A New York jury has awarded Plaintiff Janet V. $1.4 million dollars after agreeing with her claims that John Crane Inc. was negligent and that the company’s products contributed to her late husband’s mesothelioma and subsequent death from asbestos exposure.

William worked with boilers in the U.S. Navy from 1967-71, and was exposed to asbestos in the gaskets manufactured by John Crane during his service. William also allegedly suffered from secondary asbestos exposure from birth through age eighteen. William’s father worked at a steel mill and allegedly brought home asbestos fibers on his clothing, exposing his family to the carcinogen.

Janet and her late husband, William, initially filed claims against more than 50 companies after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2013. After William died, Janet added wrongful death claims. John Crane was the last remaining defendant.

Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawsuits

Two other asbestos mesothelioma jury trials ended in the plaintiffs’ favor against companies earlier this year. Both were against Crane Co. (a different company than the aforementioned John Crane), another company that manufactured parts with asbestos.

In April, an appeals court in Pennsylvania awarded $4.8 million to two women who sued for their husbands’ asbestos exposures. In July, a Missouri jury awarded $11.5 million in a wrongful death suit brought by a woman who lost her husband to mesothelioma, which he allegedly developed from working with asbestos in the Navy in the 1950s.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma

Asbestos is a fibrous material that is made of minerals occurring in nature. It is durable and heat resistant, and was used in many applications requiring those properties, such as for insulation and fire proofing in buildings. It was also used in ceiling and roof tiles, boilers, textiles and sprayed coatings. Currently, there are strict regulations regarding the use of asbestos, and most exposure comes from older products or buildings.

Left undisturbed, asbestos is relatively harmless. Once the fibers become loose and airborne, however, asbestos begins to cause problems. A major source of exposure is building remodeling.

These inhaled or ingested fibers irritate the lungs. Excessive or repeated exposures may eventually lead to cancer. In particular, the pleural lining of the lungs, heart and abdomen begin to develop malignant cells leading to mesothelioma.

While a handful of mesothelioma lung cancer cases have been caused by other issues, nearly all mesothelioma cancer patients had asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawsuit Information

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with asbestos mesothelioma, you may be entitled to legal compensation.