In a recent asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit, a Navy veteran’s widow claims that her husband died directly from the asbestos fibers he was exposed to during his military service. Plaintiff Jeanette P. was awarded $11.5 million by a Missouri state court after a jury found the defendant guilty of not taking adequate safety precautions, which would have prevented the decedent’s deadly mesothelioma.

Jeanette P. sued manufacturing companies Crane Co. and 3M., which provided manufacturing parts and materials that had allegedly contained asbestos fibers. The widow’s husband, James P., died in 2013 of mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer that specifically spawns from asbestos fibers.

Experts explain that mesothelioma is caused by the asbestos fibers that are directly inhaled and then embed into a person’s lungs. The decedent had worked as a machinist’s mate in the Navy during the 1950s, but reportedly had no awareness of the dangers of asbestos and was provided no protective equipment.

The trial lasted six days, with the jury concluding that the defendants acted negligently against the decedent and other employees who worked in the Navy. The jury ordered Crane Co. to pay $1.5 million in compensatory damages to the plaintiff, along with $10 million in punitive damages on July 02, 2015; other defendants named in the asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit settled before the trial.

Overview of Asbestos Mesothelioma Complications

Veterans from the U.S. Navy are amongst the highest population group reporting complications that developed from exposure to asbestos fibers. This is because many manufacturing companies popularly used asbestos for different construction and insulation projects, such as pipes and heating systems. Asbestos was widely popular due to is chemical and fire resistant qualities, as well as being a very economic-friendly choice.

Unfortunately, this means that numerous Navy and other U.S. military veterans were directly exposed to asbestos and had also brought the asbestos fiber material home to their families, as the material attaches to clothing. Typically family households were also exposed to asbestos, as many day jobs involved construction and other duties that involved direct asbestos exposure.

Over the years, asbestos litigation has become the longest-running mass tort in the history of the United States, with over 600,000 plaintiffs and over 6,000 named defendants. Legal experts explain that this massive asbestos litigation wave stems from the long development period required for asbestos-related diseases to develop. For example, mesothelioma can take between 20 to 50 years to form any kind of visible symptoms. This means that by the time patients show any signs of mesothelioma, it is most likely at a latent stage.

There is often very little treatment options for asbestos mesothelioma and patients are typically not expected to survive much longer after diagnosis. Across the country, families are contending with the complications of asbestos exposure and are often left devastated with the loss of their loved ones.

This Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawsuit is Case No. 1322-CC00059, in the 22^nd Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri.