Virginia Mesothelioma Widow Awarded $3.45 Million
When Patricia Katcham’s husband, James, died of malignant mesothelioma, she accused John Crane, Inc. and other companies of having negligently exposed him to asbestos in his workplace at DuPont’s Spruance plant in Chesterfield, New Jersey. Though her claims against the other defendants she’d named were resolved, the notorious gasket manufacturer chose to face her in court. A Newport News, Virginia Circuit Court jury heard the details of the claim and ordered the company to pay her $3.45 million for her loss.
Millwright’s Mesothelioma Death Blamed on Occupational Exposure to Asbestos
Over the course of eleven days, the jury learned of Mr. Katcham’s 18 years of having worked at the DuPont plant, and of the John Crane gaskets, packing, and other products that he had worked with, none of which were provided with any safety instructions or warnings about the dangers of inhaling asbestos fibers. Mrs. Katcham’s attorneys made a strong argument about the unreasonable level of danger that the product posed, and of the company’s duty to warn.
Expert witnesses, including doctors and industrial hygienists, spoke to the jury about the link between asbestos exposure and malignant mesothelioma, as well as how long executives at John Crane, Inc. were aware of the dangers. They also heard specifics about the way that Mr. Katcham had worked with each asbestos-containing item, and how that would have contributed to his risk of inhaling asbestos fibers at his job.
Jury Hears Company Knew Dangers While Mesothelioma Victim Was Exposed
Among the factors that convinced the jury of John Crane, Inc.’s negligence was evidence that the scientific community had confirmed the dangers of asbestos as early as the 1960s, and that the company had received documents from the Illinois Pollution Control Board in 1972 that showed that mesothelioma could be triggered by minimal exposure to asbestos, yet they did nothing to warn the victim of his risk. Mr. Katcham’s exposure occurred between 1961 and 1979.
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