As of August 11, 2010, 14 official complaints had already been filed with the Kanawha Circuit Court of West Virginia by 18 people suffering from asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the lining of the chest, heart and abdomen caused by prolonged asbestos exposure. This group of victims is planning to sue 147 companies for exposing them to hazardous asbestos material.

Although asbestos is currently banned from sale, it is still present in older homes and structures, and when the material is disturbed it can become airborne and easily inhaled, causing serious damage to the respiratory system. Once inhaled, the asbestos remains in the lungs, and over a few decades pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs known as the pleura, can develop, as well as other types of lung cancer or asbestosis. Sadly, mesothelioma treatment efforts are only palliative.

Because of its extended latency, mesothelioma can take decades to develop, and is therefore difficult to diagnose and almost always detected in its later stages, which is often times too late. Life expectancy for diagnosed mesothelioma patients rarely surpasses 18 months.

According to the 14 complaints filed, the 147 defendants are responsible for the lung injuries of all 18 plaintiffs. The plaintiffs claim that the defendants failed to warn them of the dangers of the products when they knew that exposure to the asbestos-containing products would cause disease and injury. The plaintiffs are now seeking jury trials to resolve the issues involved in their cases.

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