A North Carolina man and his wife have filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against several companies, alleging that the companies’ building materials contained asbestos, leading to the development of mesothelioma lung cancer.

The primary plaintiff Vernon Aune was diagnosed with mesothelioma on Feb. 26. He alleges that he developed mesothelioma after inhaling asbestos fibers contained in various products used on the job and at home.

Aune states in his mesothelioma lawsuit that from 1950 until 1965 he was exposed to equipment, building products, and talc containing asbestos fibers while on the job as an apprentice and journeyman carpenter in Duluth, Minn.

Similarly, beginning in the mid-1960s, Aune alleges that he was exposed to various asbestos containing building materials while remodeling his home in Superior, Wis. Because of the copious amounts of asbestos fibers and materials he was allegedly exposed to on the job over the course of several decades, Aune claims that the asbestos products made by several companies led to the development of his current mesothelioma asbestos lung cancer.

The companies named in the asbestos lawsuit that manufactured and sold the alleged building products, materials, and equipment containing asbestos include: Certainteed Corp., Conwed Corp., Cyprus Amax Minerals Company, Dap Products Inc., Georgia Pacific Corp., Kaiser Gypsum Company Inc., Pfizer Inc., R.T. Vanderbilt Company Inc., The Sherwin Williams Co., and Union Carbide Corp.

The mesothelioma lawsuit also names Metropolitan Life Insurance Company among the defendants for allegedly “conspir[ing] with other Defendants to disseminate false and misleading medical and/or scientific information regarding the safety of asbestos and demonstrated a clear disregard for the health, safety and welfare of individuals such as Plaintiff Vernon Aune.”

Based on this allegation and the previous allegations against the above named manufacturers and distributors of asbestos containing products, Aune and his wife are pursuing legal recourse for Aune’s development of asbestos mesothelioma lung cancer.

Aune, his wife, and his legal counsel are seeking monetary compensation and punitive damages for hospital and medical fees, loss of past and future earnings, loss of consortium, and for pain and suffering experience by Aune as a result of his medical condition.

Aune is not the only worker who may have been exposed to asbestos material on the job and later developed mesothelioma. Many individuals are joining mesothelioma class action lawsuits to pursue legal action against companies who produce asbestos containing products.

What is Mesothelioma Asbestos Lung Cancer?

Mesothelioma is a rare form of lung cancer that develops exclusively from exposure to asbestos particles in a working and home environment. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that for many decades was used as a cheap building material in business and homes.

In 1935, researchers discovered a strong correlation between asbestos exposure and an increased development of mesothelioma lung cancer. A few decades later, the United States and other countries classified asbestos as a dangerous carcinogen and have since limited the use of this material.

When an individual unknowingly inhales asbestos fibers, the carcinogenic material becomes trapped in the lung’s lining, and may cause inflammation, scarring, tumors, and eventually lead to the development of asbestos lung cancer. Because mesothelioma has a long latency period, most workers will not show symptoms of asbestos lung cancer until 15 to 35 years after the initial exposure to the asbestos material.

Occupational Exposure to Asbestos

People in certain trade professions are at a higher risk of mesothelioma lung cancer than others because of high rates of asbestos exposure from materials, tools, and working environment. These occupations include:

• Auto mechanics
• Shipyards workers
• Paper mill workers
• Construction workers
• Textile workers
• Insulation installers
• Sheet metal workers
• Roofers
• Toll collectors
• Tilers
• Linotype technicians
• Plumbers

Many workers in these professions may have had prolonged exposure to asbestos in enclosed spaces with little to no protective gear and without any warning or knowledge.