Mechanic shop workers at risk for mesothelioma from automobile brakes and clutches.

In recent news about the dangers of asbestos exposure, a graveside subpoena has kept a New Jersey automobile mechanic who died of mesothelioma from being laid to rest.

Reportedly, the automobile mechanic's remains are the object of a tug-of-war in a lawsuit over his mesothelioma disease.

The 67-year-old retiree died claiming his mesothelioma was caused by the automobile brake linings he installed at his father's auto shop in the late 1950s and early '60s.

He sued two automobile giants and the lawsuit was due to go to trial this month.

However, his sudden death delayed the trial and one of the automobile defendants went to court demanding access to the body for tissue tests, and managed to get a court order the day of his funeral to prevent his burial.

The problem is the court order came down while the funeral was already in progress.

Reportedly, the family, though, said the lawsuit has been in the works for more than a year and that the automobile mechanic underwent a painful biopsy to provide a tissue sample from the pleural lining of his cancer-ridden lungs while he was still alive.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, mechanics should assume that all brakes have asbestos-type shoes.

Worn non-asbestos-type brake shoes cannot be readily distinguished from asbestos-type shoes, the agency points out.

If a mechanic assumes incorrectly that a shoe is a non-asbestos-type and fails to utilize brake dust control procedures, increased asbestos exposure may result.

For this reason, the government requires that mechanics must be trained in the correct and most effective way to use the control system selected by the facility manager or owner.

The danger of increased exposure to asbestos as the result of improper work practices should be explained.

Many car mechanics have come forward to say their work environment led to a diagnosis of mesothelioma, asbestosis or lung cancer from asbestos.

If this has been your experience, our asbestos lawyers may be able to help you receive compensation for your health problems.

For over two decades, Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. has handled some of the most legally complicated and groundbreaking asbestos litigation in the country, winning many millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements along the way.

Men and women diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure or secondary exposure may be entitled to compensation from the companies responsible for their disease.

If you would like a free consultation or more information about your legal options, please complete the form on this page, and a representative of our law firm will contact you as soon as possible.