More than 150 courthouse workers have joined a lawsuit against construction contractors who they claim are responsible for releasing asbestos fibers into their workplace.
The lawsuit claims that the project managers for Skanska USA Building Inc. intentionally engaged in deceptive behavior to conceal that they were illegally conducting demolition work and working with asbestos without an asbestos consultant. It also claims they did this after serious warnings that working on the asbestos would expose many people to potentially deadly levels of asbestos.
The suit
The suit seeks damages of an unspecified amount for the emotional distress “from the reasonable fear of developing cancer and other serious illnesses as a result of the exposure to asbestos and other toxic materials.”
The plaintiffs include Judge Jose Angel Velasquez, numerous court clerks, bailiffs, managers, administrative supervisors, and a handful of attorneys. The suit was filed on Wednesday.
According to the suit, Glynn Nystrom, an asbestos consultant, was informed that the funds for his services would run out at the end of the month. Then Henderson and Jones “made false statements and prepared false writings” to make regulators think that Nystrom was still supervising the work, and that a certified asbestos removal expert was working on the project.
A Previous Suit
This lawsuit follows a previous one filed by Judge Albert Maldonado, a bailiff and another court worker against the same defendants. That lawsuit claimed the plaintiffs were made ill by asbestos, mold, and other substances that were released into the air as a result of the construction.
President of the Service Employees International Union, Harry Gamotan, said “I just hope that the people, if they’ve been injured in some way, there’s something there for them … Once you get asbestos, there’s not a pill to get rid of it. You have it for life.”
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