D.L. 68, Machinist

D.L. and his wife of 43 years contacted us from their home in New Jersey approximately eight months after he had been diagnosed with mesothelioma. We traveled to his home immediately, in order to determine how he had been exposed to asbestos.

For the last 45 years, D.L. owned a landscaping business. However, in the 1950s, D.L. served in the U.S. Navy. It was here, aboard ships, where he came into contact with multiple products containing asbestos that eventually resulted in his illness. After obtaining the naval archive records for the ship on which D.L. served, as well as interviewing others who served on the ship, we were able to determine to determine the specific manufacturers of the asbestos-containing products.

We also discovered that D.L. performed numerous brake and clutch jobs on his own cars and trucks. This is a common way for exposure to asbestos to occur, and we included the manufacturers of these asbestos-containing products in our suit, along with those mentioned above.

We filed D.L.'s case in San Francisco, California. Due to his illness, the court in San Francisco granted an early trial date. This trial, though, never occurred. All of the defendants settled before trial for a large total recovery. D.L. is currently receiving medical treatment and is still active, taking cruises and enjoying his retirement.