After Ralph Pappagallo died of lung cancer, his family filed a personal injury lawsuit against John Crane, Inc., as well as other companies whose asbestos-containing products he was exposed to during his four decades of work. Though the notorious asbestos manufacturer removed the case to federal court based on the federal officer removal statute, the
Last year, a notice of settlement ended litigation between Hess Corporation and plaintiffs diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. The agreement provided payment of $187 million to 911 victims with pending claims against the company’s Limetree Bay refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands. With that settlement precluding any additional victims’ claims, the widow of
When Louisiana native Sue Perry died of lung cancer in 2020, her family successfully filed suit against Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), blaming take-home exposure to asbestos at their worksite for her illness and death. After the bench trial, the district court entered a Final Judgment and awarded the family $2.7 million, plus $850,000 to Mr.
Joseph Morton was diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer in 2024 after having been exposed to asbestos throughout his life. His exposure came through his own work exposure and childhood secondary exposure to asbestos that his father carried home on his clothing after work. In January, he filed a petition for damages in the Parish of
Lee Comb died of asbestos-related lung cancer in August 2023, after years of occupational exposure to asbestos and asbestos-containing products. Following his death, his survivors filed a lawsuit naming multiple defendants, whom they accused of failing to provide him with a safe place to work. In response, one defendant filed a motion to dismiss, arguing
Collie Washington, Jr. was diagnosed with lung cancer in September 2024 after having worked as a civilian welder at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. He also performed numerous home remodel and maintenance jobs throughout the city of Los Angeles. Mr. Washington was diagnosed with asbestosis and later with lung cancer. He has filed a personal
Last month, retired welder Albert Johnson filed a personal injury lawsuit in the Superior Court of California, Alameda County, accusing dozens of companies of negligence that caused his asbestos-related lung cancer. His claim breaks those responsible into a range of categories, including product defendants, premises and contractor defendants, shipbuilding companies, ship owners, and respirator defendants.
In September of 2023, a New York jury ordered Burnham LLC to pay a former boiler worker and his wife $38 million in compensation for negligently exposing him to the asbestos that caused his lung cancer. In July of the following year, the same court and judge hearing the initial case refused to set aside the
When Steve Kotzerke was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma lung cancer, the non-smoker traced his deadly cancer to exposure to asbestos supplied by Canadian supplier Asbestos Corporation Ltd. Following his 2022 death at the age of 67, his widow filed a lawsuit against the company on behalf of their family. Last week, a Washington state Superior Court judge
Last October, a Connecticut jury found Johnson & Johnson (J&J) guilty of negligence and awarded asbestos lung cancer victim Evan Plotkin $15 million in compensatory damages. Now, Plotkin’s attorney is asking a judge to order the company to pay $30 million in punitive damages. In a hearing this week, J&J argued that its actions did