Document Or1YR38e1Zja78k038NyEQ7w

Memorandum VnUmP^^ Corporation, January 10, 1974 To: Mr. C. T. Spivey Re: Medical-Legal Problems With OSHA Standards * The attached two newspaper accounts of law suits that have been entered as a result of the asbestosis problem taken with the package from the New Yorker leads me to suggest that some dis cussion should go on in IT. S. Steel concerning the potential we have for the same type of problem. With these attachments, I am won dering if the New Yorker document should also be circulated to Mr. Larry and Mr. Lohrentz and also to Operations. MB/rp Attachments Merle Bundy, M. D. Cl\:cr:d, Coiif, Tribune KUP- -POST-DISPATCH^ Pittsburg,' I Patient Wini3 *$351fD0Q : Judgment MARTINEZ--A former ma chinist for a Pittsburg asbes tos tile manufacturer, <Esa` bled by asbestosis. has von a ___ S351.WH) verdict against a doc- lor wllQ- Allegedly failed to disgnose the disease in time |g|j to treat it- . ,. A Contra Costa County Sd-pcrior Court jury made the award to Marcos A. Vela, 5S, who had been employed -at Johns-Manville. His' attorney, Arne Werchick, contended "~ ' that the company sent Vela-te- Dr. Kent Wise of Pittsburg for' ' * periodic examinations for six years before his condition was diagnosed in 1268: * ' '7 The disease, which affects the lungs, could-' have been controlled if Vela had changed jobs sooner," Werchiek satd.-'. < Friday, Dee. 7, 1S73... 1 r Hospital sued for $2 million MARTINEZ -- Pittsburg Community Hospital and three doctors have been named in a S2 million "wrongful death", lawsuit filed in superior court here today on behalf of a dead Pittsburg woman's family. Doctors named in the suit are Edwin Boysen, Charles Brisbin and Louis Lewis. Drafted by Pleasant, Hill. Attorney Richard E. Kennett, the suit alleges the death of. Mrs. Geraldine Peacock ofPittsburg, on Dec. 5,1972, was due to negligence of the' hospital and the three doctors. Details of the illness or injury sufferred by Mrs. Peacockwere riot given. It was listed, though, that Mrs. Peacock'died , after surgery. ' . . : , Kennett filed the suit' on' behalf of Woodrow C. Peacock and her four minor children, Norma Wood, 12, Mark A. Peacock, 5, Tracv L. Peacock, 3 anff Lytoriia Peacock, L . ._ UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION PUBLIC R6LATJOHS - PITTSBURGH DISTRICT P^ttegESSPORT DAILY KEWS IW JAW 3-1974 k-._s^ Workers Sue lAsbeslos Firm S TYLER, -Tex. - (XP}-^Alleging inegligenee, former employes of jthe Pittsburgb Coming. Corp. Ihave brought suit against the {company for-SlOO million. The case, filed U.S. Dis-: trict Court here, claims the cor poration exposed workers to "asbestos fibers in extremely dangerous concentration" and this caused them to "suffer from various stages of as- bestois, lung cancer and other pulmonary, diseases.'.' Disclosures of employe health hazards -and new regulations governing air pollution led Pittsburgh Coming to close its Tyler plant Feb. 5. 1973. - The damage suit was filed by' a Dallas lawyer. State Sen,. Os car Mauzey, as a class action on behalf -of former employes; of the firm-here. - It identifies one of the plaint iffs, Jessie Mae Thomas, as "the surviving widow of Robert T. Thomas, deceased, a former employe of Pittsburgh .Coming who has died-as a-result of such exposure!* to asbestos fi bers. % Those joining her in bringing the suit "on behalf of them selves and all others similarly situated" are Herman Yandle, Arthur Bearden, N.C. Yandle, Harold Spencer, RufuS" J. Lee and Hubert T. Thomas. Besides the Pittsburgh Corn ing Corp., the defendants are PPG' Industries, Inc., Dr. Lee Grant. Coming Glass Works, jlnc., industrial Health Founda tion,; Inc., Asbestos Textile In stitute and John Doe I-X. Dr. Grant beads the medical facilities of PPG Industries and Pittsburgh Coming. ` THE NEW YORK.TIMES, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1974