Asbestos-Related Cancer Claims Third Family Member Lawsuit Filed

New York Mesothelioma Attorneys File Lawsuit in Syracuse, NY After Rare Asbestos-Related Cancer Claims Third Family Member

Levy, Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP, New York mesothelioma attorneys, filed a lawsuit today in New York State Supreme Court, Fifth Judicial District, Onondaga County, Syracuse, on behalf of the third family member from Jefferson County, New York, to die from mesothelioma.

Donald Lozo, 67, who died in August 2005, was exposed to asbestos from talc, as was his late sister, Catherine, and late mother, Mary, who also died of asbestos-related cancer. Donald Lozo worked for more than a decade at the Carbola Talc Mine, Natural Bridge. Natural Bridge had a population of approximately 392 persons according to the 2000 Census and zero mesothelioma deaths would be expected.
The Lozo family's mesothelioma tragedy began in the 1930s when Alfred Lozo, husband of Mary and father of Donald and Catherine, began working at the Carbola Mine. For decades Albert Lozo would return from work at the mine with talc dust on his clothing and in the family car. Mary, Donald and Catherine were constantly exposed to this asbestos-laden talc dust.

Donald Lozo, whose estate filed its case today, also was exposed to contaminated talc when he worked in the mill at Carbola Mine in the 1950s and early 1960s. He also was exposed to asbestos used in industrial products while working as a member of Iron Workers Union, Local 60 beginning in the mid 1960s. The Carbola Chemical Company is one of the entities believed to be responsible for mining and milling operations during the years in which Alfred and Donald Lozo worked at the Natural Bridge facility, according to Patrick J. Timmins, Esq., another one of the New York mesothelioma attorneys working on the Lozo's case.

For years scientists have noted the high rates of asbestos-related cancer in New York State talc mining counties. One 2002 study published by the British Occupational Hygiene Society found Jefferson County, in which Natural Bridge is located, with the second highest mesothelioma death rate for females in the U.S. and the sixth highest for males, according to Komitor. Additionally, published studies have independently confirmed at least 15 mesothelioma deaths among talc workers in New York State.

Independent scientists and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health ("NIOSH") analyzed New York State talc in the 1970s and concluded that it was contaminated with asbestos. More recently, the New York State Department of Health again confirmed the presence of asbestos in the talc ore, Komitor said.

To read the full article and case captions visit Levy, Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP