A woman from Iowa recently filed a mesothelioma wrongful death claim against American Honda Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Inc., alleging their asbestos products directly contributed to the death of her husband.

Plaintiff Marsha L. filed this mesothelioma wrongful death claim on behalf of her husband Marc, who regularly did maintenance on his Harley-Davidson and Honda motorcycles.

The mesothelioma wrongful death claim alleges her husband had regularly worked with asbestos products manufactured, produced, and sold by the company, which caused him to experience regular exposure.

The mesothelioma wrongful death claim states that from 1977 to the 2000s, Marc regularly performed his own repairs to his Honda and Harley-Davidson motorcycles using component parts manufactured and supplied by American Honda Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Inc.

During this regular maintenance, Marc was unknowingly exposed to asbestos fibers and had inhaled them when they were released. Asbestos is a fibrous material that was popularly used for insulation purposes before the 1980s, and can be dangerous when released into the air.

Marsha claims that due to the fact that they were no warnings about asbestos exposure on the products, Marc had no way of knowing he was at risk for serious health complications. According to the mesothelioma wrongful death claim, Marc was diagnosed with the disease on Oct. 4, 2015 and later died from it on Sept. 15, 2018.

Marsha says she opted to file this mesothelioma wrongful death claim soon after discovering the nature of her husband’s disease, and that there were no warnings against potential asbestos exposure.

Overview of Asbestos Exposure Health Problems

Asbestos one of the most popular materials used for manufacturing and insulation purposes for its fire and chemical resistant qualities before the 1980s, but was discovered to have serious carcinogenic effects on humans.

Asbestos reached its peak in popularity during World War II, when the fibrous material was used in various United States Navy ships and shipyards. However, federal health regulators have since implemented a number of policies limiting the use of asbestos and has strict abatement procedures to get it safely removed.

It was discovered that asbestos fibers can cause a number of serious health problems when released into the air, including mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare form of respiratory cancer that manifests in the mesothelium. It is specifically caused by asbestos exposure.

When the asbestos fibers are inhaled or swallowed, the fibers can cause serious scarring and can cause cancer cells to manifest. It is important to note that mesothelioma can take up to 50 years to develop to the point of exhibiting symptoms, which often results in latent diagnoses and shorten life expectancy.

Considering that there is currently no cure for mesothelioma, patients can generally expect a poor prognosis. Due to how serious mesothelioma is, manufacturers are required to provide potential asbestos exposure disclosures on their products if the material is present.

This was allegedly not the case for Marc, who Marsha says used the products for their intended purposes and did not deviate from intended instructions.

Marsha states that Marc was unable to protect himself from asbestos exposure, and preventative measures would have prevented his mesothelioma diagnosis. Marsha is seeking damages in her mesothelioma wrongful death claim based on counts of negligence and failure to warn.

This Asbestos Lawsuit is Case No. 8:18-cv-00558-SMB, in the U.S. District Court of Nebraska.