Asbestos Litigation

An Australian widow filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against an aluminum producer, claiming it knew that asbestos exposure was deadly when the man worked there.

Margaret Grant is suing Alcoa on behalf of her husband David, who died of the rare and deadly cancer in July 2010, according to the Australian Associated Press.

Grant's asbestos lawyer told the court that David was exposed to asbestos while working on the construction of the Alcoa Point Henry smelter in Geelong in the early 1960s.

Part of David Grant's responsibilities included cutting asbestos sheeting with a saw.

"The dust created, as you might expect, was quite enormous," the mesothelioma attorney told the news provider.

Many people with blue collar jobs were subjected to asbestos exposure in decades past as the substance was widely used as an insulator and flame retardant. However, in addition to malignant mesothelioma, asbestos exposure has been proven to cause asbestosis and lung cancer.

The widow Grant's asbestos attorney said during the trial that Alcoa should have been aware of the dangers posed by the carcinogen as its dangers were recorded in medical journals and public documents as far back as 1898.