A couple claims the husband could have avoided developing mesothelioma if he had been properly warned about naval shipyard asbestos.

Plaintiffs Michael and Elsie H. filed this asbestos lawsuit on Dec. 17, 2018. According to the naval shipyard asbestos lawsuit, Michael says that it was during his employment for CBS as a naval shipyard employee that he developed mesothelioma from asbestos exposure. He argues that CSB is negligent and responsible for the injuries he sustained.

Michael says that he was first exposed to asbestos while he served in the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S.S. Mispillion between 1966 and 1968, working as a fireman and boiler tender.

He also states that he was exposed to asbestos while working as a sheet metal worker and pipefitter at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco in 1966 and between 1968 and 1973.

Other asbestos exposure allegedly occurred while he worked as a shipfitter and pipefitter at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, Calif. between 1973 and 1995, he states.

Michael states that due to mesothelioma he has experienced extensive financial harm among other injuries. Mesothelioma has caused Michael to “experience physical pain, mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, physical impairment, inconvenience, grief, anxiety, humiliation, emotional distress, and other similar harm. And the mesothelioma will eventually cause [Michael’s] untimely death,” the lawsuit states.

Losses alleged for Michael’s spouse, Elsie, includes the loss of love, companionship, comfort, and care that was previously provided by Michael. She seeks compensation for these harms including the harm that will come about at the time of Michael’s death.

Overview: Naval Shipyard Asbestos

The Mayo Clinic states that mesothelioma is a “type of cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of your internal organs (mesothelium).”

The most common type of mesothelioma to develop is known as pleural mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the tissue around the lungs.

There are many signs and symptoms to mesothelioma which may include:

• Painful coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain below the rib cage
• Unexplained weight loss
• Lumps of tissue under the skin on your chest

Asbestos is known to have been mined commercially in North America since the late 1800s. It has been widely used in a variety of commercial and industrial applications.

However, due to the severe injuries it could cause, it uses were heavily restricted in the 1970s and 1980s. The fiber is categorized as a human carcinogen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the EPA.

If you or someone you know were exposed to asbestos, or think that they may have been exposed, there are other symptoms that can indicate an asbestos-related disease. However, in many instances, asbestos related diseases may not become apparent, and show severe signs and symptoms, for many years following exposure. Nonetheless, some symptoms of disease may include:

• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Difficulty swallowing
• Shortness of breath, wheezing, or hoarseness

The Naval Shipyard Asbestos Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-075720LB, in the Superior Court of California County of Alameda.