A family has filed a lawsuit after a man developed fatal mesothelioma after years of working with asbestos.

Joseph C. was diagnosed with fatal mesothelioma in September 2017, after allegedly working on job sites for decades where he inhaled asbestos fibers. He died Nov. 13, 2017.

According to the family’s lawsuit, Joseph’s initial contact with asbestos fibers allegedly occurred in 1954 when he joined the U.S. Navy. While he was in basic training, he lived in the barracks. He was assigned duties of cleaning the barracks on a daily basis, “sweeping up and disturbing the asbestos-containing insulation dust that fell from the asbestos insulated pipes running throughout the barracks.”

After that, he trained as an engineman, which allegedly involved removing and replacing asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets and packing materials.

Joseph’s engineman training enabled him to work as an Assault Boat Engineer aboard a Navy tugboat, where he also removed and replaced asbestos-laced insulation, gaskets and packing materials, the family says.

Joseph also worked aboard the ship Newell while it was repaired at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and aboard the Saginaw while it was overhauled at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base.

He followed up with work as an Engineer Officer who performed inspections and supervised work of others who were removing, cutting and applying asbestos-containing materials in mechanical spaces aboard ships.

In addition to his work experience with asbestos, Joseph allegedly worked on vehicles he owned throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He worked with asbestos-containing brake and clutch components.

Fatal Mesothelioma Lawsuit Allegations

According to the fatal mesothelioma lawsuit, Crane and its alternate entities allegedly failed to warn Joseph and fellow workers of the high risks of injury or death from asbestos exposure.  The companies allegedly “consciously and actively concealed and suppressed” the dangers of asbestos from those who were exposed to asbestos fibers and from the general public.

The family of Joseph C. alleges in their lawsuit that in the pursuit of financial gain, the companies allegedly disregarded Joseph’s safety and that of other exposed workers. Despite assurances they were in a safe working environment, Joseph and his coworkers allegedly were exposed to “unreasonable risk of bodily harm” through their exposure to asbestos dust and asbestos fibers.

Fatal Mesothelioma Facts

Fatal mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of an organ, most often the lining of the lungs. According to the American Cancer Society, mesothelioma develops in the pleura, which is the thin membrane between the lungs and the chest wall. Victims suffer from breathing problems, chest pain and fever.

Fatal mesothelioma is most often seen in people who have been exposed to asbestos, but the disease develops 20 to 50 years after initial exposure.

If you were exposed to asbestos and developed mesothelioma, you could benefit from speaking with an experienced lawyer regarding your options.

The Fatal Mesothelioma Lawsuit is Case is Case No. 3:18-cv-05228-SI in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division.