Very often a case is all but won before trial because the lawyers have done their job and prepared  the case correctly. Yesterday in New Port News Virginia this proved to be true. The jury returned a verdict against Jon Crane(who never settles) for 3.8 million dollars. As part of its defense John Crane offered voodoo science that the Judge struck as too speculative at the pre trial conference.

The case was tried very well by my good friend Bobby Hatten and his staff with a 3.8 million dollar result for this deserving family.

Copy of the pretrial transcript can be read by clicking this link 

http://www.mesotheliomalegalblog.com/mesothelioma-litigation/Pre-Trial-Victory-Leads-to-38-Million-Dollar-Verdict--1-31886.html

Yesterday the US Supreme Court handed down a decision affecting asbestos victims suing railroads for asbestos related injurious. the decision was rendered without any argument. A copy of the opinion is attached. According to the Court: "Giving the instruction on this point is particularly important in the FELA context. That is because of the volume of pending asbestos claims and also because the nature of those claims enhances the danger that a jury, without proper instructions, could award emotional distress damages based on slight evidence of a plaintiff’s fear of contracting cancer.  . . ”

Supreme Court of the United States: CSX Transportation, Inc. v. Thurston Hensley