A North Carolina widow has filed an asbestos lung cancer lawsuit after the untimely death of her husband due to mesothelioma.

Plaintiff Minerva M. filed the asbestos lung cancer lawsuit on behalf of herself and her deceased husband Edward, who was diagnosed with asbestos mesothelioma in November 2014 and died two months later.

Minerva is suing multiple defendants who either manufactured, supplied, or installed asbestos containing products or equipment that her spouse Edward would have been in contact with during his electrical work at various Duke Energy sites within the state of North and South Carolina.

Some of the named defendants in the asbestos lawsuit include: Airgas USA, LLC., Crane Co., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, and The Sherwin-Williams Company.

According to the asbestos lung cancer lawsuit, Edward’s asbestos exposure began in 1969 when he spent full work days in electrical and instrumentation jobs that required him to work with asbestos containing materials including insulated pumps, insulated valves, paint dust, boilers and heaters.

Minerva alleges that working with or around these types of products can release vast amounts of asbestos dust into the air when disturbed.

The asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit claims that the manufacturers of these products failed to warn workers of exposure “despite the fact that these asbestos companies knew that breathing small amounts of asbestos dust could be fatal.”

Minerva is accusing multiple defendants of negligence for not warning or instructing workers how to safely handle asbestos containing products. Minerva is also suing for loss of consortium alleging that she has lost companionship due to the wrongful death of her husband Edward.

Minerva is seeking $75,000 in damages to help offset the financial cost of the nursing care and medical treatment needed to treat her husband before his death.

Asbestos Lung Cancer Risks

Asbestos lung cancer, or mesothelioma, most often occurs due to repeated exposure to the cheap material commonly used in construction and various insulation products.

Asbestos fibers are virtually naked to the human eye as they are 700 times smaller than a human fiber making them nearly impossible to avoid without proper safety equipment.

Studies show that when the tiny, jagged asbestos fibers are inadvertently inhaled and stored in the lungs, they build-up and can eventually lead to the cancerous development in cells. Although it can take decades to develop, asbestos lung cancer can spread to the heart and lungs within just a few months.

Recent studies have found that asbestos exposure is responsible for 12,000 to 15,000 deaths in the United States each year. While asbestos mesothelioma is nearly always in a later stage of development when diagnosed, some of the symptoms include: chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, coughing, abdominal swelling and retaining fluids.

The most common asbestos lung cancer diagnosis occurs in workers with the following professions:

• Construction workers
• Shipyards workers
• Insulation installers
• Auto mechanics
• Paper mill workers
• Textile workers
• Sheet metal workers
• Roofers
• Toll collectors
• Plumbers
• Tilers
• Linotype technicians

Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuits

More than 600,000 plaintiffs have filed asbestos lung cancer lawsuits so far, making it one of the largest litigation movements in U.S. history.

Minerva claims that the defendants in this asbestos lung cancer lawsuit should have known that the products her husband was exposed to on a daily basis were poisonous, dangerous and harmful to his body, lungs and general health.

She claims that prior to Edward’s mesothelioma symptoms, he was involved in numerous hobbies and activities, but due to asbestos lung cancer, he was prevented from the benefits of a full and complete life.

The Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 1:15-cv-130 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.