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Improper Expert Witness Testimony Sabotages Mesothelioma Trial
Following shocking and unexpected testimony from an expert witness, a Louisiana judge has ordered a new trial in a case filed by a mesothelioma victim against Colgate-Palmolive. According to the judge, what the witness told the jury was entirely improper, and attorneys for the victim’s family argued that the witness had sabotaged the trial and
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Mesothelioma Concerns Lead L.A. Sheriff to Issue Warning
As the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles continued and residents began assessing their losses, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department issued a dire warning to officers and firefighters patrolling the area: the risk of mesothelioma and other illnesses from airborne toxins is real, and all personnel should wear masks and decontaminate their uniforms before entering their
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Study Explores Pleural Effusions’ Prognostic Role in Mesothelioma
A group of researchers from West China Hospital in Sichuan province have published the results of a study exploring the role of pleural effusion in malignant mesothelioma. The group’s specific goal was to see whether the troubling symptom could be a useful prognostic tool in assessing patient outcomes. After examining the histories of over 4,000
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Mesothelioma Survivors Blame Johns Manville’s Cement Pipes for Loss
When Peter A. Lowe, Sr. was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in 2018, he filed suit against several companies whose cement pipe he had worked with through his years of work in “all types of excavation and water/sewer connections.” After he died, his widow and son are continuing the case and recently won a victory in
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West Virginia College Responds to Woman’s Terminal Lung Cancer Claim
Months after asbestos lung cancer victim Donna Spurling filed her lawsuit against West Virginia’s Fairmont State University, the school has filed a response in its own defense. While the academic institution continues to assert that as an arm of the state, it has sovereign immunity and is immune to personal injury lawsuits where insurance claims
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Mesothelioma Victim’s Case Against Clubman Talc Moves Forward
Corey Tippin has filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against multiple companies, accusing them of negligently exposing him to the asbestos that caused his fatal illness. One of the named defendants is American International Industries, manufacturer of Clubman Talc. The company filed a motion for summary judgment seeking dismissal of the punitive damages charge against it, as
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Maine Man Seeks $25 Million from Johnson & Johnson Following Wife’s Mesothelioma Death
Another mesothelioma claim has been filed against Johnson & Johnson, accusing the consumer giant of negligence in allowing asbestos to contaminate its popular talcum-based products. Andrew Curtin has filed a claim in Maine’s Cumberland County Superior Court, asserting that the company is at fault for his late wife Cynthia Cartwright’s 2017 death.
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Connecticut Judge Assigns $7.5 Million Punitive Damages Following Mesothelioma Death
In May of last year, a Connecticut jury ordered Vanderbilt Minerals to pay $15 million in damages to the family of mesothelioma victim Nicholas Barone. The group also agreed that the company should be required to pay punitive damages to be determined by the trial judge who heard the case. This week, Judge William Clark
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FDA’s Proposed Talc Testing is Response to Mesothelioma and Ovarian Cancer Diagnoses
Following thousands of diagnoses of malignant mesothelioma and ovarian cancer blamed on exposure to talc in cosmetic products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has offered a new proposed rule aimed at protecting consumers from potential exposure to asbestos hidden in those products.
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Pittsburgh Jury Attempts to Award Punitive Damages in Mesothelioma Trial
In a rare and heartbreaking outcome for the survivors of a victim of malignant mesothelioma, a Pittsburgh jury found Johnson & Johnson’s talc products had not been the cause of the woman’s illness but attempted to punish the company for its negligence and misrepresentation anyway. The $22 million award is disallowed by the instructions provided
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Appeals Court Affirms $2.6 Million Asbestos Lung Cancer Verdict
Jacob Lilienthal died of asbestos-related lung cancer after years spent working for the GM&O Railroad (predecessor to the Illinois Central Railroad Company). When his widow filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company, a jury awarded her $2.6 million in damages, cutting the award by 45% because of his smoking history. The company appealed the
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After Mesothelioma Death, Widow Continues Claim Against Westinghouse
Wayne Yocum died of malignant mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos during his service in the Navy, but before he succumbed to the disease, he and his wife Tina filed suit against Westinghouse Corporation, accusing them of strict product liability, design defect, and loss of consortium. When Wayne died, Tina continued the claim, and though
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Jury Awards $8.5 Million to Mesothelioma Widow Following Wrongful Death Claim
Dennis Britt never worked with asbestos, but when the employee benefits advisor was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, he knew how he’d been exposed. He filed suit against Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, a site he’d visited frequently and said had been heavily contaminated with the toxic material. After his death, his wife Rosa-Maria continued the lawsuit
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Mesothelioma Victim Succeeds in Returning Case to Local Court
Mesothelioma victims face many challenges, including head-spinning legal strategies taken by asbestos companies trying to evade being held responsible for their illness. Many asbestos companies that had contracts with the federal government attempt to remove claims against them to business-friendly federal courts, but this does not only work. In the case of a worker exposed
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Helicopter Company Ordered to Pay $8.8 Million to Mesothelioma Victim’s Family
Billy Dickson was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma after decades of working for Bell Helicopter. The retired mechanical engineer blamed asbestos in the parts he worked with for his illness and filed suit against the company. Though Mr. Dickson died before his case was heard, a Dallas, Texas, jury awarded the victim’s family $8.8 million in
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Jury Orders Railroad to Pay $5 Million to Asbestosis Victim
A Virginia jury ordered Norfolk Southern Railway Company to pay $5 million in damages to the estate of a former rail car repair worker who developed asbestosis and died from the disease. Steven Fowlkes had worked for the railroad company between 1979 and 1990 and was never warned of the dangers arising from exposure to
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Wisconsin Man’s Asbestos Lung Cancer Blamed on Community Asbestos Exposure from Factory
When Michael Kappel died in 2018, his family was uncertain about whether the cause was malignant mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer, but they were certain that it was related to the asbestos that the Weyerhaeuser Company’s factory had released into the air of their Marshfield, Wisconsin, community. When they filed suit, the company attempted to
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UK Researchers Develop New Test for Early Detection of Lung Cancer
Two of the deadliest consequences of asbestos exposure are malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer. Early detection provides the best chance for improved outcomes for both diseases and now researchers from the University of Cambridge have developed a test that uses urine to spot the first signs of early lung cancer in lab animals. They are
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma Victim Blames Talc Manufacturer for Illness
Corey G. Griffin was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma after more than four decades of working as an artist, makeup specialist, designer, and stylist in New York City. He blames his illness on exposure to asbestos in the talc products he used for his job and filed a personal injury lawsuit against numerous cosmetic defendants. When
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Scottish Scientists to Explore Mystery of Mesothelioma’s Long Latency
One of the most challenging aspects of malignant mesothelioma is the significant amount of time that elapses between exposure to asbestos and the disease beginning to make itself known. The disease’s long latency period means that symptoms often don’t arise until fifty or sixty years later, and by the time it is diagnosed, it is
