Dad’s Refinery Job Blamed for Daughter’s Death
The children of a woman who died of mesothelioma are suing Exxon-Mobil, claiming that their mother died because she was exposed to asbestos dust brought home on the clothes of her father, who worked at the Mobil Oil Refinery (now Exxon-Mobil) in Beaumont, Texas for many years.
The Southeast Texas Record states that the children of Joyce Myers are seeking damages in excess of $1 million as compensation for their mother’s death due to exposure to asbestos. They’ll be facing the oil giant in Judge Gary Sanderson’s district court for the next two to three weeks. Their lawyer will attempt to show that Myer’s father’s exposure to asbestos is at least partially responsible for her death.
The suit states that the people who make up the Mobil Corporation acted with malice during the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s by intentionally concealing information revealing the dangers of asbestos exposure. Representatives for the oil company maintain that large companies were not fully aware of the dangers of asbestos until the 1970s.
In all, the suit accuses 68 corporations of mining, manufacturing and distributing asbestos products throughout Jefferson County. Some of the defendants include Viacom, Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse Electric and General Electric.
“Defendants were all negligent in failing to adequately warn of the dangers of asbestos exposure,” the suit says. “Their failure was a proximate cause of plaintiffs’ injuries and damages. Defendants were also negligent in failing to adequately test their products to determine the hazards associated with their products.”
