Jury selection will start tomorrow in a case filed by a New York woman on behalf of her sister, Anna Bishop, who died of mesothelioma in January 2023. Linda Weaver’s lawsuit against Vanderbilt Minerals LLC accuses the company, which operated talc mines close to where Anna lived for most of her life, of negligence in having exposed her to asbestos.
Mesothelioma Victim Lived Close to Talc Mines Throughout her Life
According to filings submitted to the court in advance of the mesothelioma trial, Ms. Bishop suffered environmental exposure to asbestos. She lived within the immediate proximity to RTV’s mines in the Gouverneur District in northern New York for her entire life.
Though the company had asked the court to dismiss the mesothelioma claim against them, their request for summary judgment was denied after the family provided evidence that RTV talc contained asbestos, that large quantities of various types of lethal asbestos fibers were regularly released into the air during mining and milling operations and carried into surrounding areas, and that Ms. Bish had been disabled for most of her 78 years, rarely leaving her home area.
Mesothelioma Jury to Hear Extensive Evidence of Deadly Talc Contamination
The evidence submitted in pre-trial motions makes clear that the mesothelioma jury will hear significant evidence pointing to the role that Vanderbilt Minerals played in Ms. Bishop’s deadly mesothelioma diagnosis. In response to the company’s attempts to have the case dismissed, the plaintiffs submitted reports measuring the levels of dust generated in the area where she had lived, evidence of talc particles within her lung tissue, and data showing that both Vanderbilt employees and other residents within the region suffered an “astronomically high incidence rate” of mesothelioma directly attributable to the asbestos in the talc mines.
One expert calculated that an ultra-conservative estimate of the dose of asbestos that the mesothelioma victim had been exposed to would be 56 times the threshold level of lifetime asbestos exposure needed to cause pleural mesothelioma. Though the talc company asserted that its talc did not contain asbestos and that its workers handling the talc couldn’t develop fatal asbestos diseases, Ms. Weaver’s attorneys noted that this argument had been rejected by New York courts as long ago as 1980. The trial is expected to begin within a few days.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
