Suit faults Exxon Mobil for deceased worker's asbestos disease
9/8/2008 3:31 PM
By Marilyn Tennissen
Keith Hyde
The children of a deceased Exxon Mobil employee allege the company exposed their father to asbestos, which caused his death from lung cancer.
As surviving children of Omar Phillips, Curtis Blake Phillips of Port Neches and Beverly Babin of Bevil Oaks filed suit against Exxon Mobil on Sept. 4 in Jefferson County District Court.
According to the plaintiffs' original complaint, Omar was employed by Mobil Oil as a pipe-fitter and welder and was exposed to toxic materials including asbestos dust and fibers.
"As a result of such exposure, Omar Phillips developed an asbestos-related disease, lung cancer, from which he died a painful and terrible death on July 24, 2007," the complaint states.
The suit alleges that Exxon Mobil knew for decades that asbestos-containing products could cause the disease of asbestosis and asbestos-related cancer and still allowed their employees to work with the products. It also alleges the defendant acted with malice and/or gross neglect.
Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil, according to the suit, failed to warn of the dangers of asbestos in the workplace, failed to take safety precautions and failed to provide training to ensure that the deceased was not exposed.
Plaintiffs are seeking all elements of damages allowable under the law including exemplary damages.
J. Keith Hyde of Provost Umphrey in Beaumont is representing the plaintiffs.
The case has been assigned to Judge Milton Shuffield of the 136th District Court.
