Avondale Shipyard was hit with an asbestos lung cancer lawsuit by a former employee for allegedly causing him to develop a severe form of lung cancer.

This employee had been working in the shipyard for a decade, where he had been negligently exposed to asbestos fibers, ultimately causing him to develop asbestos lung cancer.

Plaintiffs Claude G. and his wife Willomease G. are also filing the asbestos lung cancer lawsuit against a variety of other companies who were responsible for using products that were composed of asbestos or had used asbestos during the manufacturing process. The plaintiffs are also suing the insurance companies of the defendants, claiming that they are responsible for Claude’s injuries by proxy.

This asbestos cancer lawsuit was filed on April 15,  in a Louisiana state court. According to the asbestos lawsuit, Claude had worked as a manual laborer for the defendant, as well as other ship yards, working on Navy destroyers from 1963 to 1974.

The duties included: chipping, grinding, sandblasting, and painting, meaning that he was exposed to asbestos fibers on a daily basis. Whenever he would perform one of these duties, he would unintentionally inhale the dangerous fibers and dust particles, which later caused him to develop contract pulmonary silicosis and hardened the tissue of his lungs and diaphragm.

These injuries ultimately resulted in him developing asbestos lung cancer, with his physician confirming that asbestos definitely contributed to his condition.

Claude and his wife claim that his condition was not only caused by asbestos exposure, it was also caused by the fact that his former employers failed to provide him adequate safety equipment and did not disclose the dangers of asbestos. Claude stated that at the worst of times in the work place, he would use a handkerchief to protect his face while working.

Claude now requires constant medical treatment and monitoring, and is not expected to live much longer after his diagnosis, according to the asbestos lung cancer lawsuit. The plaintiff asserts that the companies had failed to provide safety equipment such as respirators and breathing masks, and had also failed to implement adequate safety procedures that would have minimized asbestos exposure.

Claude and his wife are suing for an undisclosed amount of damages for the medical bills, pain and suffering, mental suffering, and other punitive damages.

This Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 748-691, in the 24th Judicial District Court in Louisiana.

Overview of Asbestos Lung Cancer

Asbestos lung cancer is a rare variation of the most common cancer type in the United States. Experts estimate that 4,800 people die from this cancer, representing 4 percent of all fatalities connected to lung cancer in the United States.

Similar to another form of asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma, the asbestos fibers cause scarring in the lungs where cancer cells eventually develop and fester. Experts warn that asbestos lung cancer takes years to show any symptoms, often up to 30 years, which means that patients with this condition are often diagnosed in latent stages.

Manufacturing companies in America have been using asbestos since the 1800s, as it was cheap and effective insulation material. During World War II, asbestos was used in numerous construction projects, and in Naval ship yards.

Numerous men and women were exposed to asbestos on a daily basis, and had also caused many children and pets to come into contact with the fibrous material through second-hand exposure. Unfortunately, the risk of asbestos exposure was not widely acknowledged by the general public, with many manufacturing companies failing to take adequate safety precautions.

With its popularity and long development period, an increasing amount of victims have submitted their cases for possible legal action, alleging the manufacturing companies that used asbestos did not sufficiently warn them against the dangers.