Court Upholds Mesothelioma Victim’s Multi-Million Dollar Award

When a person is diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, they are faced with many difficult decisions. Though the first and most important of these are the choices that must be made regarding treatment, eventually the question of how to pay for treatments will follow, as well as how the family will survive financially once the patient is gone. Many families make the decision to pursue legal action against those responsible for their illness. In doing so, they know that they will likely face pushback from the asbestos companies, who want to hold on to their profits. One such case was recently resolved, with the court deciding that the $4.9 million verdict the mesothelioma victim’s family had been awarded was appropriate.

John Crane Inc. Deemed Responsible for Man’s Mesothelioma

The case involved Patrick O’Reilly, a union pipefitter from Chicago who died of malignant pleural mesothelioma in April of 2017. Mr. O’Reilly had worked in his profession from 1957 to 1998, and during that time he worked with many products manufactured by John Crane, Inc. and other manufacturers.

Though Mr. O’Reilly resolved most of his claims against the other companies through settlements, John Crane Inc. remained, and the jury decided that he was owed over $6 million, which was reduced by 1.1375 million to acknowledge the settlement amounts agreed to with the other companies. John Crane filed numerous motions against the decision, including a posttrial motion for a new trial and appeals based on multiple arguments.

Judge Denies All of John Crane’s Appeals

Though John Crane, Inc. offered multiple arguments against the verdict favoring the mesothelioma victim’s family, Justice Reyes of the Appellate Court of Illinois denied each of them, indicating that the testimony from expert witnesses had been appropriate, that jury instructions had been correct, that information about settled defendants had been provided as needed and that the settlement agreements had been entered in good faith. Mr. O’ Reilly’s family will be provided the amount that the jury had agreed upon.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, it is likely a result of an asbestos company choosing to put profits over people. Unfortunately, many of those companies continue to maintain this position, making it difficult for victims to get the justice they need, but there are resources available to level the playing field. For more information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at  1-800-692-8608.

Written by Terri Oppenheimer

Terri Heimann Oppenheimer is the head writer of our Mesothelioma.net news blog. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in English. Terri believes that knowledge is power and she is committed to sharing news about the impact of mesothelioma, the latest research and medical breakthroughs, and victims’ stories.

Learn more about and contact Terri