Navy Veteran and Firefighter Diagnosed with Mesothelioma Seeks Justice
In the long list of occupations and biographical details that have been linked to the risk of mesothelioma, there are few that rank higher than having served in the U.S. Navy or having worked as a firefighter, so John D. Read’s diagnosis may not have been a surprise. Along with his wife, Sandra, the veteran and retired firefighter has filed civil claims against 3M Company, Air & Liquid Systems Corporation, and many other organizations that they blame for having failed to warn him of the risks of his years of asbestos exposure.
Couple Blames Decades of Asbestos Exposure for His Mesothelioma
Shortly after his mesothelioma diagnosis, Mr. and Mrs. Read acted quickly to get justice for the negligence they blamed for his fatal illness. Their claim cites his several years of Navy service aboard the USS Agerholm and the USS Prichett, where he worked as a boiler technician, as well as his decades of working as a firefighter. He worked for the Brea Fire Department in Brea, California, from 1967 to 1972, and the Santa Fe Springs Fire Department in Santa Fe Springs, California, from 1972 to 1996.
The couple has cited dozens of companies for negligence, accusing them of having been aware of asbestos’s toxicity and link to mesothelioma but failing to take precautions and warn those exposed to products and materials that contained the carcinogen.
Mesothelioma Victim Worked as a Boiler Technician in the Navy
Today, it is well known that asbestos exposure can lead to mesothelioma, but in the 1960s, when the mesothelioma victim served aboard Navy ships, the information had not been relayed to the public. However, the companies that manufactured and supplied asbestos-containing materials for those ships had known of the dangers for decades and chose to keep the information quiet, leading to countless Navy veterans being sickened by exposure to the material. Mr. Read was exposed while the ships were sailing, as well as when they were docked and being maintained in California shipyards. He was also exposed to asbestos-containing materials while he worked as a firefighter.
The Reads are seeking compensation for the harms that they’ve suffered as a result of the companies’ negligence and failure to warn. The case is still in the discovery process.
FREE Financial Compensation Packet
- Info on law firms that will recover your HIGHEST COMPENSATION
- Learn how to get paid in 90 days
- File for your share of $30 billion in trust funds
