ASBESTOS IN THE NEWS
Factory mom dies of mesothelioma after cleaning used-car parts for 11 years

Cleaning car parts increases the risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos illnesses, as the following news story illustrates.

February 11, 2009 -- An English factory worker and mother of three died of mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure from the used-car parts she worked on for 11 years, according to an inquest at Derby’s Coroner’s Court in the UK.

The woman, 55, developed deadly mesothelioma as a result of working with asbestos auto parts at Lucas Aftermarket Operations, now TRW Ltd., where she removed mechanical parts from scrap cars and cleaned them so they could be resold.

“There can be no doubt that some of the starter motors and alternators upon which the claimant worked incorporated asbestos-containing materials. Starter motors contained resin-bonded chrysotile (white asbestos),” according to an expert witness from the engineering firm of Morgan, Finch and Partners, in Stoke-on-Trent.

The deceased cleaned used automobile parts at Lucas from 1989 to 2000. A deputy coroner confirmed she died of mesothelioma, and recorded a verdict of death due to industrial disease.

People who work with asbestos containing automotive products are at high risk of asbestos exposure. These people maybe exposed to asbestos without even being aware of it. This is because air borne asbestos fibers are not visible to the human eye and can easily be inhaled. Once inhaled, the asbestos fibers accumulate in the lungs and can lead to diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis decades later.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos illness like mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis, we urge you to complete the form on this page to get a free and prompt review of your case by a leading asbestos attorney. Weitz & Luxenberg is a leading mesothelioma law firm with a substantial history of success in asbestos exposure cases.