ASBESTOS IN CEMENT
10 years on a cement crew lead to worker’s mesothelioma

Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of cement workers exposed to asbestos on the job for nearly 25 years. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients.

NEWS BULLETIN

Jury awards widow $1.2 million in asbestos lawsuit

Prior to his death six months after being diagnosed with asbestos-related mesothelioma, the deceased testified that he was exposed to a “continuous smokestack” of dust from asbestos-containing cement additives used in a cement-mixing hopper where he worked.

October 19, 2009 - The widow of a man who passed away from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma received $1.2 million following a Texas jury’s ruling October 5, 2009.

The man and his wife of 23 years filed a lawsuit against several defendants, stating that his mesothelioma diagnosis was due to asbestos exposure when he worked for Dowell Company as a member of their cement crew from 1975 to 1985.

The cement worker passed away from the aggressive cancer in April 2009, at the age of 59, only six months after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Two defendants, Montello, Inc. and Union Carbide were each found 15 percent liable for the cement worker’s mesothelioma, while other defendants settled out of court or were dismissed from the case.

Long latency period

The inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers can lead to mesothelioma. Airborne asbestos fibers can become trapped in organs and body cavities. Once in the body, these fibers cause inflammation and infection that eventually leads to the growth of cancerous tumors.

Those exposed to asbestos often do not demonstrate mesothelioma symptoms until decades have passed after initial exposure, as demonstrated in the above case about the deceased cement worker who retired 24 years ago.

The mesothelioma latency period is long, which can last 20 to 40 years before a mesothelioma diagnosis can be rendered.

Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C. - for the defense

Despite the fatal diseases associated with asbestos exposure, the United States imported and used an estimated 1,820 tons of asbestos in 2007, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is most often the result of asbestos exposure on the job, and it is typically contracted through employers’ preference for immediate profits over the expense of maintaining the safety of company workers.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free case review, please notify us through the communication form on this page. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, lost wages, and suffering.

And because the firm works on a contingency basis, there is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.