New Jersey Mesothelioma Lawyers | Philadelphia Mesothelioma Lawyers

Remembering Jerry Johnson by Rachel Placitella, Esquire

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:15:00 +0000

James J. Johnson or “Jerry” was my client. He died from pleural mesothelioma yesterday. Jerry’s disease was caused by exposure to asbestos while working as a ceiling installer at construction sites in New Jersey. He was an honest, respectful, hardworking man who was still working when he was diagnosed with mesothelioma at age 75, not because he had to, but because he wanted to contribute. Jerry had a youthful appearance, was strong, robust and full of energy. He hiked regularly, rode his bike and loved golf.

As part of his treatment to combat his mesothelioma diagnosis, Jerry had grueling surgeries, chemotherapy and hospital stays in the few years I knew him. He never complained. He said he was in the fight of his life and he was not about to back down. Jerry continued to bike in the early days of surgery and treatment. He also hiked in the forest. Eventually, he lost his energy and was forced to use a walker. He never gave up fighting.

Jerry was devoted to his wife, Mary. He loved to travel with her. He spoke often about his sons, he coached them in sports when they were younger, and enjoyed a close relationship with them. He adored his granddaughter and spoke fondly about their visits together and her performances at shows.

Jerry was an honest, patient good natured man. This was put to the test when he sat through 10 days of cross examination as part of his litigation. Most days were not full days; some days were relatively short, a few hours because he was not feeling well from his recent chemotherapy treatments. Yet he showed up at every scheduled deposition, with a smile and a kind word. He never lost his temper, even in the mist of intense, arguably sometimes disrespectful cross examination.

My life has been greatly enriched for having known Jerry. His strength, honesty and fun loving nature in the face of the ultimate adversity is an inspiration for how I want to live my life. He told Mary and me that he loved his favorite nurse, me and obviously her. I never told him, but I loved him too.

New York City Mesothelioma Lawsuit Verdict 2.5 Million

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:44:25 +0000

Congratulations to Brendan Tully who won a 2.5 million dollar verdict today against John Crane in New York City. Tom Burns tried the case for John Crane, John Crane a manufacturer of asbestos containing gaskets continues to assert a scorched earth policy toward settlement. Today the earth scorched John Crane.

4.5 Million Dollar Philadelphia Pennsylvania Mesothelioma Lawsuit

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:56:49 +0000

A Philadelphia jury handed down a verdict against Foster Wheeler for $3,000,000 for David Graver and $1,500,000 for his wife Fran in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia. The trial took a month.

Congratulations to my friend Alan Reich who represented the plaintiff.

1.5 Million Dollar Mesothelioma Verdict Involving Union Carbide

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:26:35 +0000

A Mississippi jury handed down $1,000,000 actual damage verdict with a 25% apportionment attributed to UCC for Mr. Russell E. Nix, in Jones County, MS. Mr. Nix was exposed to Union Carbide’s drilling muds in the 1980′s. UCC was the sole remaining Defendant at the time of trial.

The jury also awarded Mr. Nix $500 ,000 in punitive damages, as well as attorneys fees and costs.

Congratulations to my friends Grant Hedgepeth, Dawn Smith and James C. Ferrell who represented Mr Nix.

California Supreme Court Takes A Stand in Favor of First Amendment in Mesothelioma and Asbestos Litigation

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:55:50 +0000

Yesterday the California Supreme Court took a stand in favor of the First Amendment and overruled the trial court which ordered the plaintiff lawyer to take down her website during trial. The initial application was made by Volkswagen and later joined in by Ford, both of which are known for very aggressive litigation tactics in mesothelioma and asbestos death cases. This ruling is an important precedent for free speech. A full copy of the briefing filed with the court is available by clicking here, and also here.

$20,000,000 Awarded to the Family of a Mesothelioma Victim in a Liability Case Involving Asbestos Joint Compound

admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:41:52 +0000

A Broward County Florida jury awarded $20,000,000 to the family of a mesothelioma victim who was exposed to asbestos over the course of a four-month remodeling job in his home that used asbestos containing joint compound. The jury found Union Carbide, the supplier of the asbestos that went into the joint compound 80% responsible.

Read more: http://www.mesotheliomalegalblog.com

Georgia Pacific Admits Wallboard Contained Asbestos in NJ Mesothelioma Case

admin — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:16:41 +0000

For years, Georgia Pacific has failed to disclose that the wallboard it sold contained asbestos. In a recent deposition taken in a NJ asbestos case, a former GP executive Howard Schutte was forced to admit that the GP fire rated wallboard sold on a mass basis in the United States contained asbestos. The problem according to noted mesothelioma lawyer Chris Placitella is that “this product is installed in innumerable buildings and the current owners have no idea these walls have asbestos in them. If the walls are demolished there is real potential for asbestos exposure which building occupants and workers will have no idea is happening.” The entire deposition is available at www.mesotheliomalegalblog.com/asbestos-in-wallboard-georgia-pacific.pdf

$282,685 Mesothelioma Verdict in a Liability Case Involving Asbestos Exposure

admin — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:43:12 +0000

Congratulations to attorneys, Nate Finch and James Ledlie of Motley Rice, along with Gary Kendall and Kyle McNew of Michie Hamlett. They worked tirelessly on behalf of the family of James “Doug” Lokey, to obtain a $282,685 verdict in a liability case involving asbestos exposure. According to the legal team, this recent mesothelioma verdict was achieved along with the legal assistance of Will Harty of Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein, L.C. who assisted with jurisdiction.

