A married couple has filed a mesothelioma claim against 3M Company, American Cyanamid Company, and Boeing Company, among other named defendants, alleging the the husband developed cancer following asbestos exposure.

Plaintiffs Raymond and Barbara L. file the mesothelioma claim in the Superior Court of Washington, Pierce County. The mesothelioma claim was filed on June 1, 2018. The couple demands a trial by jury.

According to the mesothelioma claim, Raymond says that he was exposed to asbestos through the use and handling of products manufactured by the defendants. Exposure for asbestos occurred as far back as 1948 to 1999, the mesothelioma claim states. Allegedly as a “direct and proximate result of this exposure,” Raymond developed mesothelioma by November 2017.

According to the mesothelioma claim, Raymond says his damages include “pain, suffering, loss, disability and loss of parental-child relationship.” His wife Barbara is adding a claim for loss of consortium, seeking redress for the effect Raymond’s mesothelioma has had on their marriage.

Overview: Mesothelioma Claim Lawsuit

According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), asbestos is classified as a carcinogen, meaning it is capable of causing cancer.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) describes asbestos as bundles of thin, durable fiber that are resistant to fire, heat, and chemicals. Asbestos fibers also do not conduct electricity, and for these reasons have been extensively used within a variety of different commercial and industrial applications.

Since the 1800s, asbestos fibers have been extensively used in North America and in a number of industries such as the automotive industry, shipbuilding industry, and building and construction industries.

However, new uses of asbestos were banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1989. Additionally, the EPA, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), have all classified asbestos as carcinogenic, or a product that causes cancer.

There are very serious side effects that are linked to asbestos exposure, including the development of cancer such as mesothelioma. According to the Mayo Clinic, mesothelioma is a deadly and aggressive form of cancer that occurs in the tissues that covers our internal organs. Two types of mesothelioma exist, including pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma, with pleural mesothelioma being the most common kind.

Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma includes: shortness of breath, painful coughing, chest pain under the rib cage, unexplained weight loss, and unusual lumps of tissue beneath the skin of your chest. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma includes: unexplained weight loss, lumps of tissue in the abdomen, abdominal pain, and abdominal swelling.

Other health hazards linked to asbestos exposure includes nonmalignant lung and pleural disorders, pleural thickening, benign pleural effusions, and pleural plaques.

Those most at risk for an asbestos-related disease include those who frequently work directly with asbestos, the NIC states. However, at some point, they say that everyone will be exposed to asbestos at some point or other during their lifetime.

The Mesothelioma Claim Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-05437, in the Superior Court of Washington for Pierce County.