Almost Sixty Charged in Asbestos Exposure

In what may prove to be the most widespread asbestos damage suit in history, Joseph A. Headley and his wife, Lisa R., have filed suit against 58 corporations, claiming that Joseph's asbestos-related disease was the result of negligence.

The Headleys are saying that all 58 companies knew the asbestos-containing products were pernicious and all should be held accountable, according to the lawsuit filed January 13 in Jefferson County District Court in Texas. They further charge that Joseph Headley himself was unaware of the dangers inherent in working so closely with asbestos, and that the defendant corporations subsequently failed to provide the necessary protective gear Headley should have worn to protect himself. Headley himself insists he used the products in the manner directed.

Exposure to asbestos can cause a number of diseases and respiratory system disorders, including cancer of the pharynx, cancer of the esophagus, stomach cancer, colon cancer, cancer of the rectum, asbestosis, and pleural mesothelioma (cancer in the pleural lining of the lungs).

The most lethal of these is malignant pleural mesothelioma, which can lead to a form of cancer that may not display symptoms for up to seven decades. When it does, it is almost always too late to treat, and most patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma die within 14 months of diagnosis.

Asbestos was commonly used in pipe insulation, floor and roofing tiles, tile cement and ceiling panels or sprayed-on insulation throughout the first part of the 20th century. In the 1970s, health officials began to associate its use with various respiratory system disorders, and its use was largely discontinued, but it remains in situ in many locations. In addition, a 1989 ban by the Environmental Protection Agency was overturned in a 1991 court hearing in Louisiana, and products containing asbestos can still be found in the United States.

The amount of damages sought has not yet been specified, but if the suit is successful in pointing the finger at the companies charged, the monetary award will be less relevant than the legal opinion tying manufacturers, suppliers, users - and even an insurance company - together in a determination of negligent or criminal behavior.

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