Plaintiff Richard N. has filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania federal court against A.O. Smith Corp. and more than three dozen other manufacturers of asbestos-containing products, alleging those products exposed him to asbestos and caused his lung cancer.

Richard is a resident and citizen of the state of Arizona, the asbestos lung cancer lawsuit iterates. He says he was exposed to asbestos at all sites where he had worked, the asbestos lung cancer lawsuit maintains, and that exposure is what led to his diagnosis of lung cancer in October 2016.

The asbestos lung cancer lawsuit states that A.O. Smith has its place of business located in Wisconsin and at all times “sold asbestos containing products or designed its products to contain asbestos.”

The company had purportedly sold products such as boilers and gaskets. Richard allegedly inhaled asbestos dust that originated from these parts, leading to his diagnosis of lung cancer.

Richard files the following claims against the defendants: 1) Negligence, 2) Strict Liability, 3) Conspiracy to Hide the Hazards of Asbestos Pursuant to Negligence and Punitive Damages Claims, and 4) Breach of Warranty.

Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuit Facts

Asbestos lung cancer is a rare type of lung cancer. There are roughly 4% of cancer-related deaths that occur each year in association with lung cancer. In addition, among deaths due to lung cancer, 90% of those are the result of smoking.

The association between asbestos and lung cancer was discovered in 1935, when medical researchers had first discovered the correlation between the two. Seven years later, after the discovery, the National Cancer Institute, confirmed the link between asbestos exposure and lung cancer. And, thereafter, several scientific studies had continued linking the causal effect between the two.

However, due to the long latency period of lung cancer after a person has been exposed to asbestos, asbestos lung cancer is typically not diagnosed at an early stage. It is rather verified at the conditions late state of development.

Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, has been used in the United States since the 1800s and has been in use primarily for its industrial purposes.

The U.S. government has classified asbestos as a human carcinogen. Exposure of an individual to asbestos occurs when the asbestos product sends out microscopic fibers into the air. The fibers become trapped into the lungs. Once trapped in the lungs, the asbestos fibers can accumulate. This then, causes severe adverse health effects and complications, including the development of lung cancer.

The signs of an individual who has become exposed to asbestos are not clear right away. The development of lung cancer is also dependent on an individual’s genetics, health habits, and the duration to which asbestos exposure had lasted for.

Occupations of those most prone to asbestos exposure include auto mechanics, insulation installer, tilers, paper mill workers, sheet metal workers, linotype technicians, construction workers, textile workers, plumbers, and toll collectors.

The Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-04428-ER, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.