We are pursuing a class action lawsuit on behalf of Missouri citizens who have spent more than eighty hours in the Jackson County Courthouse since asbestos was released in 1982-1983. This case stands for the proposition that parties who negligently expose others to toxic substances should pay for the necessary medical monitoring costs of those who were exposed through no fault of their own. The asbestos was released during a 1982-1983 construction project and has never since been removed or properly abated. Medical experts recommend medical testing, or monitoring, during the course of a person’s lifetime if they have a known exposure to asbestos that is above the background levels found in our daily lives.
The death of Nancy Lopez, a lifelong courthouse employee who died of the asbestos-caused cancer mesothelioma in 2010, triggered the need for this class action lawsuit. The members of the class action are people who have not contracted any asbestos related disease, but because of their presence in the courthouse since 1982 have been exposed to asbestos above that which is regularly considered as a “background” level of exposure. Because we believe U.S. Engineering and Jackson County were negligent in exposing our citizens to this toxic substance, it is only fair that the negligent parties should pay for the necessary medical tests every citizen within the class is recommended to undergo throughout their lives.
If you believe you may be a potential member of the class, which means you have spent at least eighty hours in the Jackson County Courthouse since 1982-1983, we invite you to contact our firm so we may properly evaluate your circumstance. Not all persons exposed to asbestos will contract an asbestos related disease, but it is clear that medical professionals recommend certain testing so persons exposed can be helped with early diagnostic evidence and preventative measures.