James Katcham died of malignant mesothelioma after having worked as a millwright at the DuPont Spruance plant in Chesterfield, Virginia. His widow Patricia filed a personal injury lawsuit naming several companies she blamed for his occupational exposure to asbestos. On October 9th, a Newport News, Va. Circuit Court jury ordered the sole remaining defendant, John Crane, Inc., to pay the widow $3.45 million for the harm that her husband had suffered.
John Crane, Inc. Gaskets Blamed for Millwright’s Mesothelioma
Mrs. Katcham’s mesothelioma lawsuit accused John Crane, Inc. of failure to provide any warnings or safety instructions with its gaskets, packing, and other products that it supplied to DuPont and that her husband worked with in his role as a millwright at the manufacturing facility. She also cited the company’s breach of implied warranty of safety because it had sold an unreasonably dangerous product without sufficient warnings.
The trial in the mesothelioma case lasted eleven days. Before making its decision, the jury heard testimony about Mr. Katcham’s mesothelioma diagnosis and the relationship between asbestos exposure and the formation of the disease’s aggressive tumors. They also heard the declaration that Mr. Katcham had provided before his death, describing his routine use of John Crane, Inc. gaskets and packing on pumps and valves at his job.
Mesothelioma Victim’s Work with Asbestos Products Cited
In addition to hearing expert witness testimony from physicians, scientists, and certified industrial hygienists, the jury heard how the mesothelioma victim had used hammers, hand scrapers, and power wire brushes in installing and removing the products and how those actions had created significant asbestos-containing dust, which he had inhaled throughout his work from 1961 to 1979.
Speaking of the evidence presented, Mrs. Katcham’s attorney said, “It was demonstrated throughout the trial that the asbestos fibers from asbestos gaskets and packing had no ‘onion’ properties — in other words, workers could not see the fibers, they could not taste them, they could not smell them, and they had no indication that the fibers were harmful to breathe.” They also learned that mesothelioma was “well known to the scientific community since the 1960s,” and that the Illinois Pollution Control Board gave John Crane documents in 1972 that showed that mesothelioma could be triggered by minimal exposure to asbestos.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
