General Electric will face another asbestos lawsuit, this time from the family of a man who died of asbestos lung disease after a long career in construction and building maintenance.

Billy J. had been diagnosed with mesothelioma in November 2014. He was later diagnosed with asbestosisand asbestos-related pleural disease. He died not much later in March 2015.

His family’s asbestos lawsuit details Billy’s work history starting from 1957, including several jobs in which he was subject to asbestos exposure. Particular among these were several jobs in which he inspected and maintained heating and air conditioning equipment that used parts that contained asbestos.

Before he died, Billy said that he removed worn-out asbestos-based gaskets from this equipment by cutting them apart and scraping them away. He recalled the gaskets being dusty and falling apart by the time he removed them.

Billy also served in the U.S. Navy from 1967 to 1969. His asbestos exposure during that time began during basic training, when he had to sweep up asbestos-laden dust that fell from the insulation around the pipes inside the barracks. Later, while serving as an electrician’s mate, he had to handle asbestos-containing phenolic resin and insulation, as well as work near others doing the same.

After his Naval service, Billy worked for a few different employers designing and overseeing installation of building utility systems. This work put him in close proximity to workers who were cutting and installing asbestos-laden materials like fireproofing, gaskets, and joint compound.

All these occupations put Billy at risk for asbestos exposure, his family now alleges. Their asbestosis lawsuit names as defendants several former manufacturers of products that contained asbestos – companies like General Electric (the successor to Westinghouse), Rockwell Automation, and Foster Wheeler.

Billy’s family argues that the asbestos products manufactured by these defendants were inherently dangerous. Even though Billy handled them in the manner for which they were intended, they say, the products released deadly asbestos fibers that led to Billy’s asbestosis and mesothelioma, and ultimately to his death.

The family is bringing two types of claims that a survivor can bring when their loved one’s death was allegedly caused by someone else’s culpable behavior: wrongful death, which seeks to compensate the survivors for the loss of their loved one; and a survivor action, which seeks compensation for the harm the deceased person suffered prior to their death.

The Asbestosis Lawsuit is Case No. 4:16-CV-00752 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Asbestos Lung Disease

Billy had the misfortune of suffering from two different types of diseases that can result from asbestos exposure: asbestosis and mesothelioma. Asbestosis is the development of widespread scar tissue inside the lungs. Asbestos fibers, once inhaled, can migrate deep into the lungs and cause scarring. The more severe cases of asbestosis can lead to respiratory failure and severe shortness of breath.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the double-layered membrane called the pleura, which surrounds the lungs and lines the chest wall. Within the United States, asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma. This condition is always fatal, usually within one to four years after diagnosis.