Plaintiff Awarded $6 Million in Asbestos Lawsuit

Moore, OKA plaintiff who filed asbestos lawsuits against more than 10 companies has been awarded $6 million. Michael Dalier filed lawsuits against the companies after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. Although the award was only made against two companies, and did not include punitive damages, the jury still awarded Dalier millions of dollars.

According to NewsOK (6/12/15), Galier filed the lawsuits alleging negligent workplace exposure was the cause of his mesothelioma. Galier had worked in construction as a homebuilder and as a contractor at rental properties and was allegedly exposed to asbestos through products that contained the carcinogen. His lawsuit also claimed asbestos exposure when he was an auto mechanic and through secondary exposure via his father.

Two companies - Murco Wall Products and Welco Manufacturing Co - were held liable for Galier’s asbestos exposure.

Initially, lawsuits were filed against more than 10 companies but some of those lawsuits were settled before going to court. A claim against one company was dismissed and a different company was found not liable for Galier’s exposure.

Asbestos exposure has been linked to asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer, all of which can take decades to appear following initial exposure. Lawsuits filed against companies that used asbestos in their products allege they knew about the risks but continued to use the potentially harmful drug in their goods. Lawsuits have also been filed against employers, alleging employees were not given proper safety gear or training and were not warned about the hazards of working with asbestos or asbestos-containing products.

In some cases, lawsuits alleging secondary exposure have also been filed. Those lawsuits allege the family members of people who worked with asbestos were put at risk of developing life-threatening diseases. According to those lawsuits, asbestos fibers became attached to their loved one’s clothing and were carried into the home where they came loose.

A recent study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Action Fund suggests that 15,000 Americans die every year from asbestos exposure. That study drastically increased the number of deaths with a suspected link to asbestos from around 5,000 annually. The EWG Action Fund’s study included deaths from asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer attributed to asbestos exposure.

“Clearly, asbestos kills more Americans each year than we thought,” said Sonya Lunder, a senior research analyst with the EWG and EWG Action Fund.