In a trial that lasted just two weeks, a jury has ordered a major valve manufacturer and electric company to pay $300,000 to a former power plant worker who developed mesothelioma after inhaling asbestos fibers while working at various nuclear power plants and inspecting valves made with asbestos-containing gaskets. The 73-year-old plaintiff had been working with asbestos containing products since 1979, which was long after the risks of asbestos exposure had been established. The lawsuit claimed that the valve manufacturer and electric company did nothing to minimize asbestos exposure.
“Both companies entirely failed to concern themselves with the health or safety of the asbestos valves and replacement parts products that they have incorporated into their products and sold for nearly 100 years,” said the plaintiff’s attorney. And this was “without warning to workers like the plaintiff who would be exposed to this deadly carcinogen.” The jury rejected the defendants claims seeking to blame the plaintiff and his coworkers for the asbestos exposure, “when those workers followed the defendants' manufacturer's maintenance instructions to the smallest detail,” said the attorney.
The verdict, which included $200,000 for the former worker and $100,000 for his wife, is “quite significant as both of these companies claim to have never been held accountable for their asbestos products - valves and replacement parts - for the asbestos injuries and deaths those products have surely caused.” Though the plaintiff’s attorney asked the jury to award the couple $1 million, she was still “very satisfied” with the verdict, stating that the trial “could provide a “roadmap” for other potential asbestos-related claims against the two companies,” and possibly many others.
If you have been exposed to asbestos, see your doctor immediately—even if you don’t have symptoms. Your doctor can refer you to a mesothelioma specialist who can develop a monitoring plan that could help detect the disease in its early stages. Studies show that early diagnosis leads to better treatment options and outcomes.
Sources
Siegel, David. "Jury Sides With Plaintiffs At Nation's 1st Asbestos Trial Against. . ." CVN News. Courtroom Connect, 07 Aug. 2017. Web. 05 Sept. 2017.
Siegal, Daniel. "Valve Cos. Owe Man For Deadly Asbestos Cancer, Jury Holds." Law360. Portfolio Media Inc., 03 Aug. 2017. Web. 05 Sept. 2017.
