Edward Orton Jr. Ceramic Foundation, among other named defendants, face a mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit filed by a woman who says her mother died from mesothelioma acquired while teaching ceramics.

Plaintiff Karen C. files the mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the estate of her late mother Grace W., in North Carolina federal court. According to the mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit, Grace died on July 8, 2016, due to a myocardial infarction after being diagnosed with mesothelioma on March 16, 2016.

Karen says that her mother was exposed to asbestos and/or asbestos-containing products while she worked as a ceramics teacher. She says her mother was exposed to the deadly carcinogen while she worked with asbestos-containing products, manufactured by the defendants.

According to the wrongful death lawsuit, Grace’s “exposure directly and proximately caused her to develop an illness known and designated as Mesothelioma.”

Karen alleges that the defendant had an obligation to manufacture and design products that were not defective or unreasonably dangerous. Karen further claims that her mother’s livelihood was dependent upon her work, and she was required to work with the asbestos-containing products manufactured by the Ceramic Foundation.

Furthermore, had the defendant exercised reasonable care and refrained from negligence and carelessness in manufacturing asbestos-containing products, she would not have suffered from serious injuries to her body, lungs, skin, respiratory system, and general well-being, the mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit contends.

The mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit was filed on Dec. 21, 2017 and alleges claims for negligence, breach of implied warranty, willful and wanton conduct, failure to warn, and conspiracy and punitive damages. Karen requests a trial by jury.

Asbestos Mesothelioma

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), asbestos is the name given to six naturally occurring minerals found in bundles of fibers in the environment. Asbestos can be used for industrial applications and commercial applications, due to its durable fibers that are resistant to fire, heat, and chemicals. Asbestos also does not conduct electricity.

Since the 1800s, asbestos has been used commercially in North America. It has been used throughout building and construction industries, in the shipbuilding industry, and the automotive industry. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) banned the use of asbestos in the late 1970’s for the use of asbestos in gas fireplaces and wallboard patching compounds. In 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned new uses of asbestos.

Asbestos is now classified as a human carcinogen, a substance that causes cancer, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). According to the NCI, sufficient evidence exists to link asbestos exposure to the development of mesothelioma, a tumor of the tissue that lines the lungs, stomach, heart, and other organs.

Factors affecting the risk for asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma include the source of the exposure, genetic factors, size, chemical makeup, and shape of the asbestos fibers; duration; dose, and how much asbestos an individual was exposed to.

The Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-00063-D, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Northern Division.