An asbestos lawsuit filed by a Louisiana man shines a clear light on how multiple companies made aware of the dangers of asbestos consciously kept the information secret, putting the victim and countless others at risk of asbestosis, mesothelioma, and other serious and deadly diseases.
Victim Says Fraud Risked His Health and that of Other Mesothelioma Victims
In the lawsuit he filed against companies including Avondale Shipyards, General Electric, Shell USA, and others, Louisiana resident Edward Montelongo describes the asbestos exposure he experienced while working at Avondale Shipyards and Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation, and points to that exposure for his own asbestosis diagnosis and the mesothelioma illnesses of many of his co-workers. He accuses the companies of failing to exercise care for the safety of those on or around their property and failing or willfully refusing to comply with safety standards.
In addition to his claims against his former employers, Mr. Montelongo points to Westinghouse Electric Corporation’s failure and refusal to warn of the dangers of asbestos in its products, saying, “They also failed to warn of the invisible nature of the asbestos and that it could cause deadly diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.” He accuses the company and others of fraudulently concealing and suppressing the truth about its dangerous nature.
Legal Document Specifies Asbestos Companies’ Knowledge of Risks of Mesothelioma
Much of Mr. Montelongo’s claim cites specific reports provided to Westinghouse Corporation and other companies throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s containing asbestos scientific and medical information about the risks of mesothelioma and asbestosis the material posed. Mr. Montelongo accuses the companies of “a pattern of suppressing information with regard to its asbestos-containing products and health hazards associated with same.”
Among the most salient points made in the asbestos claim are “smoking gun documents” pointing to Westinghouse deciding to “destroy relevant documents in furtherance of its fraudulent activities whereby it misrepresented the dangers of its asbestos-containing products in order to gain a commercial advantage” and avoid litigation. He makes similar accusations against General Electric and others, saying that at the time he was exposed, all defendants “were aware or should have been aware of the health hazards associated with exposure to asbestos.” He is seeking damages for past, present, and future physical pain and suffering, loss of income and earning capacity, and more.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related disease, you may be eligible to seek justice from the companies responsible. For information on your options, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
