ASBESTOS IN THE NEWS
Drywall taper’s surviving family wins jury award in San Francisco lawsuit

In March, 2007, a San Francisco jury awarded the family of a deceased drywall taper more than $868,000 in a lawsuit against a former manufacturer and supplier of asbestos-containing joint compound and acoustical ceiling spray.

The jury in the trial found that the products manufactured by Rich-Tex, Inc., a Richmond, California-based company, were responsible for the asbestosis and mesothelioma that caused the 2003 death of Douglas Ivance, a San Francisco-area resident who had worked for 47 years as a drywall taper.

From 1963 to 1977, Rich-Tex manufactured and supplied drywall products that contained asbestos. Attorneys for the plaintiff presented evidence showing that hazardous asbestos dust was released when Rich-Tex's drywall products were prepared according to product instructions.

The truth about asbestos

Despite the potentially fatal health consequences associated with asbestos exposure, asbestos is still imported and used in the United States for its insulation properties. The United States imported and used an estimated 1,820 tons of asbestos in 2007, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

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 the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or any asbestos related disease, 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.