Articles Posted in July, 2016

A man from Belleville, Illinois recently filed an asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit against Abbott labs, claiming his years of exposure to the toxic insulation was the proximate cause of his life-threatening cancer. The suit, filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court claims Abbott Laboratories and dozens of other companies were negligent in their failure exercise reasonable care to ensure the safety of their workers.

The plaintiff claims he contracted mesothelioma by breathing in asbestos fibers while working at Abbott Laboratories in Northern Illinois. Apart from his former employer, the plaintiff accuses Alcatel Lucent USA Inc. and many others of negligently manufacturing, selling, distributing and installing products containing asbestos fibers.

The asbestos mesothelioma cancer lawsuit asks for $50,000 from each defendant as compensation for his injuries. Additionally, the claims asks to recoup legal fees associated with filing the case and litigating the lawsuit. Depending on how many defendants are held liable for damages, the claim could potentially be worth a substantial amount of compensation.

A U.S. District Court judge recently sentenced a Rochester, New York property developer to probation, community service, and a fine for violations of the federal Clean Air Act. Additionally, the defendant was ordered to pay restitution to the victims harmed by his reckless disregard for public safety by exposing employees to asbestos.

The industrial property where the asbestos exposure took place was adjacent to a residential neighborhood with a school bus stop. The defendant was sentenced to two-year probation, 150-hours of community service, and a $15,000 fine.

Authorities Raid Asbestos-Contaminated Warehouse

A jury in Savannah, Georgia recently awarded $2 million to the wife of a man who died of mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure. The victim spent years working in a pulp paper mill in Alabama, where the plaintiff’s attorney alleged he was exposed to asbestos contaminated asbestos gaskets and packing material manufactured by John Crane.

During trial, the plaintiff’s lawyer explained to jurors that the defendant had been sued multiple times for asbestos-related injuries but never tested its products to determine if they were safe. Instead, the defendant allegedly relied on junk science produced by a consulting firm and paid millions of dollars for the information.

Attorneys for the defense argued the plaintiff had not been exposed to asbestos in any of its products and further argued even if that had been the case the amount of asbestos exposure would have been too small to cause mesothelioma. Only one witness was called by defense during the 10-day trial while the plaintiff called multiple expert witnesses to testify as to the plaintiffs asbestos exposure.

An Oregon jury recently awarded a Beaverton man and his wife $8.75 million dollars in a mesothelioma asbestos lawsuit filed against drywall maker, Kaiser Gypsum. Jurors agreed the plaintiff’s mesothelioma was more likely than not caused by his repeated exposure to the asbestos-laced spackle product at his job and that the defendant knew for a decade about the risks the product could pose.

The award is one of the largest asbestos verdicts in Oregon. The Portland jury awarded the plaintiff $750,000 for medical expenses, $4 million to himself for pain and suffering, and an additional $4 million to his wife. Doctors estimate the plaintiff has less than two years left to live. The judge in the case estimated the plaintiff could have lived for almost two-decades longer under the state’s life table.

The plaintiff is a father of three and grandfather to several grandchildren. He had just retired when doctors diagnosed him with the deadly cancer of the lining of the lungs. The plaintiff claims he contracted mesothelioma due to repeated exposure to asbestos while working as a carpenter in his early 20s. The asbestos flakes were contained inside gypsum board applied by drywall workers who would then sand down the product to create a uniform finish.