Several major manufacturing companies are facing a new asbestos respiratory disease lawsuit, brought by a Texas man alleging he the condition due to regular occupational exposure to asbestos.

The defendants named in the asbestos respiratory disease include CBS Corporation, Electric Corporation, Crane Company, and Elliot Company. The asbestos respiratory disease lawsuit alleges the companies knew of the risks associated with asbestos exposure but failed to provide the plaintiff with protective equipment or warn about the presence of asbestos.

Plaintiff Jimmy N. filed the lawsuit after discovering the products he worked with during his employment contained asbestos.

Asbestos is a fibrous material that was popular for a variety of industrial and manufacturing purposes due to its fire and chemical resistant qualities. In addition to being cheap to use, asbestos was an ideal choice for companies and consumers to use for different building and insulation purposes.

However, asbestos exposure has long been associated with a number of health complications, and federal and state governments have implemented strict regulations regarding its removal and exposure prevention.

Overview of Asbestos Respiratory Disease Allegations

According to his lawsuit, Jimmy worked at General Dynamics from 1959 to 1967.  He also held positions at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant and Hope Creek Generating Station between 1967 to 1974. Jimmy’s last employment period in the industrial industry Millstone Nuclear Power Station from 1974 to 1978.

Jimmy claims that during each of these employment periods, he experienced regular asbestos exposure due to the products manufactured by the defendants. As part of his occupational duties, Jimmy says he worked with these asbestos-containing products and ultimately inhaled the fibers that were released into the environment.

When asbestos fibers are released into the air, people may inhale or swallow the fibers directly and risk transferring the fibers to their loved ones when they touch the primary carrier’s clothes. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, the fibers can become lodged inside the lungs and eventually fester into cancer cells. Asbestos lung cancer is a very serious illness and it is often diagnosed at a late stage due to how long the disease takes for symptoms to develop. Asbestos lung cancer typically takes decades to progress before showing symptoms.

Due to the seriousness of asbestos respiratory disease, industrial and manufacturing employers are supposed to provide protective equipment to prevent employee exposure. Additionally, manufacturing companies are supposed to provide warnings to employees about potential asbestos exposure if their products contain the material.

Jimmy alleges CBS and the other manufacturers failed to do this, which ultimately resulted in his asbestos respiratory disease diagnosis. Since his diagnosis of asbestos lung cancer, Jimmy has had to contend with extensive medical treatments and a shortened life expectancy. Jimmy is seeking damages for his medical expenses and asserts claims for negligence and failure to warn.

This Asbestos Respiratory Disease Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-02063-VLB, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.