Mesothelioma Blog

  • Mesothelioma Victim Blames Talc in Avon Powders for her Illness

    When 61-year-old Kim Young was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, it came as a shock. Though she had never worked with asbestos, she quickly learned of studies showing asbestos-contamination of talc in cosmetic products she’d used throughout her life. She filed suit against Avon Products Inc. and their talc suppliers, and though the supplier quickly moved …Read More

  • Disabled Woman’s Mesothelioma Claim Settled Two Days into Hearing

    A mesothelioma lawsuit accusing consumer giant Johnson & Johnson of negligence was settled out of court just two days after the trial’s start.  The victim in the case was a 36-year-old woman with mental disabilities. Gail Koretoff’s mother had just provided testimony that the young woman’s suffering was amplified by her lack of understanding of either …Read More

  • Asbestos from Flooring Blamed for Interior Designer’s Mesothelioma

    Allison Linsky was just 58 years old when she was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. An interior designer and project manager who had spent years working on commercial design projects, she blamed her illness on exposure to asbestos contained within Mannington Mills’ vinyl tiles. Though the company attempted to have her personal injury lawsuit against them …Read More

  • Cigarette Company and Talc Powder Company Named in Mesothelioma Lawsuit

    Lois Prokocimer was diagnosed with both pleural mesothelioma and pulmonary adenocarcinoma (lung cancer) at the age of 80, in 2016. Upon her diagnosis she filed personal injury lawsuits against multiple companies, including Avon Products, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and Johnson & Johnson, accusing each of negligently exposing her to asbestos in their consumer products. Though …Read More

  • “Weak” Warning Plays Role in $2.38 Million Mesothelioma Verdict

    After years of battling to have her case heard, a mesothelioma widow heard a New Jersey jury order corporate giant Union Carbide to pay her $2.38 million in damages. Among the evidence that swayed the jury was the company’s own internal document indicating that hazard labeling on the company’s bags of asbestos was “weak.” Union …Read More

  • Mesothelioma Verdict Stands Despite Railroad Defendant’s Appeal

    After Nancy Little’s father, Robert Rabe, died of malignant mesothelioma in December of 2012, she filed suit against The Budd Company. She claimed that her father had been exposed to asbestos-containing pipe insulation the company had manufactured and sold to her father’s employer. Though the company fought her at every turn, she prevailed in the …Read More

  • Adult Children of Mesothelioma Victim Prevail Against Chemical Company

    Marty Marteney was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma after a lifetime history of exposure to asbestos. He and his wife Marie filed suit against the asbestos companies whose products he was exposed to, settling with some and winning verdicts against other cases in court. After his death his adult children filed their own wrongful death claims …Read More

  • Court Denies Bid to Overturn $7 Million Mesothelioma Verdict

    In September of 2018, a jury rendered a significant verdict on behalf of mesothelioma victim James Stock. They ordered Jenkin Brothers, a valve manufacturer, to pay him $4.5 million for his past pain and suffering, $1.5 million for future pain and suffering, and additional amounts totaling $7 million. The company filed a motion to have …Read More

  • Defective 3M Respirators Blamed for Weyerhaeuser Employees’ Mesothelioma

    When Elvira Kilty and Herbert Spatz worked for the Weyerhaeuser Company’s door manufacturing plant in Marshfield, Wisconsin, they were issued 3M respirators to protect them against mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Years later both were diagnosed with the rare form of cancer and filed suit against 3M. Though the company attempted to have the case …Read More

  • Judge Applies “Thirteenth Juror Doctrine” to Order New Mesothelioma Trial

    When Jerry Crawford filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against Covil Corporation, the case seemed like a slam dunk. Not only was there strong evidence in support of his claim of negligence, but Covil’s blatant lies during the trial led the judge to explicitly inform the jury about them. Despite this, the jury found in favor of …Read More

  • Judge Denies Crane Co.’s Arguments Against Mesothelioma Case Being Heard

    When Robert Grimes was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, the family law attorney immediately realized that his years working as an apprentice coppersmith in the early 1960s had exposed him to asbestos. Though he died in December of 2017, the lawsuit he filed against Crane and Co. was continued by his domestic partner, Linda F. Phelps, …Read More

  • Mesothelioma Widow Faces Multiple Companies in Quest for Justice

    Tatjana Pogacnik’s husband Leon died of malignant mesothelioma after he endured occupational exposure to asbestos during his career as an architect. She filed a personal injury lawsuit against multiple companies whose products or unsafe work environment contributed to his eventual diagnosis with the deadly form of cancer, and each of those companies worked hard to …Read More

  • Late Discovery of Evidence Changes Outcome for Mesothelioma Victim

    A mesothelioma lawsuit filed against the makers of Scotts Turf Builder was dismissed based on the victim’s experts not having examined original samples of the asbestos-contaminated product. But when it came to light that the company had samples that they’d testified did not exist, an appeals court reversed the dismissal and reactivated the case. Mesothelioma …Read More

  • Brothers Pursue Justice on Behalf of Their Sister After Her Death from Mesothelioma

    When Mary Jane Wilde died of malignant mesothelioma, her four heartbroken brothers filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Huntington Ingalls, Inc. They accused the organization of having failed to take the actions that would have protected her and the rest of their family from exposure to asbestos. Though the company attempted to remove the case …Read More

  • Ford Fights Mesothelioma Lawsuits by Funding Questionable Research

    It is impossible to say exactly how many victims of malignant mesothelioma were sickened by exposure to products manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, but it is a significant number. A recent report shows that the company, facing constant lawsuits, has invested over $40 million in research specifically designed to cast doubt on asbestos’ role …Read More

  • Jury Awards $23 Million After Laundry Equipment Causes Malignant Mesothelioma

    When Cynthia B. Cowger was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, she decided to pursue a lawsuit against Qualitex Company. She never dreamed that they’d argue that her own genes had led to her getting the rare, asbestos-related disease, nor did she imagine that a jury would disregard their arguments and award her $23 million in compensation. …Read More

  • Louisiana’s Interest in Protecting its Workers Benefits Mesothelioma Victim’s Family

    Mesothelioma victims seeking compensation for the damages they’ve suffered are often hampered by legal complications. Asbestos companies file for bankruptcy protection or are purchased and change their names. Some relocate to other states or countries. The difficulty of pursuing legal action would be stressful enough, but is far worse when also dealing with a painful …Read More

  • Decision in South Carolina Mesothelioma Case Will Help Future Victims

    The outcome of negligence lawsuits against asbestos companies may seem obvious to mesothelioma victims, but the cases are complex, and proving causation can be difficult. A recent decision by a South Carolina court of appeals has smoothed the way for future plaintiffs by allowing testimony about a cumulative dose of asbestos to be presented for …Read More

  • Appeal of Bowling Ball Mesothelioma Verdict Rejected – Victim’s Family to Keep $1.9 Million

    Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer diagnosed in less than 3,500 people each year, but public awareness is higher than for other rare cancers because it is caused by asbestos, a mineral that is still a risk factor in many buildings and in our infrastructure. Asbestos was used in applications beyond construction of public …Read More

  • Navy Veteran’s Mesothelioma Lawsuit to Proceed

    Pursuing a mesothelioma lawsuit often means an emotional rollercoaster of disappointments and victories for victims and their families. Faced with a certain death sentence, asbestos victims are already suffering heartache, and then confront additional stress as asbestos companies pursue various legal maneuvers to evade responsibility. In a recent example, Navy veteran Michael Harris and his …Read More