Mesothelioma Blog

  • Former Railroad Worker Names Multiple Companies in Mesothelioma Lawsuit

    Anthony Ditcharo sued several of his former employers after being diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in August of 2022. Though he died in January 2023, his family is continuing his pursuit of justice, converting his personal injury claim to survival and wrongful death claims. Mesothelioma Lawsuit Includes Union Pacific and Avondale as Defendants The claim originally …Read More

  • Concessions Worker Struck Down by Malignant Mesothelioma

    Asbestos was once highly valued for the strength and fire resistance it added to structures, but in the mid-1970s the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed it as a powerful carcinogen, responsible for malignant mesothelioma and many other serious and deadly diseases. While the use of the deadly material was severely curtailed, the EPA’s announcement did …Read More

  • Asbestos Attorneys Accuse Mesothelioma Victim’s Family of Evading Autopsy Request

    When James LaFrentz died in October of 2019, he was in the midst of a lawsuit accusing General Dynamics and 3M Company of negligence and blaming them for his malignant mesothelioma diagnosis. But because LaFrentz was a lifelong smoker, the companies questioned whether he truly had the asbestos-related disease. They wanted a sample of his …Read More

  • Mesothelioma Victim’s Case Against Johnson & Johnson Can Remain in New York Courts

    When Ann Greenberg was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, her search for a cause for her disease led her to asbestos-contaminated Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products.  Further investigation led to the products’ manufacturer, Kolmar Laboratories, Inc., so she filed suit against both: Kolmar first, and then Johnson & Johnson the next day. The iconic manufacturer …Read More

  • Michigan Supreme Court to Decide on Asbestos Whistleblower Claim

    The fear of a future mesothelioma diagnosis drove information technology worker Cleveland Stegall to approach the management at Fiat Chrysler about workplace safety. When no action was taken to address asbestos contamination in the plant, he went to state and federal authorities to voice his concerns, and after that, the company fired him. Now, he …Read More

  • Packaging at Issue in Mesothelioma Lawsuit

    When malignant mesothelioma claimed Wilburn Freeman’s life, his family filed a personal injury claim against Georgia Pacific, blaming asbestos in the company’s pre-mixed joint compound for his illness and death. When the company asked the court to dismiss the case, the issues that needed to be addressed included the packaging that the product was sold …Read More

  • Failure of 3M Mask Blamed for Mesothelioma

    Protective gear can be an invaluable tool in the fight against mesothelioma, but only if it works. The failure of a 3M mask to block asbestos, and the company’s knowledge of their product’s defects, was the focus of a recent lawsuit, and though the victim lost his original case, an appeals court has ordered that …Read More

  • Asbestos Victim’s Family Succeeds in Re-Opening Case

    Ronald Callanan died of asbestosis after years of working as a field inspector for FM Engineering. Blaming his death on exposure to asbestos in Cleaver-Brooks boilers, his family filed a personal injury lawsuit against the company, seeking compensation. Though the company initially succeeded in having the case against them dismissed, the family members appealed that …Read More

  • 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

  • $6.6 Million Jury Verdict Returned to Mesothelioma Victim

    After a grueling trial, a Florida jury ordered Union Carbide to pay mesothelioma victim William Aubin an astonishing $14,191,000 in damages. Though that amount was later reduced to $6.6 million to reflect other companies’ previously established liabilities, the asbestos company appealed the overall verdict and an appeals court overturned the verdict. Upon review, the Florida …Read More

  • Despite Caterpillar’s Objections, Court Allows $4.5 Million Mesothelioma Verdict to Stand

    The family of Navy veteran Edwin Estenson was devastated by his mesothelioma diagnosis and death and was intent on getting justice from the companies that had exposed him to asbestos and caused him so much suffering. While every other company they filed suit against agreed to settle out of court, Caterpillar Inc. insisted on having …Read More

  • 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 …Read More

  • After “Fatally Inconsistent” Verdict, Mesothelioma Victim Gets New Trial

    Calling an asbestos company’s argument in favor of preserving an inconsistent mesothelioma verdict “impermissible,” the California Court of Appeals agreed with the perplexed and frustrated plaintiffs that a new trial was required. The jury had decided both that Mission Stucco’s products were a substantial factor in the victim’s illness and that they had no comparative …Read More

  • Specifics of Legal Claim Make All the Difference in Preserving Victim’s Lawsuit

    Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The vast majority of people diagnosed with the disease are exposed on the job, and in many cases, could have been protected had their employer or other companies warned them or taken steps to protect them. That’s what Nolan J. Lebouf Jr. based …Read More

  • Power Company’s Attempt to Blame Mesothelioma on Subcontractor Fails

    Despite the best efforts of Georgia Power Company’s attorneys, the company will be required to defend itself against charges of causing Colen Campbell’s malignant mesothelioma.  The company had attempted to shift the blame to North Brothers, a subcontractor that Campbell worked for, and that the power company had hired to install asbestos-contaminated insulation. But Campbell was …Read More

  • Judge in Mesothelioma Claim Denies Insurance Company’s Request

    Mesothelioma lawsuits are complex legal actions that involve numerous defendants and multiple layers of liability. The wrongful death claim filed by Roseanna Matherne’s family accused multiple companies of negligence for having exposed her to asbestos carried home on her husband’s work clothes, and that liability extended beyond her husband’s employer to the company that ensured …Read More

  • New York Jury Delivers Unanimous Mesothelioma Verdict Against Honda Motors

    For years, automobile manufacturers continued selling asbestos-containing parts despite knowing that exposure to the toxic mineral could cause mesothelioma and other cancers. Many mechanics and other auto workers have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases as a result. Recently, a New York man filed suit against Honda Motors, blaming the auto giant’s failure to warn of …Read More

  • Mesothelioma-Stricken Navy Vet Asks for More Time to Prove His Case

    Ronald Behrmann is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Navy who was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. He believes that his fatal illness was caused by exposure to asbestos-contaminated electrical components he worked with during the course of his career, and filed a personal injury lawsuit against the companies that supplied those parts. While his attorneys …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

  • Victim’s $15 Million Mesothelioma Award Stands

    A California jury’s $15 million award to a retired construction supervisor will stand, despite an appeal filed by the asbestos company he blamed for his illness. Norris Morgan and his wife had successfully sued J-M Manufacturing for having exposed him to asbestos dust on the job. California Jury Held Asbestos Company Responsible for Mesothelioma Diagnosis …Read More

Tags: asbestos, mesothelioma