Case Study - Asbestos Materials Delivery Driver

Wendell’s exposure to asbestos began early in his working life and lasted for two decades. From the late 1950s through the late 1960s, he worked for a construction supply company delivering raw asbestos fiber that was used to manufacture concrete and other building products. He then spent another decade with a box and building-materials company, helping deliver asbestos boards and related materials — and when a delivered product had a problem, it fell to him and his crew to personally replace it, bringing him into direct contact with the material.

In the late 1970s, Wendell shifted careers, spending two decades as a machinist technician, training others on industrial machinery. He also did some work delivering bricks and building materials for a concrete company.

Diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2024, Wendell has lived nearly his entire adult life in Houston with his wife. He quit smoking decades ago, and his family believes his years spent handling raw asbestos fiber and asbestos board products are the more likely source of his illness.

Wendell’s two decades delivering raw asbestos fiber and asbestos board materials came at a time when the products moved through job sites and warehouses with little more thought than any other building supply. His four children, now grown, have helped him piece together which of his two early employers handled which materials, working from memory and whatever old paperwork the family could find.