Secondary Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento mesothelioma lawyer. For those who might be unaware, mesothelioma is a deadly disease that can result from asbestos exposure. It is a cancerous disease that forms a thin film over the surface of the lung. This can impair blood flow to the lungs and the rest of the body, compromising the flow of oxygen to tissues that depend on oxygen for survival. For people who are worried that they might have been exposed to asbestos, the California Supreme Court recently issued a ruling that people with mesothelioma will be interested in.
Liability of Corporations in California: Responsible for Asbestos Exposure
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court in California was reviewing the possibility of holding the companies in California responsible for secondary asbestos exposure that employees and workers may have been exposed to in their own home. This might be confusing, but people may not know that companies are responsible for asbestos exposure in the workplace. This exposure has been the focus of many lawsuits that employees have brought against former employers due to deadly lung cancer that they developed as a result of this exposure at work. This ruling by the California Supreme Court takes it one step further.
Asbestos Transported Home
Asbestos is a deadly chemical that causes mesothelioma. Asbestos was commonly used by companies many years ago as a form of insulation. When people inhale asbestos, it is inhaled into the lungs and can cause a significant amount of damage to the lung tissue. This leads to lung cancer. Because asbestos is a physical substance, that many companies used as insulation, it can actually leak out and attach to people’s skin and clothing. This asbestos is transported home and can harm not only the employee but people living in the home as well. Therefore, an individual’s family can potentially develop this deadly disease from the asbestos that was carried home from work. The California Supreme Court ruled that companies can be held liable for this exposure. This is called secondary asbestos exposure.
El Dorado Hills CA – Large Concentation of Asbestos
The crux of the ruling is that companies need to understand that if secondary exposure from the asbestos is likely to occur, the companies have a due diligence to take action that prevents this exposure. El Dorado Hills has one of the largest concentrations of asbestos because of the huge growth of construction in the area. El Dorado Hills developed in an area with a significant amount of serpentine rock, which is a source of asbestos. As the construction developed, this rock was disturbed and people developed asbestos. California has been dealing with the results of this exposure.
Two Lawsuits
The Supreme Court ruling was the result of two different civil cases. In the first, a woman died of lung cancer that developed as a result of exposure at the BNSF Railway Company. She never worked for the company; however, her exposure came through her ex-husband. He worked for the company and carried the substance home with him from the job. The other lawsuit was brought by the daughter of a man who was a construction worker. He breathed in the substance because asbestos was used as insulation with drywall at his construction company. These lawsuits ruled that both of these companies must be held responsible for secondhand asbestos exposure.
Related Articles by Ed Smith:
- Symptoms of Mesothelioma
- Living with Mesothelioma
- Do Women Have a Favorable Advantage if Diagnosed with Mesothelioma?
Secondary Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma Attorneys
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento mesothelioma lawyer. If you or someone you love has contracted mesothelioma, please give me a call at (916) 921-6400 for free and friendly advice. You can also reach me toll-free at (800) 404-5400.
I’m a member of the California section of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Members of this forum have won multiple million dollar case verdicts for their clients. These attorneys are ranked as top trial lawyers in the United States.
Follow this link to view my past verdicts and settlements.
See what my clients have to say about their experience working with me on Google, Yelp and Avvo (the lawyer ranking service).
Image Attribution: By Bill Branson, via Wikimedia Commons
Source of Secondary Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma – Mesothelioma Lawyers Sacramento
:dr/bw