Starting this morning, a Helena, Montana jury will begin hearing a claim filed by the families of two Libby, Montana mesothelioma victims. The survivors accuse BNSF Railway of negligently exposing their loved ones to asbestos during the years when the W.R. Grace & Co. mine operated near the town.
BNSF Railway Accused of Negligence in Mesothelioma Lawsuit
It is well known that the W. R. Grace & Co. vermiculite mine was the source of the asbestos that caused so many lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma deaths in Libby, Montana and its surrounding areas. However, W.R. Grace was not the only company that has been accused of contributing to the dangers faced by residents.
The mesothelioma victims’ families have accused BNSF and its corporate predecessors of negligently storing the contaminated material in its railyards within the town of Libby, and of doing it in a careless way that allowed it to blow around the town, an act whose risks were exacerbated by the company’s failure to warn residents of the dangers it posed.
Mesothelioma Victims’ Families Seek Justice
The families of Thomas Wells and Joyce Walder jointly filed the mesothelioma claim against BNSF three years ago, and the case will begin to be heard this week. Mr. Wells died of mesothelioma at the age of 65 and testified that he had been exposed to the asbestos while doing seasonal work for the U.S. Forest Service in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in late 2019.
Ms. Walder died of mesothelioma at the age of 66 after having lived in Libby for at least 20 years. Her family offered testimony about her time fishing, river floating, playing and watching baseball, and walking on the railroad tracks. She had also heated pieces of vermiculite to watch it puff up, according to her family.
For information about the resources available to victims of asbestos exposure, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
