A mesothelioma lawsuit has been filed against John Crane Co., General Electric, ViacomCBS, Foster Wheeler and other defendants by the son of Navy veteran Fred Russel Stafford. Michael Stafford is accusing the companies of strict liability in his father’s illness and death, of negligence, of breach of warranty, and of failure to warn of the dangers of asbestos in the products that they manufactured and that he was exposed to through his years of service and later years of employment.
Mesothelioma Ended Distinguished Life of Submarine Expert
In the years before Stafford was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, he had a long and full life that included entering the U.S. Navy in 1948 as part of the Navy Submarine Service. He served on seven boats and retired as senior chief engineman aboard the USS Henry L. Stimson. He then went on to work at General Dynamics in further support of the Submarine force.
According to the claim, which was filed in the Superior Court of Fairfield, Connecticut, Mr. Stafford’s mesothelioma followed years of exposure to asbestos-contaminated materials both during his naval service and in the years he worked at General Dynamics, from 1968 to 1979. It accuses the companies of having been in possession of “medical and scientific data, studies and reports since approximately 1929” indicating the dangers of asbestos, and references additional such reports that it possessed throughout the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, as well as numerous workers compensation claims against them specifically linked to asbestos exposure. The suit says that notwithstanding this voluminous information, the defendants did nothing to protect Mr. Stafford and accuses the companies of acting in a “grossly negligent, reckless, malicious, willful and wanton manner.”
Mesothelioma Victim’s Son Seeks Compensation for Damages
In filing his lawsuit, Michael Stafford seeks compensation for the pain, suffering, and anguish that his father suffered after his mesothelioma diagnosis, as well as for other damages. The case was recently removed to Connecticut and will likely be heard by a jury shortly.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or if you have lost a loved one to this disease, it was likely a result of negligence on the part of an asbestos company that put profits over people. For more information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net at 1-800-692-8608.
