An asbestos verdict has resulted in a $10.3 million jury award going to a man who said he unloaded raw asbestos off ships more than 50 years ago.

Former longshoreman Henry Pete said he worked wharfs in the New Orleans area from 1964 through 1968 where he followed in his father’s footsteps by unloading the carcinogenic material off ships. Prior to working at the shipyard himself, Pete said he was exposed to asbestos dust for years because his dad would come home from work with the friable particles on his clothing.

Ports America Gulfport Inc., Cooper T. Smith Stevedoring Co. Inc. and South African Marine Corp. all were found to have played a part in the man’s deadly illness.

Asbestos Verdict Spelled Out

The asbestos verdict lists he will receive $2 million for past and future physical pain and suffering; $2.3 million for past and future mental pain and suffering; $3 million for past and future physical disability; $2.5 million for past and future loss of enjoyment of life; and $551.020.70 for his past medical expenses. The total is $10,351.020.70.

Pete reportedly is so very ill that he fears he will not live to use the money, but he feels now the people from his hometown area of Orleans Parish that he told of his illness and the reasons behind it will have no doubt how he became so sick, according to his lawyer.

The companies that were found liable have said they never worked with asbestos, and if they had worked with asbestos, Henry Pete was not their employee.

Mesothelioma Lung Cancer

Mesothelioma is the cancer of a lining of a bodily organ, a layer of protection known as the mesothelium. Mesothelioma lung cancer is also known as pleural mesothelioma, which means the disease has developed within the pleura, which is the lining of the lungs.

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of the disease, which has been most often linked to the inhalation of asbestos fibers.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a type of cancer that starts inside the lining of the abdomen; pericardial mesothelioma begins in the lining of the heart; and tunica vaginalis is a type of mesothelioma that begins in the lining of the testicles.

According to the American Cancer Society the number one risk factor for pleural mesothelioma lung cancer is asbestos exposure. Most of the time, victims of pleural mesothelioma develop the disease after being exposed to asbestos in an occupational setting. Ship builders, electricians, auto mechanics, construction workers and demolition crew members are among the occupations that place workers at risk of asbestos exposure.

“When asbestos fibers in the air are inhaled, they can get into the lungs. Fibers that stay in the lungs can travel to the ends of the small airways and enter the pleural lining of the lung and chest wall,” says the American Cancer Society. “These fibers can then injure the cells of the pleura, and, over time, cause mesothelioma.”

Mesothelioma can develop between 15 and 50 years after initial asbestos exposure because the tiny fibers settle into tissue where they cause constant irritation and inflammation.

According to court documents, Pete testified that he nor his father were warned of the dangers they faced while unloading raw asbestos.

Pete alleged the companies “ignored or concealed such information, or condoned such concealment, in order to sell or use asbestos or asbestos-containing products and to avoid litigation by those who were injured from asbestos inhalation.”

The Asbestos Lawsuit is Henry Pete v. Boland Marine and Manufacturing Co. LLC et al., Case No. 19-10545, in the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana.