ExxonMobil has appealed a New Jersey court’s decision made in 2008, but the court is not hearing it. Exxon was found liable for Bonnie Anderson’s case of peritoneal mesothelioma, which she was diagnosed with in 2001.
Mesothelioma is causes by toxic chemical asbestos. Asbestos is most often a work-related hazard. The last century brought in countless tons of asbestos containing materials for use in refining, manufacturing, shipbuilding, construction, insulation and a variety of other building needs. asbestos use went unchecked for decades before associated health concerns became widely known. In the 1980s, in the interest of public health and safety, the Environmental Protection Agency began to define regulations for its safe use and removal. However, gaining the nickname “backbone of American industry” asbestos was spread far and wide across America well before regulations were in place.
Bonnie Anderson worked as an electrician between 1975 and 1986. Although she worked in a refinery, a common location for asbestos exposure, she was not exposed to the toxic chemical on the job. It was sadly her husband, who worked in pump repair for ExxonMobil, who connected Bonnie with dangerous asbestos fibers. Much of his time was spent removing insulation material from pump components to be repaired or refitted. He would return home, covered in dust from work, where Bonnie would wash his work clothes for him. Bonnie claims she was exposed to asbestos fibers brought home on her husbands clothes. It was washing his work clothes, she stated, that led to her case of mesothelioma.
mesothelioma is characterized by a long latency period—often between twenty and forty years. Once asbestos fibers are inhaled into the lungs, they begin a cancerous development through the lung lining or lining of other abdominal cavities. Bonnie Anderson suffered from peritoneal mesothelioma, the less common of the two types specific to a variety of abdominal cavity tissues. Pleural mesothelioma, the more common type, is seen only in lung lining.
There are many mesothelioma treatments available, including surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Palliative care is also a common choice for mesothelioma patients who wish to focus on quality of life rather than undergo cancer-direct treatments; it may include surgery, but the goal is to aid in breathing and manage pain for patient comfort.
Exxon claims workers compensation laws do not cover the stretch made in the case of Bonnie Anderson, but the court has held its decision. Exxon is currently considering their legal options.