82-year-old Gustave Sahm died of asbestos-related lung cancer in 2021. His heartbroken family filed suit against over a dozen companies that they accused of negligence in exposing him to the toxic substance. A U.S. District judge recently ruled that their claims against airplane parts maker Morton International can move forward for a jury to decide.
Navy Veteran’s Lung Cancer Blamed on Decades of Asbestos Exposure
Before being diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer, Gustave Sahm’s life was highlighted by having served in the U.S. Navy and working for three decades as a St. Louis County Police Department helicopter pilot and detective. When the disease claimed his life, his family filed suit in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, raising claims of wrongful death against multiple companies.
As often happens in mesothelioma and lung cancer personal injury lawsuits, the asbestos companies named in the suit sought dismissal of the case against them. Though several were successful on jurisdictional grounds, this week Judge Audrey G. Fleissig of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri agreed that the claims against Morton International establish a prima facie case for both strict product liability and negligent manufacture and ruled that the case could proceed.
Lung Cancer Victim’s Family Blames Asbestos in Helicopter and Plane Engine Parts for Loved One’s Death
Though Morton International argued that the asbestos lung cancer victim’s family had failed to establish the court’s personal jurisdiction over them and failed to state a specific claim upon which relief could be granted, the judge noted that the family had referenced specific asbestos-containing products for helicopters and small plane engines that Morton had sold to the St. Louis County Police Department.
The judge’s ruling concluded that the family had provided sufficient proof that Mr. Sahm had been exposed to Morton International’s asbestos-containing brakes, brake parts, and O-Rings and that the company had failed to warn Mr. Sahm of the dangers posed by these products. For that reason, the company’s motion to dismiss was denied.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help you get the justice you deserve. For more information, contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
