New York jury rules against Manville Corp. in 2001 asbestos lawsuit, as reported in a news article below. As recently as December, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider reinstating the Travelers asbestos settlement, a $500-million settlement of asbestos lawsuits against the Travelers Companies, Inc., former insurers to Johns-Manville Corp.
National Law Journal, 9/30/2001:
Jury verdicts on the damages were reached this week in federal court in Brooklyn and state court in Manhattan.
The approximately 100 cases involve former employees of the Brooklyn Navy Yard who suffered asbestos exposure during their work many years ago. The main defendants in the cases were Owens-Illinois Inc., Keene Corp. and the Manville asbestos personal-injury trust. The trust, currently being restructured, was formed as part of Manville’s bankruptcy reorganization plan to pay asbestos personal injury claims.
Asbestos, once widely used as insulation, causes cancer and respiratory illnesses. Perry Weitz, one of the main attorneys for plaintiffs in the case, said, “Companies should realize that when these cases are tried, the juries’ reaction is that these diseases are extremely severe and warrant large amounts of money.”
Attorneys for the defendants couldn’t be reached for comment. The cases are part of about 500 Brooklyn Navy Yard asbestos lawsuits being handled by federal Judge Jack B. Weinstein of Brooklyn and state Justice Helen Freedman of Manhattan.
Manville Asbestos
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 the firm’s mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for its clients.
If you have a mesothelioma injury, please complete the form for a free evaluation of your legal rights. There is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.