MESOTHELIOMA VERDICT
Family of deceased Navy sailor wins $1.2M judgment in asbestos liability case

June 16, 2009 - A Newport News Circuit Court jury in Virginia yesterday apportioned $1.2 million to the surviving family members of a retired Navy sailor who died of mesothelioma, triggered by airborne asbestos fibers he inhaled on the job decades ago.

Mesothelioma is a fatal cancer associated almost exclusively with asbestos exposure. The latency period between exposure and a diagnosis is commonly 20 to 40 years, though it may be longer. Mesothelioma has no known cure, and most patients die within a year to 18 months after a diagnosis.

The Navy sailor died in April. His death, at age 75, came five weeks before the trial was to begin.

Verdict in mesothelioma Navy case

The Circuit Court jury ruled against five manufacturers for a total of $4 million, and assigned a percentage of blame to each. Jurors weren't informed that four companies settled out of court before the case went to trial for undisclosed sums.

The remaining defendant, John Crane Inc., an Illinois maker of gaskets and other parts used on ships the sailor repaired, fought the case and was apportioned 30 percent liability, or $1.2 million.

Navy sailors risk mesothelioma

Many professions are at an increased risk for asbestos exposure and the eventual development of mesothelioma. One of the most dangerous jobs, however, is that of the Navy shipyard worker or shipfitter.

Medical studies show that 86 percent of workers with 20 or more years of shipbuilding experience suffer from an asbestos-related disease.

Decades of exposure and lax regulations are only now blossoming into fatal diagnoses for shipbuilders. In light of the long incubation period associated with mesothelioma, authorities estimate there will be some 35,000 mesothelioma deaths during the next decade.

Time to seek justice

Mesothelioma is often contracted through employers’ deliberate disregard for the health and safety of their workers. That’s why people diagnosed with mesothelioma and their family members have strong cases in court.

The personal injury law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of Navy veterans for 25 years – longer than most law firms in the nation. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, and seek FREE legal guidance and answers to your concerns, please notify us through the communication form below. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, future and past lost wages, and damages. There is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.