Woman’s Family Sues for Asbestos Exposure from Brakes
The family of a New Jersey woman who died of mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer, is suing the company that manufactured the brakes used by the victim’s husband and sons during at-home car repairs.
According to a recent press release by the family’s attorneys, brake work was performed by various members of the woman’s family on the family’s cars, both in the garage and in the driveway of their New Jersey home from the 1960s through the 1980s. During the trial, it will be argued that the brand predominately used for the brake work was asbestos-containing Bendix brakes.
Brake dust containing asbestos can be released into the air when a brake drum or disk is removed from an automobile. Though the dust is often nearly invisible, the small particles can be easily inhaled by those in the vicinity.
The press release notes that “the victim was unknowingly exposed to asbestos as a result of her laundering the dusty clothes and the used rags that were used by her husband and children after they performed the brake work. The victim would shake out the dirty clothes and dusty rags and then launder them. She performed the clean-up and laundry without any realization that she was neither in any danger nor that she was being exposed to asbestos-laden dust.â€
Due to a growing number of asbestos lawsuits involving auto mechanics, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a new brochure entitled “Current Best Practices for Preventing Asbestos Exposure among Brake and Clutch Repair Workers,†which updates and reiterates standard practice for working with asbestos-containing brakes and clutches. The brochure also addresses home mechanics and the precautions necessary to prevent exposure in the home setting.
