In February 2009, Earl Juneau lost his battle with lymphoma. Now, the Nederland man's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming that his illness and eventual death was caused by his extended exposure to benzene products, and was completely preventable.

In a recently filed lawsuit against 11 defendant companies, Juneau's family alleges that their husband and father worked in close proximity to products containing benzene in his employment with several companies. Juneau held the positions of process operator, shift foreman, and utility coordinator supervisor and operator with various industrial companies.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendant companies knew of the dangers of benzene exposure, but continued to allow Juneau and other employees to work in close proximity to the hazardous substance. In addition, the companies failed to provide protective gear and otherwise failed to warn Juneau and other employees of the dangers of extended benzene exposure.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Jefferson County District Court, alleges that defendant companies Exxon Mobil, Marathon Oil Company, Texaco, Shell Chemical, Chevron, Fisher Scientific Company, and Fisher Scientific International wrongfully allowed benzene products to be placed into the stream of commerce. In addition, the suit alleges that BP Products, Beazer East, Atlantic Richfield and Koppers allowed Juneau to work near the dangerous products, ultimately causing his illness and death.

According to the suit, all 11 companies could have done much more to prevent Juneau's death. "These Defendants have not only demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice human beings such as Earl Juneau, but they have inexcusably neglected to develop new technology and methods, and made no effort to ascertain the dangers of their products in the workplace," the complaint says. "The conduct of Defendants indicates a conscious disregard for the health, welfare and safety of others and has resulted in untold human suffering, needlessly sacrificed lives and great economic loss in the form of expensive health care."

Source: SE Texas Record, "Nederland family blames 11 companies for man's benzene exposure", Kelly Holleran, 3 November 2010