A lawsuit filed by the survivors of actor Ed Lauter is demonstrative of the wide range of products and locations which commonly are treated with asbestos. Lauter’s family filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles County Superior Court in April, and named various manufacturing and broadcasting companies as defendants, including:
- CBS Corporation
- Ford Motor Company
- General Electric Company
- Georgia-Pacific LLC
- Honeywell International, Inc.
- Ingersoll-Rand PLC
- Union Carbide Corporation
The crux of the case is that the companies listed all used asbestos in one way or another, and knew that the substance was toxic and caused fatal asbestos related diseases. Tellingly, the attorney representing the actor’s survivors says that Lauter’s motion picture career put him at risk of exposure, which is somewhat of a novel claim in the asbestos law community. But, if proven true, this claim could be a major revelation in Hollywood going forward. The attorney says that Lauter was exposed to asbestos when working on various movie sets and locations in the Los Angeles area between approximately 1958 and 1979.
This case shows just how widespread asbestos use is in the country, and gives a sense for the challenges presented to any attorney looking to pin down the most likely source of asbestos related diseases when a client has potentially been exposed in various areas of life over long periods of time.
If you or someone you know has suffered the results of asbestos related disease, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer, contact the Law Office of Brayton Purcell, LLP at (800) 598-0314 immediately, or contact us online for a free consultation.
