The disposable respirator is a device that has been used for years to keep dust out of the lungs, but over the past years, experts have said that the disposable respirator did not work.
The company 3M made the 8710 mask which was a disposable respirator and government approved for use where there was deadly dusts including asbestos and was said to protect workers. It was a very big seller selling over millions.
Michael Leslie who worked with asbestos dust says that he thought it would be an excellent product when issued it by his employer and wore it for around a year in 1972. He has now been diagnosed with mesothelioma which is the deadly form of lung cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos.
He says that the mask leaked as they did not fit properly and this was confirmed by experts but it was approved by the U.S. government’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 1972. However, by 1980, NIOSH had changed their stance and informed 3M that they did not think that the respirator would provide sufficient protection against cancer causing asbestos. The mask continued to be sold but in 1986 it was eventually banned in the U.S.
Leslie sued many companies, including 3M, who settled out of court. Although 3M maintain they have not lost a court case on the issue, saying usually the workers did not wear the masks properly, or all the time, according to their financial reports they have paid out over $150 million over the last four years on fees and settlements for respirator mask litigation.
If you or someone you know is suffering from an 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. You may be entitled to an asbestos payout as part of an individual or class action lawsuit.
