Pro Football Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen's Family Settles Mesothelioma Lawsuit

Merlin Olsen's lifetime exposure to asbestos, which caused the mesothelioma cancer that eventually killed him, began as early as age 11 with a summer job on a construction site, leading to the recent settlement between his family and 10 companies that used or manufactured the product. Olsen, a Hall of Fame football star who also became a successful actor and broadcaster, died March 11, 2010, at age 69, three months after the lawsuit was filed. Attorneys for his wife filed a notice in Los Angeles, California, earlier this month that the lawsuit had been settled, according to the Associated Press. No details were provided. Olsen is one of several well-known Americans – actors, athletes, politicians – that have died from mesothelioma, which normally is associated with construction work and military service. Although there were 25 defendants named in the original lawsuit. Many were dropped, according to the Contra Costa Times, before the final settlement was reached, including NBC Studios, where he once worked as a broadcaster. The suit contended that companies negligently exposed him to asbestos, particularly in his formative years growing up in Utah, where he worked summer jobs doing construction, as far back as 1951. According to the original lawsuit, Olsen's mesothelioma was "caused from significant cumulative lifetime exposure to many asbestos products, including heavy equipment parts." A two-time All-America football player at Utah State University (1959-61), Olsen play...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Celebrities Source Type: news