A lawsuit filed against Pep Boys by the husband of an 85-year-old mesothelioma victim was settled for an undisclosed amount shortly after evidence began being presented to the jury. Alex Munoz blamed his wife’s fatal cancer on her having washed her son’s asbestos-contaminated work clothes after he performed brake work at the automotive retailer in the 1970s.
Mesothelioma Victim’s Secondary Exposure Blamed on Son’s Pep Boys Employment
Alex Munoz filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the iconic automotive service provider after his wife, Renate, died of mesothelioma in 2023. His suit asserted that she suffered secondary exposure to asbestos connected to her son John’s employment at Pep Boys in the 1970s. Between 1973 and 1976, John had performed automotive brake work at Pep Boys and at home while living with her, and Alex pointed to asbestos she’d inhaled while laundering her son’s work clothes as the cause of her death.
The jury was told that Mrs. Munoz’s mesothelioma was caused by secondary exposure to dust from Pep Boys’ asbestos-containing brakes, and said that the company that had billed itself as the “world’s largest automotive specialist” had a duty to warn of the dangers of its products. The widower’s attorney said, “If anybody was to know about these dangers of brakes and what they can or can’t do to people, Pep Boys was in the best position to know that.”
Before Settling, Pep Boys Argued that Mesothelioma Was Caused by Cosmetic Talc
Though Pep Boys argued that Mrs. Munoz’s mesothelioma was caused by exposure to cosmetic talc she used “constantly” and potential asbestos exposure from her work at a beauty salon, the family’s attorney responded by noting that exposure levels from “25-50 percent asbestos-containing brakes” being “disturbed or blown out with compressed air” far exceeded the “very, very small amount” of asbestos detected in talcum powder.
The mesothelioma lawsuit originally named numerous cosmetic talc companies, but only Pep Boys remained when the case proceeded to trial. Though the proceedings were expected to last roughly two weeks, the case settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, suggesting that Pep Boys recognized the likelihood that the jury would hold it responsible for the woman’s death.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help you with resources and explain the options available to you. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
