Settlement Archive
Asbestos News Roundup: 4.16.14 – Asbestos and Navy Vets
April 16th, 2014. By LucyC
A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of reported asbestos hot spots in the US from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.
Navy Veterans at Risk for Asbestos
US Navy Veterans are at a particularly high risk for asbestos-related disease, due to their asbestos exposure while working on navy ships undergoing refits. But because asbestos-related disease can take up to 30 years or more to manifest, it is often detected long after men have left the Navy.
The states with the most US Navy Veterans include California, Florida, New York, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Arizona, Massachusetts, Washington, Maine, Oregon, Arizona, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Montana, Kansas, North Dakota, Hawaii, Nebraska, and Mississippi.
US Navy Veterans are not the only group of workers at high risk for asbestos exposure. Men and women who worked in power plants, manufacturing factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, mines, smelters, aerospace manufacturing facilities, demolition construction work sites, railroads, automotive manufacturing facilities, or auto brake shops may also have been exposed to high levels of asbestos.
Asbestos Lawsuits
St. Clair County, IL: Jeanne Belman, special administrator of deceased Marcella Goedeke estate, has filed an asbestos lawsuit against CSX Transportation, alleging the company is responsible for the developing asbestos mesothelioma and Goedeke’s subsequent death.
Filed a lawsuit March 14, the lawsuit claims the railway allowed its employees to be exposed to asbestos despite being aware of the associated adverse health risks.
Specifically, Belman alleges that Goedeke suffered second hand asbestos exposure to asbestos fibers that clung to her husband’s work clothing. Goedeke’s husband worked at The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company. When Goedeke’s husband came home, she inhaled and ingested the asbestos fibers that were on his clothes, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit claims that the asbestos mesothelioma caused Goedeke great pain and disability, and that she endured serious mental anguish and extreme nervousness and incurred significant medical costs, the suit states. She passed away on March 18, 2012, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit claims Goedeke’s asbestos disease could have been avoided had The Baltimore and Railroad Company heeded the advice of experts in 1935 who warned the railroad to educate all its employees about asbestos fibers. According to the complaint, the experts also advised the company to get rid of asbestos dust, to sprinkle the working area with water, to have employees wear inhalers and to have frequent analyses made of the dust content of air at different times during work hours.
Instead, Belman alleges the railroad negligently exposed Goedeke’s husband to asbestos, allowed him to carry the asbestos with him into his home, failed to warn him that it could cause disease, failed to prevent him from being exposed to the asbestos, failed to provide him with protective clothing and allowed unsafe work practices to become routine.
Eventually, The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company was taken over by CSX, which Belman named as a defendant in her complaint that seeks damages under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). Belman is seeking a judgment of more than $100,000, plus costs. (madisonrecord.com)
St. Clair County, IL: Nicole Lockett has filed an asbestos lawsuit naming 21 defendant corporations which, she alleges, caused the Randle R. Lockett Sr. to develop mesothelioma after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his father’s career. He subsequently died of his asbestos disease.
According to the lawsuit, Randle R. Lockett Sr.’s father worked in the military and at ICBM and Minuteman and MX missile site maintaining and repairing silos. The defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for Mr. Lockett`s father`s safety, the suit states. As a result of his asbestos-related disease, Randle R. Lockett Sr. became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, the complaint says. Additionally, he was prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued, the lawsuit states.
Nicole Lockett is seeking a judgment of more than $50,000, compensatory damages of more than $200,000, punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish the defendants for their misconduct and other relief the court deems just.(madionsrecord.com)
St. Clair County, IL: An asbestos lawsuit has been filed by Betty G. Crutchfield naming 41 defendant corporations, which, she claims, caused Donald Crutchfield Sr. to develop lung cancer after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his career. Mr. Crutchfield died from his asbestos disease.
As a result of his asbestos-related illness Donald Crutchfield Sr. became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, Betty Crutchfield claims. In addition, he were prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him, the lawsuit states.
