David l. Dunlavey died of malignant mesothelioma after a decades-long career as a pipefitter and steamfitter. Following his death, his surviving family members filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the many companies that they blame for having exposed him to asbestos in various locations, including on several Navy ships.
Multiple Companies Named in Mesothelioma Lawsuit
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in August of 2024, Jason, Eric, and Dodd Dunlavey detailed David’s having studied pipefitting from 1967 to 1973 at Mesa Junior College in San Diego and working as an apprentice pipefitter before becoming a journeyman plumber/pipefitter. The family named multiple companies, including 3M Company, National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), General Electric, Westinghouse, and Kaiser Gypsum.
Among the many documents that the family members filed with their mesothelioma lawsuit were details of Mr. Dunlavey’s multiple exposures to asbestos and their connection to the various defendants. He includes occupational exposure to pipe fitting and steam fitting systems that included but were not limited to boilers, valves, gaskets, compressors, pumps, turbines, cooling towers, and thermal insulation at various locations, as well as while working on Navy ships including the USS Saginaw, USS Boulder, USS Racine, USS Spartanburg County, and USS Fairfax County.
Mesothelioma Victim Described Asbestos Exposure Before His Death
Mr. Dunlavey was diagnosed with mesothelioma on January 25, 2024, and succumbed to the fatal, asbestos-related disease five months later, on June 26, 2024. Among the exposures he recalled before his death were having worked in close vicinity to employees of shipyard defendants while they removed and replaced gaskets and packing in pumps, turbines, cooling towers, and valves using hand wire brushes, power wire brushes, scrapers, packing hooks, screwdrivers, and compressed air.
He also recalled those employees removing insulation on steam lines and other high-pressure pumps and valves, creating visible dust, fibers, and particles that he inadvertently breathed. He saw employees removing and tearing out insulation, then sweeping it up in his presence throughout his career, just feet away from him. He recalled employees “using brooms and portable blowers, causing the air to become full of dust.”
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help you identify the companies responsible for your exposure so you can seek justice. For more information, contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
