Louisiana Jury Delivers Record-Breaking $37.6 Million Mesothelioma Award

Countless mesothelioma victims have filed personal injury lawsuits against the companies that exposed them to asbestos, and juries have awarded them significant awards to compensate them for the damages that they’ve suffered. In a recent case, a Louisiana jury awarded a former union welder and his family a record-breaking $37.6 million in damages.

Welder’s Story Reveals the Tragedy of Mesothelioma

A diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma is devastating. The condition is always considered fatal and the course of the disease is extremely painful. Making matters worse is the fact that mesothelioma is an entirely preventable disease. It is caused by exposure to asbestos, and for years the companies that used the mineral in their products failed to warn of its dangers or to seek a replacement component.

In the Louisiana case, the mesothelioma victim worked as a union welder and pipefitter in an industrial area that has since been dubbed Cancer Alley because so many sicknesses have been blamed on the work environment. The man’s lawsuit named twenty-one companies, including his former employer, Level 3 Holdings (formerly known as Peter Kiewit Sons’ Co.). All the defendants were accused of negligently exposing the victim to asbestos and not warning of its dangers, despite knowing that it could lead to serious illness or death.

Jury Agrees that Companies Were Responsible for Mesothelioma

The jury decided that the companies were negligent, and provided the multi-million-dollar mesothelioma verdict based on their decision. The evidence presented by the man’s attorneys had shown that the executives of all of the defendants were well aware of the dangers that asbestos posed, yet took no steps to protect workers.

A representative of the mesothelioma victim’s family said, “We know that no amount of money can make things right for mesothelioma victims, but it is necessary they receive financial support for the costly medical bills and expenses they have incurred as a result of the negligence of companies that chose profits over safety.”