Betty G. Crutchfield is seeking a judgment of more than $300,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000, punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish the defendants for their misconduct and other relief the court deems just. (madisonrecord.com)
Asbestos Settlements
New York, NY: A $980,000 judgement has been upheld by the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit entered against defendant Cleaver Brooks. The court found that the plaintiff presented enough evidence at trial to support a causal link between the defendant’s asbestos-containing boilers and the deceased Kit L. McCormick illness.
Kelly McCormick filed the asbestos lawsuit on behalf of her husband, Kit L. McCormick, who was injured allegedly as a result of asbestos exposure. (harrismartin.com)
Asbestos News Roundup: 3.20.14 – Work History & Asbestos Risk
March 20th, 2014. By LucyC
A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of reported asbestos hot spots in the US from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.
High Risk Asbestos Disease Occupations
Many workplaces in the US are now considered to have put workers at high-risk for asbestos exposure—decades ago. These include: US Navy, oil refineries, shipyards, chemical manufacturing facilities, aerospace manufacturing facilities, mines, smelters, coal fired power plants, construction work sites, auto repair shops, plumbers, welders, electricians, and most manufacturing, or industrial plants that were operating in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s.
Sadly, many individuals who served in the US Navy, worked at a power plant, an oil refinery, or a shipyard decades ago are now being diagnosed with asbestos disease—the average age of diagnosis of asbestos mesothelioma is 72 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control, (CDC).
Although strict regulations about the use of asbestos have been put in place, the potential for asbestos exposure remains. In 2009, the CDC reported:
“Although asbestos has been eliminated in the manufacture of many products, it is still being imported (approximately 1,730 metric tons in 2007) and used in the United States in various construction and transportation products. Ensuring a future decrease in mesothelioma mortality requires meticulous control of exposures to asbestos and other materials that might cause mesothelioma. Recent studies suggest that carbon nanotubes (fiber-shaped nanoparticles), which are increasingly being used in manufacturing, might share the carcinogenic mechanism postulated for asbestos and induce mesothelioma, underscoring the need for documentation of occupational history in future cases.” The full report can be accessed at the CDC’s webpage. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5815a3.htm
Asbestos Lawsuits
Jefferson County, TX: The family of recently deceased William Ray Furlong have filed an asbestos lawsuit against EI DuPont De Nemours and Co. alleging the company is responsible for Mr. Furlong’s asbestos illness and subsequent death.
Virginia Furlong, wife, and Helen Furlong Moity, daughter, allege Dupont knowingly exposed William Furlong to toxic and carcinogenic dusts including asbestos during the time he worked at Dupont’s Works Facility in Beaumont.
According to the suit, William Furlong developed mesothelioma from which he died in 2012.
The Furlongs are seeking more than $100,000 in damages. (setexasrecord.com)
Asbestos Settlements
Erie County, NY: A $3 million settlement has been awarded to the family of a man who contracted and died from asbestos mesothelioma. According to the lawsuit, the deceased, Gerald Suttner, worked at the GM Powertrain Facility in Tonawanda, New York, and involved repairing valves manufactured by Crane and other manufacturers, valves which contained asbestos gaskets and packing materials. It wasn’t until after Suttner had retired from the GM plant that he was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. He passed away just 12 months later, at the age of 77. Suttner’s family subsequently sued the companies which made asbestos-containing products.
The plaintiff’s surviving family filed suit in the Supreme Court of Erie County, New York for product liability and wrongful death. The plaintiffs sought recovery for compensatory and punitive damages against Crane and numerous other manufacturers of asbestos-creating products the decedent had been exposed to. The plaintiff asserted that Crane had known as early as the 1930s of the hazardous qualities of asbestos and failed to warn the deceased. (jvra.com)
Philadelphia, PA: A $75,000 award for damages has been granted in a whistleblower lawsuit. Filed by a city police officer, the lawsuit claimed that the police officer’s superiors retaliated against him after he complained of shoddy asbestos removal at the Police Athletic League center he managed in Philadelphia.
The judge hearing the case ordered that Zenak, 44, a 23-year veteran officer, be returned to his job as manager of the PAL center at Wissinoming United Methodist Church, 4419 Comly St., and reimbursed $75,000 for 2711/2 days of leave he used after suing and $411 in medical expenses.
