The wife and son of a deceased man are suing a major oil company, claiming the man's death from lung cancer was caused by his exposure to asbestos at a local refinery.
Maudry Granger and Raymond Granger filed a lawsuit against Chevron on June 12 in Jefferson County District Court.
According to the complaint, Rufus Granger developed lung cancer and pulmonary asbestosis after his work at Gulf Oil, now known as Chevron, in Port Arthur.
During his work, Rufus Granger was exposed to asbestos fibers and dust, which caused his diseases, the complaint says.
On Jan. 18, Rufus Granger died "a terrible and painful death," the plaintiffs say.
Although Chevron knew about the harms of asbestos for decades, it failed to warn Rufus Granger of the product's danger and failed to ensure that its employees were not exposed to the carcinogen, the lawsuit states.
The Grangers are seeking punitive and exemplary damages, plus interest at the legal rate, costs and other relief to which they may be entitled.
J. Keith Hyde and D'Juana Parks of Provost and Umphrey Law Firm in Beaumont will be representing them.
The case has been assigned to Judge Donald Floyd, 172nd District Court.
Jefferson County District Court case number: E184-286.