ASBESTOS IN THE NEWS
Vallejo, California man wins $7.5 million settlement of mesothelioma lawsuit

December 16, 2008 - In one of the richest asbestos lawsuit settlements in California history, a Vallejo man diagnosed with mesothelioma has won a $7.5 million settlement of his case.

California has more asbestos-related deaths than any state in the U.S., according to the EWG Action Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit environmental group.

The 64-year-old man’s mesothelioma likely resulted from exposure to asbestos during jobs as a marine machinist and janitor in San Francisco and on Mare Island. He reportedly worked as a janitor for Schlage Lock Co.'s Bayshore plant from 1963 to 1965; then worked at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, where he was employed until 1972.

The trial began last month in San Francisco Superior Court with 11 defendants responsible for producing or distributing the asbestos-containing products the man worked with. Two weeks into the plaintiff's case, the last of the defendants settled out of court.

California and Los Angeles have the highest rates of asbestos-related deaths than any state or any city in the country, according to EWG’s review of state death certificates filed between 1979 and 2001.

Asbestos, the nation’s silent killer

Despite the serious health problems linked to asbestos exposure, asbestos is still imported and used in the United States. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. imported and used an estimated 1,820 tons of asbestos in 2007.

Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. This disease is most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and usually contracted through employers’ blatant disregard for the health and safety of their workers.

Time to seek justice!

That’s why people diagnosed with mesothelioma and their family members have strong cases in court. Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of workers for 25 years – longer than most law firms in the nation. And in that time its attorneys have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for its clients.

If you have a mesothelioma injury and you are in need free legal guidance, please complete the form on this page for a complimentary evaluation of your legal rights. There is no cost to you at all until we win a settlement or a verdict.