A man who worked around asbestos in naval settings died, and his family has filed a mesothelioma death lawsuit, alleging he wasn’t warned of risks.

According to this mesothelioma death lawsuit, electrician Norman E. was exposed to asbestos fibers that he inhaled over the course of time he worked for Rockwell Automation, Inc. General Electric Company and CBS Corporation, formerly known as Viacom Inc. and also as Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

The plaintiffs allege Norman worked with asbestos-containing products that were prone to break and crumble, including insulation, plaster, soundproofing material, and auto and aircraft parts.

Any time he unpacked, prepared, sawed, drilled, chipped, hammered, scraped, removed or ripped out these materials, the airborne asbestos fibers were released into the air where he would breathe them. His resulting exposure caused him severe and permanent injury because progressive lung disease eventually killed him, according to the mesothelioma death lawsuit. Norman allegedly had no idea every time he was exposed to asbestos, he was presenting himself with a risk of deadly disease.

Mesothelioma Death Lawsuit Alleges Employers Knew Risks

The mesothelioma death lawsuit alleges Norman’s employers knew of the health hazards presented by exposure to asbestos and asbestos-containing materials, but failed to provide appropriate safety equipment.

The employers also allegedly knew that in the process of working with the materials that pieces would break, crumble or otherwise suffer damage that would allow tiny asbestos fibers to enter the air that those working around the materials would breathe, increasing the chances of asbestos-related lung diseases.

Asbestos can take 20 to 50 years before the damage to the human body becomes apparent. Tiny asbestos fibers settle into deep lung tissue where they cause irritation and encourage tumor production over time.

Asbestos is a natural occurring mineral and a known carcinogen, but it gained popularity during the industrial revolution due to its insulating and fire-retardant properties.

According to the mesothelioma death lawsuit, the asbestos-containing products caused asbestosis, other lung damage, cancer and death while being used in the manner they were intended to be used, which means the products were “defective, unsafe, and dangerous to use.”

Norman worked in a variety of areas where he was exposed to asbestos. He worked on an aircraft carrier that was undergoing major construction. Norman documented that he and his crew pulled “one million feet” of cable, and that in the process, they had to disturb asbestos-containing bulkhead insulation in poorly ventilated areas.

Norman also worked in all four engine and boiler rooms in close proximity to workers removing and installing asbestos insulation, asbestos-containing pipes and block insulation. He also worked near welders who used asbestos blankets.

The mesothelioma death lawsuit alleges Norman worked on a ship after a fire and had to strip and install cable leads into a power panel that was located in the engine room. While he was conducting electrical repairs, he was within close proximity to workers repairing burned and charred areas of the boiler room, which exposed him to asbestos.

On yet another vessel, Norman recalled a ship shaking from hitting rough waves at sea, “which sent visible asbestos dust into the air.”

The Mesothelioma Death Lawsuit is Case No. 4:18-cv-00493-PJH in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division.