A boilermaker has filed a lawsuit claiming that he was exposed to large amounts of asbestos fibers through his work as a result of the misconduct of the companies that employed him and supplied him with the asbestos-containing products he works with.
The suit seeks punitive and compensatory damages and was filed in Madison County, Illinois.
The Boilerworker’s Suit
The lawsuit, filed by Leslie Rickard from Tuscumbia, Alabama, names a long list of companies as defendants, including John Crane, an Illinois-based company that is the world’s largest manufacturer of mechanical seals.
According to Rickard’s suit, Rickard worked as a boilermaker from 1967 to 1998. Rickard claims that he found out that he had asbestosis in March of 2006.
Asbestosis is a chronic asbestos-caused illness that causes inflammation of lung tissues, shortness of breath, and may increase the patient’s chances of contracting mesothelioma or lung cancer. There is no cure or even effective treatment for asbestosis.
The suit claims that the defendant companies used asbestos in their products despite the fact that it was foreseeable that company employees who worked with or near the asbestos-containing products would inhale large amounts of asbestos fibers.
This should have been avoided, as asbestos fiber inhalation poses a well-documented health risk.
It seeks damages in excess of $600,000, including punitive damages, according to the lawsuit.
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Please contact us today for a complimentary consultation with an experienced asbestos exposure attorney who can answer your questions and outline your legal rights and options. It is often possible for victims of asbestos exposure to recover compensation for pain, suffering, medical expenses and more. It is also often possible for relatives of those who have died from an asbestos-related disease to collect damages for the relative’s wrongful death, the related expenses and the financial and emotional support the survivor will be missing for the rest of his or her life.
