MESOTHELIOMA IN THE NEWS
British record producer dies from “boiler house” work 50 years after asbestos exposure

When an industrial worker dies of mesothelioma cancer decades after being exposed to asbestos, most people are surprised. But that is the nature of mesothelioma, as illustrated in the news bulletin, below.

Please know, the personal injury law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C. has protected the legal rights of asbestos-injured workers since 1986. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients.

MESOTHELIOMA NEWS BULLETIN

October 20, 2009 – A former employee of EMI Records has fallen prey to the ravages of the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma, which he contracted at work.

The Eastbourne, U.K., resident worked at the EMI record factory in the 1950s, and recalled demolishing a boiler house as part of his duties.

“The dust in there was terrific – it was all over my clothes and in my hair,” said the plaintiff in a witness statement before his death.

According to the inquiry, he was uninformed of the dangers of working with asbestos, which was used throughout the 20th century as an insulating and building material.

One of the most devastating aspects of asbestos-caused mesothelioma is the fact that mesothelioma symptoms do not become apparent until late in the disease's progression, usually decades after the initial exposure, by which time tumors are generally inoperative, or the cancer has spread throughout the body.

In this case, the coroner recorded a verdict of death by industrial disease.

Mesothelioma news

Asbestos, a known carcinogen, is fire-resistant, extremely strong and durable. Based on these physical properties, asbestos was often added to cement, concrete, plastics, wallboard and industrial fabrics, as well as to hundreds of industrial and commercial products. It is still used in the U.S. today.

When asbestos remains in place, it is usually considered safe. Yet when the materials containing it are disturbed or damaged in any way – as would have been the case when the boiler house at EMI was demolished – millions of microscopic asbestos fibers are released into the air.

People can unknowingly inhale these fibers, which then become lodged in the lungs and other soft tissues inside the body. Particularly vulnerable is the “mesothelium,” a membrane which surrounds the lungs and lines the chest cavity. There, the asbestos fibers can cause cells to multiply and spread erratically, eventually developing into a tumor and mesothelioma cancer.

Time to seek justice

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

Mesothelioma is most often the result of occupational asbestos exposure – and usually contracted through employers’ preference for profits over the expense of maintaining worker health safety.

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.

Please know, the firm works on a contingency basis, so there is no cost to you until we obtain a verdict or a settlement.