A liability verdict was issued late yesterday in Albemarle County, Virginia, against manufacturers Ford and Honeywell after jurors found that both companies exposed a former state trooper to asbestos which led him to contract the deadly lung disease mesothelioma at the age of 84.

Plaintiffs in this case were the family of James “Doug” Lokey, a former state trooper who died in 2007 from mesothelioma. Mr. Lokey was exposed to asbestos from brakes in the 1966-74 time frame as a result of going into state inspection stations and watching mechanics do blowout on Ford, GM and Chrysler vehicles. He also worked at the Norfolk Naval shipyard during World War II.

In the verdict, the six-member jury found that both Ford and Honeywell were negligent for failing to warn Mr. Lokey about the dangers of exposure to asbestos while at work. According to the legal team who represented Mr. Lokey, “ there were no settlement offers by Ford or Honeywell at any time.” Both companies held strong to deny their liability.

Asbestos Exposure Continues to This Day

admin — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:40:31 +0000

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released their 12^th report on carcinogenic substances, adding eight more chemical and biological agents, making a total of 240 substances which could have links to cancer. The Report on Carcinogens is a congressionally mandated, science based public health document prepared by the HHS Secretary by the National Toxicology Program.

The eight new additions include “the industrial chemical formaldehyde and a botanical known as aristolochic acids… listed as known human carcinogens. Six other substances — captafol, cobalt-tungsten carbide (in powder or hard metal form), certain inhalable glass wool fibers, o-nitrotoluene, riddelliine, and styrene — are added as substances that are reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens.”

Asbestos, which was first listed in 1980 in the First Annual Report on Carcinogens, is listed on page 53 of the report, as a “known human carcinogen.” The report states, “Because asbestos products were used so widely, the entire U.S. population potentially is exposed to some degree; however, the potential for exposure continues to decline, because asbestos mining has stopped, and asbestos products are being eliminated from the market.”

The report also states that they majority of risk associated with mesothelioma today comes from “asbestos materials in building and vehicle brake linings, demolition of buildings with asbestos insulation or fireproofing , people who live near asbestos-containing waste sites or asbestos-related industries (if they use asbestos-containing products), landfills which can potentially release asbestos into the air, or people who live and work in deteriorating buildings with asbestos insulation or during or after poorly performed asbestos removal.”

Additionally, the report describes the potential of exposure for family members within a household as well, “Families of asbestos workers potentially were exposed to high fiber levels from contaminated clothing brought home for laundering”, and that, “people living in households with asbestos workers were found to have significantly elevated lung burden of asbestos, often in the same range as found in individuals occupationally exposed to asbestos, such as shipyard workers.”

“Occupational exposure still occurs today among workers who use asbestos end products, such as asbestos insulation workers, brake repair and maintenance workers, building demolition workers, and asbestos abatement workers;” meaning hundreds of thousands of workers throughout the U.S. have been estimated to have been exposed to asbestos.

Exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases including asbestosis and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that develops in the Mesothelial cells, and is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases, resulting in death.

According to the report, “A listing in the Report on Carcinogens does not by itself mean that a substance will cause cancer. Many factors, including the amount and duration of exposure, and an individual’s susceptibility to a substance, affect whether a person will develop cancer“…”exposure to asbestos increases these risks.”

New York Mesothelioma Lawyers Obtain Two Mesothelioma Verdicts Over $20 Million on Behalf of Clients Exposed to Asbestos on Job Sites

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:38:09 +0000

I want to offer my congratulations to my friends Jordan Fox and Jim Long who obtained a $20 million verdict against building contractor/owner (Tishman). In this case, New York lawyers Jim Long, Bryan Belasky, Seth Dymond and Bill Papain fought hard on behalf of their client, a New York City laborer/carpenter, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos on the job site. According to the legal team, “the defendant was found reckless and is 100% responsible for the verdict.”

The same legal team also obtained a $32 million verdict against Crane and Elliott, on behalf of their client, a career Navy boiler tender. According to the legal team, “Crane was allocated 99 % and Elliott was allocated 1%, and both mesothelioma lawsuits turned into legal battles which played out over nine weeks, with the defendants fighting hard to defend their actions. Both successful actions prove that the legal team fought with vigor and restlessness to receive just compensation for their clients.