Defendant Crane Company and other unidentified defendants for alleged injuries stemming from inhalation of asbestos products during his military service in the U.S. Navy, as he served on shipyards including one at Pearl Harbor.

According to his mesothelioma cancer lawsuit, Gary served from 1961 to 1963 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, where he was allegedly exposed to the asbestos around and on ships. As a result, he claims, he developed mesothelioma cancer with injuries to many parts of his body.

Defendant Crane Co. is the company that designed, manufactured, and marketed asbestos products that were the alleged source of Gary’s asbestos exposure, products he claims were defective and unsafe. Gary claims that these products caused his injuries, leading to damage all over his body including his lungs, chest cavity, and cardiovascular system. He also claims he suffered “shock, great pain of mind and body, fear of cancer, and fear of death.” He alleges that his mesothelioma cancer has caused him to incur medical bills and other related expenses plus wage losses.

Gary also states that Crane, along with other asbestos companies, knew since 1929 of medical and scientific data showing that their asbestos products were dangerous to people’s health. He claims that Crane did not inform him and others of this danger before exposure to the asbestos products. On top of that, he alleges, the mesothelioma cancer that he now has is a result of Crane’s negligence in its actions of producing, marketing, and using these asbestos products.

Prior to  around 1990, asbestos use was much more widespread, and people were less aware of this prevalence. If a person is exposed to asbestos, there is a higher risk of mesothelioma cancer and other types of cancer in the abdomen or chest cavity. An estimated 100,000 people either have died from asbestos-related diseases.

Even today, many building materials still contain some asbestos, so it is possible for people to be exposed to this deadly material. Mesothelioma typically takes decades to develop, sometimes as long as 40 or 50 years. As a result, there are still mesothelioma cancer deaths occurring today that are linked to exposure that happened many years ago.

Even if a person has never handled or worked with asbestos, they could be at risk for mesothelioma cancer if someone in their household was exposed. Workers exposed to asbestos on the job may bring home asbestos dust on their clothes, endangering others in their household.

Mesothelioma patients and their families are taking legal action all across the country, resulting in millions of dollars’ worth of civil judgments and settlements. On top of those who were exposed, spouses also can file lawsuits due to the loss of intimacy and they can become co-plaintiffs.

The Mesothelioma Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-00313-LEK-RLP, in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit in the State of Hawaii.