Steve McQueen’s Widow to Speak in Washington D.C.

The widow of Hollywood icon Steve McQueen is planning a trip to Washington D.C. where she will speak with government officials about the need to ban asbestos so more people do not succumb to mesothelioma, the illness that killed her husband more than 30 years ago.

Working with the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), Barbara Minty McQueen will speak at a July  24 U.S. House of Representatives staff briefing titled “Asbestos: Environmental and Occupational Exposure Continues.” The briefing, which will also be attended by other doctors and ADAO officials, will recount the way in which asbestos exposure led to Steve McQueen’s death, and the need for a nationwide ban on asbestos use.

“I want to ask President Obama and Congress to get off the bench, get in the game, and immediately ban the importation and use of asbestos," said McQueen. "By coming to Washington, D.C., I want to bring awareness that asbestos is still legal in the U.S. and continues to kill. It can kill a movie star, a musician or a construction worker. It takes no prisoners."

Steve McQueen, died at the age of 50, only months after being diagnosed with mesothelioma. He reportedly told doctors that he had regularly used asbestos-lined suits when riding his motorcycles, and had stripped asbestos from pipes as a punishment when he served as a Marine Corps from 1947-1950.

"The facts are irrefutable and the United States Surgeon General, Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organization, and International Labour Organization agree, asbestos is a known human carcinogen and there is no safe level of exposure," said Dr. Linda Reinstein, who will also speak at the briefing. "History is a great teacher to those who listen. As the legislative history shows, asbestos is still legal and lethal in the United States.”

If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos that has led to the development of mesothelioma, there may be legal options at your disposal. Call Sokolove Law today to learn more about possibly pursuing a mesothelioma lawsuit. For legal help, call (800) 581-6358.

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