In 2012, Zenak filed suit under Pennsylvania’s “whistle-blower” law, naming the city, Police Department, PAL, church and J. Bailey Builders, the New Jersey-based contractor, as defendants.
According to the lawsuit, Zenak had managed the PAL center since 2008. In 2011, the contractor doing renovations told him there was exposed asbestos wrapping 60 feet of pipe hanging in the room where children did homework. Several weeks later, after Zenak found the pipe insulation gone and a layer of dust everywhere, he complained to his superiors, and he got the first of several reprimands, the PhillyNews reports.
A civil suit is pending which seeks medical monitoring for nearly 100 children who might have been exposed to asbestos while attending programs at the Wissinoming PAL center. (phillynews.com)
Top 10 Legal News Stories of 2013
January 7th, 2014. By AbiK
Bet you can’t guess what the top legal news story on LawyersandSettlements.com was for 2013 (and no, none of them featured former NYC mayoral hopeful Anthony Weiner…).
I’ll take that bet even further—I bet most attorneys, who you’d think would be in the know on these things, couldn’t even guess.
That’s because 2013 turned out to be a pretty interesting year in terms of the top legal news stories our journalists covered. While employment lawsuits—typically involving issues such as unpaid overtime and misclassification, on-the-job discrimination, workers’ comp, and wrongful termination—are always reader faves, in 2013 something strange happened: employment issues did not show up in our top ten news stories. At all.
Go figure, eh?
To be fair, when it came to content posted other than legal news articles (i.e., emerging issues, settlements, lawsuits filed), employment settlements drew the most readers. But it was health-related issues that drove readers’ interest when it came to articles and interviews. Here’s how the year’s top ten legal news stories played out (as measured by number of clicks the articles published in 2013 received):
1. Denied Disability: Social Security Recognizes Fibromyalgia
2. Health Canada Documents Link Yasmin and Yaz to Deaths
3. Are Fen-Phen Pills Back? You Would be Half-Right…
4. New York State Cracks Down on Illegal Internet Payday Loans
5. Mirena User Suffers Miscarriage, Now Filing Mirena Lawsuit
6. Mirena Side Effects Lead to Early Hysterectomy for Young Plaintiff
7. Monster Caffeine Levels: When Too Much Energy Isn’t Good for You
8. Junior Hockey League Player Filing Ulcerative Colitis Accutane Lawsuit
9. Yasmin Birth Control Suspected in Deaths of Canadian Teens
10. Mesothelioma Victim Awarded $8 Million
And if you’re wondering what the number one legal news story was for 2012…here’s that one (and, you guessed it, it was about a wage and hour lawsuit, the ‘Lunch Break Lawsuit‘ (Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court))
Asbestos News Roundup: 12.12.13 – Cigarettes & Asbestos Risk
December 12th, 2013. By LucyC
A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of reported asbestos hot spots in the US from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.
Cigarettes & Asbestos Risk
It is hard to think of anything that could make cigarettes more dangerous, but back in the 1950s, certain cigarettes actually contained asbestos in their filters. Those asbestos-containing cigarettes have led to lawsuits alleging mesothelioma and asbestosis disease, either on the part of people who smoked the cigarettes or those who worked in the factory that supplied the filters. Other lawsuits alleging exposure to asbestos fibers resulting in asbestosis lung disease are still pending.
According to Daily Business Review (9/19/13), Richard Delisle was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a fatal condition linked to asbestos exposure, in 2012. He alleges that his smoking of Kent cigarettes, which reportedly used a filter that contained asbestos, contributed to his developing mesothelioma. Also included as defendants in the trial were a paper mill company where Delisle was employed and the manufacturer of the filters used in the Kent cigarettes.
A jury found the cigarette maker, Lorillard, and the maker of the filters each 22 percent responsible for Delisle’s condition, with another 16 percent fault given to the paper company. The final 40 percent was against other defendants. In all, the jury awarded Delisle $8 million, with Lorillard paying $3.52 million as a result of an indemnity agreement between Lorillard and the maker of the filter manufacturer.
