Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma – Who Knew?

September 10, 2009

Walnut Hill, IL After working in the US Navy for more than 20 years as a quartermaster, electronic technician and construction technician, Harles was diagnosed with asbestos mesothelioma.



So, Harles and his wife, Betty, have filed a lawsuit which names some 41 defendants, all of whom Harles worked for at some point between 1951 and 1980. Some of the names are easily recognizable – the DuPont Chemical Company, Blackburn Electric Company.



Harles and Betty claim in their suit that Harles' asbestos exposure was predictable and that his employers should have foreseen his exposure and inherent health risks at the time he was working for them. The suit alleges that Harles' incurable asbestos mesothelioma was wrongfully caused and that his illness is causing him great physical pain, as cancer invariably does, and mental anguish.



Asbestos Mesothelioma– Were You Put at Risk?

The fact that men enrolled in the US Navy were exposed to asbestos during the last half of the last century probably doesn't come as a surprise. The exposure to the lethal mineral largely came from pipe insulation used in engine and boiler rooms and throughout the naval ships. Many men worked not only putting in asbestos insulation, but also on removing it when the Navy retrofitted many ships between the 1950s and the 1970s.



Because asbestos is an extremely good insulator it was widely used to insulate pipes, furnaces and boilers, not just in the Navy but also throughout the construction industry. Estimates suggest that more than 27 million men were exposed to asbestos during their work using asbestos insulation between 1940 and 1980. The reason we're hearing about it now is that the deadly lung cancer it causes– mesothelioma- can take decades to show symptoms, early signs of which include chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, hoarseness, cough, fluid retention and abdominal swelling. Pain or swelling in the chest or the abdomen could also be a symptom of mesothelioma.



There is no cure for asbestos mesothelioma, but the medical expenses can still mount up. Harle and Betty are seeking compensation for their medical expenses and lost wages, neither of which are likely to be insubstantial. And Betty also is seeking damages, alleging she has been deprived of Harles Sisson's companionship and society throughout this ordeal, which isn't over yet.



So, the Sissons are seeking compensation of more than $100,000, economic damages in excess of $200,000, compensatory damages in excess of $100,000, punitive and exemplary damages in excess of $100,000, plus punitive damages in an amount sufficient enough to punish the defendants for their conduct. Good luck to them. We'll be watching.