April 18th, 2008

A Texas woman has sued her husband’s former employer over asbestos exposure. The woman developed mesothelioma, a form of cancer, from washing her husband’s work clothes.

A Texas woman is suing several companies after she developed mesothelioma, a type of deadly lung cancer, from handling her husband’s work clothes. The suit alleges that the husband’s employers knew about the dangers of asbestos and they could have easily prevented the woman’s exposure to asbestos if simple guidelines had been followed in the work place. The husband’s clothes were coated with asbestos fibers, which were breathed in by the woman as she washed her husband’s laundry.

The woman later developed a deadly type of lung cancer called mesothelioma, which is directly linked with asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma results from breathing in asbestos fibers, which get caught in the lining of the lungs and keeps the tissue from absorbing oxygen. The victim is usually terminal at the time of diagnosis, and ends up suffocating from the aggressive cancer. Work places that are known to have asbestos are recommended to provide showers for employees, as well as on site laundry service to contain the danger of exposing employees’ family members to asbestos fibers.