Illinois Jury Awards $2 Million Verdict in Second Hand Asbestos Lawsuit

Woman dies from mesothelioma after repeatedly laundering her husbands asbestos contaminated work clothes.

Westmont, NJ, August 31th, 2009

The dangerous from direct asbestos exposure are well documented in medical journals. A lesser known danger of asbestos exposure is from secondary exposure to the materials. This summer a jury in Illinois ruled on the side of a woman’s family who died from secondary asbestos exposure that occurred in the 1950s.

Leslie Corry recently died from mesothelioma, an asbestos related cancer. Nearly 60 years ago her first husband worked at an asbestos and rubber company and the suit claimed his contaminated working clothes exposed her to asbestos fibers that later caused her fatal cancer.

The popularity of asbestos by industry comes from its resistant to heat, electricity and many chemicals. Asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate mineral. It has long, thin fibrous crystals that have been used in many manufacturing processes and products until more recent times.

When aerosolized and inhaled the mineral fibers become embedded in lung tissue and can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. In most cases as a person’s exposure to asbestos fibers increases, so to do their chances of developing asbestos related cancers and diseases later in life.

EMSL Analytical, one of the nation’s largest asbestos testing laboratories, has almost three decades of asbestos testing experience. “Because asbestos related cancers and diseases can take so long to manifest themselves in exposed individuals it is crucial to prevent exposure in the first place,” reported Joe Frasca, Executive Vice President for EMSL Analytical. “It’s important that the general public and workers understand the long term risks posed by asbestos exposure, both in the workplace and in the home. To help educate the public about the dangers we have provided two free educational asbestos poster available at our website,” Frasca continued.

To learn more about asbestos testing or other testing needs please visit www.EMSL.com, email info@EMSL.com or call (800) 220-3675.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of consumer product, environmental, industrial hygiene, food and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.

Contact Information

Joe Frasca

Senior Vice President, Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

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