March 31st, 2005

In May 2003, an Indiana man and his wife filed a lawsuit naming over one hundred companies as defendants following the contraction of mesothelioma by the man. Mr William Lowmaster and his wife Greta filed the suit, from Banks Township, named over one hundred companies in the lawsuit, stating that Mr. Lowmaster contracted mesothelioma thought exposure to asbestos from products that were either made or supplied by the companies in question.

The lawsuit stated that between 1953 and 1995 Lowmaster worked as both an iron worker and a sheet metal worker at a number of commercial and industrial sites. It stated that this is how and where Lowmaster was exposed to asbestos dust and fibers, which ultimately resulted in the onset of the cancer. Over twenty-five thousand dollars in damages were being claimed, along with punitive damages and expenses.

However, by the time that the trial was due to being, early last week, the claims against the majority of the companies had been dismissed, leaving only a handful of defendants against which the Lowmaster could claim. An out of court settlement was reached one day before the trial was due to commence, although it has not been revealed how much the settlement was for. However, the couple’s lawyer has stated that Mr. Lowmaster is now so ill he cannot get out of bed.

Mesothelioma, with which Mr. Lowmaster had been diagnosed, is a deadly cancer that is known to be caused by exposure to airborne asbestos dust and fibres that are ingested or breathed in to the lungs and system.