A Philadelphia jury is being asked to decide whether to hold U.S. Steel Corporation responsible for the 2022 mesothelioma death of Patricia Hajas. The lawsuit blames the woman’s illness on second-hand exposure to asbestos carried into her home on her steelworker father’s work clothes.
Jury is Told that U.S. Steel Knew of Link Between Asbestos and Mesothelioma
Opening arguments were presented earlier this week, and the jury was told that the company had been informed of the dangers of asbestos and its role in mesothelioma and other serious diseases as early as the 1930s. Attorneys representing the victim indicated that U.S. Steel chose to disregard the information in favor of keeping costs low and profits high.
The jury heard that the mesothelioma victim had been responsible for doing her family’s laundry during the years when her father, Mike Ruzbacky, had worked at U.S. Steel’s plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania, as a mold man. Employees holding that position were responsible for pouring molten steel into molds that were insulated with asbestos. As part of his responsibilities, Mr. Ruzbacky had cleared asbestos dust from his work area’s floor. The victim’s family is pointing to that asbestos, which clung to the clothes he wore home from work, for her fatal illness.
Internal Company Documents Support Mesothelioma Claim
According to the attorney representing the mesothelioma victim’s family, among the many pieces of evidence that the jury will see will be an internal document from U.S. Steel’s files that showed that the company knew in 1973 that its workers had been exposed to asbestos above federally established safety limits. The jury was also told that the company could have provided work clothing that its employees would have donned and removed at the plant, but chose not to do so, allowing asbestos to be carried into workers’ homes where it could impact family members like Mrs. Hajas.
While Mrs. Hajas’ family asserts that the company put its profits over employee safety, U.S. Steel points to numerous steps it took to ensure worker safety, and argues that the mesothelioma victim suffered asbestos exposure from jobs that she held and from the clothing worn by her husband while working with asbestos-containing products personally and professionally. The trial is ongoing and expected to close before the month’s end.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you need help or legal guidance, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
