Lung cancer and mesothelioma are just two of the devastating diseases that can develop as a result of asbestos exposure. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they typically attach to the mesothelial lining of the body’s organs, including the lungs, heart, and abdomen.

One of the latest cases of an asbestos-related lawsuit was filed by California woman Virginia Schmidt, whose husband Oswald was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma on December 12, 2007. Oswald Schmidt passed away within just a few months of his diagnosis, and on September 19, 2008, Virginia filed a lawsuit in Madison County Circuit Court to gain compensation for his passing.

According to the lawsuit, Oswald worked between 1949 and 1989 as a welder in several different locations throughout Kansas and Illinois. Welders, as well as other construction occupations, are especially at risk of asbestos exposure. Most instances occur through the presence of the substance in construction materials or in the protective clothing worn by workers dealing with extreme heat.

Virginia Schmidt is claiming Oswald worked with or around asbestos-containing products and that he was exposed to inhalable asbestos fibers.

She also believes the defendants in the case should have been able to anticipate and prevent his exposure, as many companies knew about the dangers of asbestos before the information was made available to the public.

As a result of developing mesothelioma cancer, Oswald Schmidt suffered extreme mental and physical pain, incurred large medical expenses, and lost income through being unable to work. More importantly, his family has suffered a great loss.

The eleven-count lawsuit filed by Virginia Schmidt is seeking compensation of at least $200,000, as well as punitive damages in an amount to be decided by the jury.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 13th, 2008 at 1:46 pm and is filed under Asbestos Litigation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.