March 31, 2011 – The survivors of a former US Coast Guard engineman, who has recently died of mesothelioma, filed an asbestos lawsuit against companies that manufactured asbestos-containing equipment and materials, to which the deceased veteran was exposed during his service aboard several US Coast Guard ships.
THE SURVIVORS OF A FORMER US COAST GUARD ENGINEMAN, WHO HAS RECENTLY DIED OF MESOTHELIOMA, FILED AN ASBESTOS LAWSUIT AGAINST COMPANIES THAT MANUFACTURED ASBESTOS-CONTAINING EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS, TO WHICH THE DECEASED VETERAN WAS EXPOSED DURING HIS SERVICE ABOARD SEVERAL US COAST GUARD SHIPS.
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin, March 31, 2011 – Mesothelioma lawyers from the nationally acclaimed law firm of Levy Konigsberg LLP have filed a mesothelioma lawsuit on behalf of a Wisconsin man who was exposed to asbestos during his service in the United States Coast Guard as an engineman from the year 1960 to 1981 and passed away in January 2011, after a courageous battle with malignant mesothelioma.
During his long and honorable career in the Coast Guard, he served as a mechanic aboard six different Coast Guard cutters, where he made repairs to diesel engines, pumps, generators, and machinery. The ships were stationed in Wisconsin, Hawaii, Japan, and California. As a result of his work on these cutters, he was exposed to a variety of asbestos-containing products and materials.
Historically, asbestos-containing products and materials were used extensively on Coast Guard cutters, as well as Navy and Merchant Marine vessels. Because asbestos has the ability to withstand extreme heat, it was used widely throughout the military. The engine rooms of these vessels contained substantial amounts of asbestos-containing materials, including insulation, asbestos gaskets, asbestos seals, pipe coverings, pumps, and valves. In addition, asbestos was used as an insulation material for boilers on these ships. The rest of the ship would typically contain asbestos lining in its doors and bulkheads, which was employed as a fire suppressant.
In this lawsuit, the plaintiff’s asbestos exposure resulted from constant contact with these materials, which required routine maintenance on a regular basis. Regular contact with these materials caused their deterioration, causing the release of harmful microscopic asbestos fibers, which were then unknowingly inhaled or ingested by the plaintiff. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma nearly thirty years after retiring from the Coast Guard. Because mesothelioma has a latency period of between ten and fifty years, many former service members may not develop the disease until many decades after being exposed to asbestos-containing materials.
.jpg)