Asbestos Lawsuits
Philadelphia, PA: A$2.3 million award in an asbestos mass tort case has been upheld by a trial court judge in Philadelphia. Common Pleas Court Judge Mark I. Bernstein refused to throw out the multi-million dollar verdict against Crane Co., DAP Inc., Duro Dyne Corp., The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Goodyear Canada Inc., which had been reached following a jury trial in late February, the Pennsylvania record reportss.
Charlotte Vinciguerra filed her asbestos lawsuit on behalf of her late husband, Frank Vinciguerra, who died from malignant mesothelioma on November 3, 2010.
Mrs. Vinciguerra filed suit in June 2012, citing numerous companies as defendants, many of whom were dismissed pre-trial. The lawsuit alleged that Mr. Vinciguerra developed mesothelioma as a result of his exposure to asbestos at work as a sheet metal helper and sheet metal mechanic for E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Co. from 1951 to 1985. Frank Vinciguerra was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in the summer of 2010, according to court records.
Mrs. Vinciguerra alleged that E.I. DuPont failed to exercise reasonable care to protect her husband and others from the hazardous, dangerous and harmful conditions that existed at the property, according to the lawsuit.
The defendants claimed, in their attempt to get a new trial, that the trial judge allowed the plaintiff’s expert witness to testify that “each and every breath” and “every exposure” to asbestos-containing fiber was causative of Frank Vinciguerra’s injuries, in violation of precedence set by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the case of Betz v. Pneumo Abex LLC. However, Judge Bernstein wrote that none of the plaintiff’s expert witnesses ever offered this opinion during the course of the litigation.
During the trial, Dr. Steven Markowitz, an occupational and environmental medicine expert, testified that it was his opinion that Frank Vinciguerra’s exposure to asbestos likely caused the man’s disease.
According to court records, Markowitz explained that there is a dose-response relationship in asbestos disease, and concepts of cumulative exposure to asbestos.
Markowitz’s testimony was based upon his individual analysis of the specific factors in Vinciguerra’s condition, was offered to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, and was “fully subject to cross-examination,” Judge Bernstein wrote. The Judge also noted that Markowitz’s testimony clearly explained “that it is the cumulative effect which causes the disease.”
The total verdict for the plaintiff is $2,286,376.44. (pennrecord.com)
Asbestos News Roundup: 8.22.13 – Hurricane Sandy First Responders Tested
August 22nd, 2013. By LucyC
A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of reported asbestos hot spots in the US from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.
Superstorm Sandy First Responders Screened for Asbestos Respiratory Illness
First responders in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy’s devastation are being screened for respiratory illnesses resulting from exposure to toxic compounds including asbestos. Hurricane Sandy destroyed or damaged tens of thousands of homes and businesses on the Eastern seaboard when it struck on October 29, 2012. Many of those structures were old enough to contain asbestos, and this poses a significant danger to clean-up and remediation crews, as well as homeowners who may attempt repairs on their own.
According to nj.com, health officials have been warning Toms River residents that even though they were allowed back into their hurricane-damaged homes, it was essential to avoid mold-infested, asbestos-laden and contaminated buildings because of the risk of respiratory problems.
“It’s always in the back of your mind because of 9/11. You just don’t know,” Toms River spokeswoman Debbi Winogracki said of the Mayor Thomas Kelaher’s concerns about breathing problems in the wake of major disasters such as the attack on the World Trade Center.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that asbestos may be found in a wide variety of construction items, and states that cleanup at homes and businesses after a natural disaster can cause people to be exposed to asbestos containing materials found in:
• Boiler/pipe insulation
• Fireproofing
• Floor tiles
• Roofing shingles and tiles
• Transite boards used in laboratory tabletops and in acoustic panels in auditoriums, music rooms and phone booths.
Asbestos Lawsuits
Charleston, WV: 39 companies have been named as defendants in an asbestos lawsuit filed by the family of recently deceased Danny Ray Kincaid Sr.
