An Illinois man has filed a lawsuit over allegations that he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a deadly form of lung cancer, that he developed allegedly because of his exposure to dangerous asbestos fibers and dust.

The asbestos lung cancer lawsuit was filed on Jan. 21 by plaintiff Irvin R., along with his wife, both residents of Illinois. Among the defendants are Goodyear and CBS Corporation, in addition to 22 other named defendant corporations.

The asbestos lawsuit states that Irvin was exposed to elevated levels of asbestos fibers through a number of products designed, produced, distributed, promoted, marketed, sold, used or installed by the defendants.

The asbestos exposure that led to his lung cancer diagnosis mainly took place, Irvin alleges, when he came into contact with asbestos-containing automotive parts, industrial equipment, and fire retardant materials.

Irvin claims his condition was caused by the defendants’ negligence as they wrongfully used asbestos in their products even though better alternatives were readily available.  The companies failed to replace asbestos with any safer alternative so that individuals like Irvin would not have been exposed to the toxic mineral.  Additionally, Irvin alleges that the defendants willfully hid their knowledge regarding the harmful effects of their asbestos-containing products.

In the asbestos cancer lawsuit, Irvin is seeking damages in excess of $50,000 in addition to court costs, medical costs, and attorney fees and has demanded a jury trial for this case.

Asbestos Exposure Dangers

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral. Asbestos fibers are so small that they can be seen only with the help of microscope. Until a few decades back, asbestos was used extensively in a variety of construction and industrial products in order to strengthen them and to add fire resistance and heat insulation properties to them.

Though it has been established that exposure to asbestos can cause lung cancer — and the greater the exposure to asbestos, the greater the risk that asbestos lung cancer will crop up — lung cancer isn’t the only health problem linked to asbestos exposure.

Exposure to asbestos fibers could cause fatal diseases like mesothelioma if they are breathed in. The risk increases with the amount of asbestos fibers inhaled. Additionally, the risk increases further when asbestos inhalation combines with smoking.

Asbestos exposure may also cause diseases such as asbestosis and pleural plaques. Asbestos-related diseases generally appear two to four decades after the victim’s initial asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Cancer Lawsuits

Hundreds of thousands of victims have filed asbestos related lawsuits in the past few decades alone and asbestos litigation has become some of the most expensive and intricate types of lawsuits in the history of U.S. court cases.

The majority of asbestos litigation consists of plaintiffs who have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases after prolonged exposure to asbestos in the workplace.

The Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 2016-L00690 filed in Cook County Circuit Court.