Year: 2025

For purposes of this article, the claimant in this case will be referred to as S.C. and her late husband as G.C. In a recent mesothelioma case decision, a district court denied the defendant’s motion to reverse a $5 million punitive damages award. Navy veteran G.C. died after developing malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is primarily caused by asbestos exposure. The Navy veteran suffered years of asbestos exposure while working as a machinist. After his diagnosis, he filed a product liability claim against John Crane, a gasket company.

In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to airborne asbestos fibers increases the risk of two other major diseases: asbestosis and lung cancer. Asbestos-related diseases can take decades to develop, often manifesting after retirement from an industrial career that involved asbestos exposure. Governmental regulation of asbestos has tightened significantly since the 1970s, so asbestos exposure has been greatly reduced.

Asbestos Exposure and Product Liability: A reason you may be entitled to financial compensation for becoming ill with mesothelioma or asbestos-related, lung cancer is products liability law. This vast area of law encompasses strict liability, breach of warranty, and negligence. When bringing a products liability lawsuit, your mesothelioma attorney will argue that the manufacturer, distributer, and/or retailer of the asbestos you were exposed to should be held liable for your illness and the pain and suffering it has caused you.

A recent report by an Atlanta news outlet has shed some light on the continuing epidemic of asbestos exposure plaguing Georgia citizens, even as legislators continue to ignore the threat posed by the dangerous industrial material. According to the report, state agencies routinely fail to hire licensed asbestos removers to perform delicate renovations of buildings contaminated by the cancer-causing mineral, putting hard working, ordinary people at risk of developing serious health conditions.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Every year there are approximately 3,000 new cases diagnosed.  As a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated mesothelioma as an “orphan disease” because it is a rare disease affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. The FDA encourages mesothelioma researchers and pharmaceutical companies via the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 to develop mesothelioma drugs and treatment.

Asbestos in the Construction Industry The construction industry was among those that turned to asbestos for fireproofing and insulating in the manufacturing process of a wide array of parts, products, and materials. The material – fibrous mineral – was cheap and heat resistant, and was used widely as early as the 19th century. While asbestos offered utility and cost-savings, however, it has since been linked to serious health problems in the workers that built the industries that so often implemented the mineral’s thin fibers.