MESOTHELIOMA REFINERY
Shell and others sued in asbestos-related lung cancer death

March 2, 2009 -- A Texas pipefitter, who died in 2007 as a result of mesothelioma induced by working 20 years in the petrochemical industry, was the victim of careless safety practices that exposed him to asbestos fibers during his work for Shell and other oil refinery companies, according to his family’s lawsuit.

Filed on February 2, 2009 in Galveston County District Court, Texas, the lawsuit seeks damages against his employers not merely for death but for impairment, pain, suffering, and mental anguish, as well as medical expenses, funeral expenses and the cost of interment, according to the Southeast Texas Record, a weekly legal journal covering Jefferson and Orange Counties.

The defendants in the case are Union Carbide, BP, Amoco, Dow, Chevron, Shell, and Texaco. They are cited for a number of violations, including negligence, misrepresentation and civil conspiracy. The plaintiff's lawyers are asking for a jury trial.

Asbestos releases tiny fibers that can irritate lung tissue, causing a form of lung cancer known as mesothelioma. It takes from two to five decades for the symptoms of mesothelioma to appear, but once they do victims usually die within two years. Half a lifetime of exposure in the petroleum industry is inarguably enough time to develop the disease.

The truth about asbestos

Despite the potentially fatal health consequences associated with asbestos exposure, asbestos is still imported and used in the United States, which 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. This disease is most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and usually contracted through employers’ blatant disregard for the health and safety of their workers. That’s why people diagnosed with mesothelioma and their family members have strong cases in court.

Time to seek justice!

Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of workers for 25 years – longer than most law firms in the nation. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, and seek FREE legal guidance and answers to your concerns, please notify us through the communication form below. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, future and past lost wages, and damages. There is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.