A man has filed an asbestos lung cancer lawsuit claiming years of working in and around toxic dust made him ill.

Plaintiff Randolph M. was diagnosed with asbestos lung cancer in October 2017. He said he began working with asbestos-related products in 1961, which is the year he started working on vehicles for himself, family members and friends.

He said he took auto shop classes in high school from 1961 through 1965. During those years, he worked on cars for friends, classmates, and teachers.

His way with a wrench became noticed, and he said he was employed as a professional race car mechanic, machinist, and fabricator from 1965 to 1970. His work included changing brakes, clutches, and gaskets, all of which caused him to be exposed to asbestos.

He also used arc grinding machines to grind brakes to fit and machined disc brakes and clutches. He said even when he was not doing such work, he was in the immediate vicinity while others were doing similar work with asbestos-based vehicle parts.

Randolph said he worked as a machinist and welder at California Electric Works from 1970 to 1972. During those years, he overhauled electric motors, many of which were located aboard ships. He also said he repaired electrical equipment, including motor controllers. He sometimes needed to work aboard the ships to repair motors, during which time he said he was exposed to asbestos from the work of other tradesmen working on the ships in addition to the asbestos exposure he suffered from his own work.

In the mid-1970s, Randolph said he was a bystander at the sites of both residential and commercial construction work, which he alleges also led to asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Lung Cancer Allegations

Randolph accuses a long list of defendants who he alleges were negligent in causing him to become exposed to asbestos because of the removal and installation of asbestos-based products.

Randolph said his asbestos lung cancer was caused, in part, by the asbestos dust from brake assemblies.

“The friction resulted in abrasion of the lining and the release of asbestos dust, which was encapsulated in the brake or clutch assembly. As such, the clutch and brake assemblies were intended to be used in a way that inevitably exposed users to asbestos dust,” alleges the asbestos lung cancer lawsuit.

In positions where Randolph was provided a respirator, the lawsuit alleges the respirators were not adequate to protect him from asbestos dust. According to the asbestos lung cancer lawsuit, the defendants allegedly concealed the fact that the protective equipment they provided to Randolph was inadequate.

Randolph alleges the defendants intentionally misrepresented the quality of the respirators, and Randolph believed the respirators were keeping him from inhaling dangerous amounts of asbestos particles.

The Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-055956-JAK-E in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.