A federal jury in Arizona recently awarded $17 million in damages to the family of a retired civilian employee of the U.S. Navy who died from
mesothelioma after working for years in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia.

Trial testimony showed that George C. worked as a shipyard machinist from 1959 to 1966, during which time he primarily repaired and maintained equipment on naval ships. Those duties included the regular removal of asbestos-containing gaskets and packing from valves manufactured by the defendants and their predecessors.

George died in 2012 at age 73, less than a year after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, a terminal cancer found in the lining of the lungs that is linked to asbestos exposure.

After his death from mesothelioma in August 2013, George’s family continued his asbestos exposure lawsuit and amended his claim to a wrongful death lawsuit in which more than 20 defendants were named.

Asbestos Mesothelioma Verdict

After a three-week trial, the federal jury awarded George’s widow, Sandra, $6 million. Each of their three children were awarded $1 million for their suffering and loss.

In addition to these awards, multiple defendants were also held liable for their negligence in the matter of George’s asbestos exposure, and ordered to compensate the family.

One industrial products company, Crane Co., was ordered to pay the family $5 million. Another company, William Powell Company, which manufactures valves out of Cincinnati, Ohio, was ordered to pay the family $3 million in punitive damages.

Crane was found to be responsible for 20 percent of George’s exposure to asbestos, and William Powell was blamed for 5 percent of his exposure. Other defendants were found to hold relatively little blame, but the U.S. Navy was found responsible for 47 percent of George’s exposure to asbestos.

What is Mesothelioma?

The most deadly illness linked to asbestos exposure is mesothelioma, a type of cancer which affects the mesothelium, a thin membrane that surrounds the body’s internal organs.

Although many individuals who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer were exposed to asbestos materials in the workplace for many years, it is possible to develop the disease from as little as one incidence of exposure.

In spite of this, mesothelioma cancer is very slow to develop, often taking decades between the time of exposure to asbestos and the first symptoms of the disease.

The symptoms of mesothelioma cancer differ depending on which part of the body—the lungs, abdomen, or heart—is affected. Some of the most common mesothelioma cancer symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, persistent cough or other breathing problems, weight loss, fever, and other indicators of problems with the lungs, heart, or stomach.

Occupational Asbestos Exposure

From studies of people who were exposed to asbestos in factories and shipyards, it has been found that working in an environment with high levels of asbestos-laden materials can lead to an increased risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest and the abdominal cavity.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces strict regulations to prevent employers from allowing their workers to be exposed to asbestos.

Under OSHA regulations, it is mandated that “employers provide personal exposure monitoring to assess the risk and hazard awareness training for operations where there is any potential exposure to asbestos.” They must also take other actions to ensure the health of employees, including providing medical monitoring for any worker believed to have been exposed to asbestos.

The Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawsuit is Case No. CV-13-08141, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.