DuPont Asbestos Lawsuit Filed Over Mesothelioma Death

The family of a deceased DuPont employee has filed a mesothelioma lawsuit alleging that E.I. DuPont De Nemours and Co. failed to warn about the dangers of exposure to asbestos fibers, which ultimately led to the painful death of their father and husband.

The complaint was filed by the family of Albert Abshire on July 31, 2009, in Jefferson County District Court in Texas. Abshire died on December 23, 2008, from mesothelioma cancer and pleural asbestosis, which the family alleges he developed as a result of his work for DuPont.

The DuPont asbestos lawsuit accuses the company of allowing its employees to work unprotected around asbestos fibers, even though they were aware that it was linked to cancer and other potentially fatal diseases, according to the Southeast Texas Record.

Asbestos exposure can lead to the development of mesothelioma cancer and asbestosis, and the conditions are often not discovered for many years after the exposure.

Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that can prove fatal. Mesothelioma is an extremely fatal form of cancer that attacks the lining of the chest and lungs, which can go undetected for decades. Both diseases are contracted through breathing in of asbestos fibers.

Industrial workers have been one of the most common victims of asbestos illness, because the material was used as an insulator and fire retardant in many industries.

The family of Albert Abshire says he was exposed to fibers while working for DuPont at its Jefferson County, Texas, facility. They are seeking exemplary and punitive damages, legal costs and other compensations.