81-Year-Old Mesothelioma Victim Awarded $23 Million

James McWilliams has little doubt about how he came to have malignant pleural mesothelioma. After a lifetime of work as a steamfitter, he blames asbestos in Jenkins Bros. valves for his illness and sued the company for the damages that he suffered. Earlier this year a New York City jury awarded him $23 million in compensation.

Company Denies Role in Man’s Mesothelioma

Mr. McWilliams provided significant detail to the jury hearing his mesothelioma claim. He described his 36-year career that lasted from 1960 to 1996, and recalled having installed and removed valve flange gaskets, valves, and other parts manufactured by Jenkins Bros. Those parts contained asbestos, which the company purchased from notorious asbestos supplier John Manville.

Though the company denied its role in Mr. McWilliams illness, they were confronted with evidence that they had specifically known of the dangers of asbestos in the 1960s, and with the possibility that they had known it was carcinogenic as early as the 1930s. They were also reminded of the many years that they had marketed themselves as the top manufacturer and supplier of the same valves to the Manhattan building industry.

$23 Million Mesothelioma Award for Past and Future Pain and Suffering

After consideration of the testimony, the New York jury agreed with Mr. McWilliams that the company had been negligent in its failure to warn of the dangers posed by the asbestos in their parts. They found the company liable for the damages the mesothelioma victim suffered and awarded him a total of $23 million, with $13 million compensating him for his past pain and suffering and another $10 million to compensate him for the pain and suffering that it is anticipated he will suffer in the future.