It is rare when defendants from the asbestos industry and tobacco industry are named together in an asbestos and smoking lawsuit. But such is the case in an asbestos lung cancer trial in Massachusetts State Court.

The plaintiff, Louis S., is now deceased and his surviving family continues to bring this asbestos and smoking legal action on his behalf.

In the more normal sequence of events involving lung cancer litigation, the plaintiff or the surviving family sue one or the other representatives of the two industries. Defense actions mainly center around shifting the blame onto the unnamed industry for the cancer development.

In this asbestos and smoking case, however, the decedent allegedly smoked two packs of cigarettes a day and worked around automotive products containing asbestos for the majority of his career.

Louis and his surviving spouse Joanna named both the manufacturers of his brands of cigarettes—Phillip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company—along with those allegedly responsible for his occupational asbestos exposure—the Ford Motor Company and Honeywell International Inc.—as defendants in his asbestos and smoking lawsuit.

The trial will be driven by attorneys from across the country. The asbestos and smoking lawsuit will be overseen by Judge Heidi Breiger.

Exposure to Asbestos and Smoking—Twin Health Threats

Up to a quarter of a million people in the U.S. alone are identified as having lung cancer each year. As a diagnosis, lung cancer ranks high in terms of lethality. While commonly-held understanding lends one to believe that lung cancer is linked exclusively to tobacco use alone, like how mesothelioma is associated with asbestos exposure, the facts are that lung cancer can and does happen with those that have inhaled airborne asbestos fibers.

This reaction can be more rare and complicated when said person also has a history of smoking cigarettes.

It is true that, more often than not, the inhalation or ingestion of asbestos leads to mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs, cardiac sac, abdominal cavity or sometimes testes. Nevertheless, the scarring that occurs from the embedded fibers limits the body’s ability to thoroughly oxygenate the blood.

This scarring leads to a lack of elasticity in the lungs, and patient’s often feel a tightness in the chest and experience difficulty in catching their breath.

These symptoms often point to a condition known as asbestosis which can be a precursor to the full-blown malignancy of active lung cancer. It is estimated that 15,000 to 20,000 people die of asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma annually.

The Asbestos and Smoking Lawsuit is Case No. 1581CV05255 in Middlesex County Superior Court of the State of Massachusetts.