Mr. Kincaid Sr. was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2012, and subsequently died on June 15, 2012, according to the lawsuit.
Jesse E. Kincaid and Mary C. Kincaid allege Danny Kincaid was exposed to asbestos during his employment as a crane operator and dust collector technician from 1973 until 2008. The plaintiffs are suing the defendants based on theories of negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of expressed/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentations and post-sale duty to warn.
The defendants include: A.W. Chesterton Company; Caterpillar Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; Columbus McKinnon Corporation; Crane Co.; Dravo Corporation; Eaton Electrical Inc.; Elkem Chemicals Inc.; Elkem Materials Inc.; and Elkem Metals Company – Alloy LP. Thirty-nine defendants were named in the asbestos lawsuit. (wvrecord.com)
St. Clair County, IL: A retired railroad employee who has developed throat cancer alleges his illness was caused by his being exposed toxic fumes during nearly four decades of work for Union Pacific Railroad. Timothy Zastava filed a an asbestos lawsuit July 19 naming Union Pacific Railroad Company as the defendant.
In his lawsuit, Zastava claims he worked for Union Pacific Railroad from 1972 through 2010. During that time, according to his lawsuit, he was exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke, diesel exhaust and asbestos. Zastava alleges that long-term exposure led to his diagnosis of esophageal cancer.
Zastava further alleges Union Pacific Railroad was negligent in failing to provide a safe work environment. He contends the railway violated the Federal Employers Liability Act and asks for more than $50,000 in damages for medical expenses and court costs. (madisonrecord.com)
New Orleans, LA: Luby Anthony Baio has filed an asbestos lawsuit against numerous defendants he alleges exposed him to asbestos that result in his developing asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestos mesothelioma.
The named defendants are: Asbestos Corp. Ltd., Taylor-Seidnbach Inc., Eagle Inc., Reily-Benton Co. Inc., Mccarthy Corp., Burnmaster Land and Development Co. LLC, Zurich American Insurance Co., CSR Ltd., Sud-Chemie Inc., Clariant Corp., Gulf Belting & Gasket Co. and Uniroyal Inc.
In his lawsuit, Baio alleges that during his course of working and living on the West Bank, he was exposed to and inhaled significant qualities of asbestos with no knowledge that the asbestos was dangerous.
The defendants, which include mining companies, manufactures, sellers, suppliers and contractors of asbestos products, are accused of distribution and use of products that are unreasonably dangerous, negligence when concerning the safety of individuals and as liable for the Baio’s illness
An unspecified amount in damages is sought for wrongful death, mental and emotional anguish, medical expenses and suffering.(louisianarecord.com)
Asbestos Settlements
Baton Rouge, LA: The Dow Chemical Company was found liable on all counts in a civil lawsuit filed in Louisiana state court relating to its use of asbestos and allegedly causing cancer in its workers. The case was decided by a Plaquemine, Louisiana jury, which awarded $5.95 million in damages.
Dow Chemical’s Louisiana division is headquartered in Plaquemine, LA. The Dow Plaquemine Plant is the largest chemical plant in the petro-chemical industry rich state.
The lawsuit alleged that exposures to asbestos at Dow Chemical caused Sidney Mabile’s terminal asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Mabile’s attorneys alleged in the lawsuit that Dow has exposed thousands of workers to asbestos, and that Mabile is only one of hundreds of future asbestos cancer victims also exposed at Dow.
Court documents revealed that Dow has continued to use tons of raw asbestos in its chemical manufacturing facilities throughout the world. Internal Dow documents showed that Dow lobbied to oppose the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed ban of asbestos. Court documents suggested that Dow performed a “cost per cancer” analysis and determined that it would cost Dow over $1.2 billion to switch all of its plants to non-asbestos processing methods.
Dow was successful in lobbying the Environmental Protection Agency to allow Dow to continue using raw asbestos in its United States chemical plants. Dow has continued to fight the ban of asbestos in other countries. The European Trade Union Confederation explains that an “[o]pposition to a blanket asbestos ban now seems to come only from Dow Chemicals.” (heraldonline.com)
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