Jury Hands Down Verdict of $8.6 Million in Favor of Machinist With Mesothelioma
A jury awarded over $8.6 million in the case of a 60-year old Navy machinist and engineering officer who was exposed to asbestos in pump and valve packing, gaskets, and insulation.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (PRWEB) March 25, 2005 -- A jury awarded over $8.6 million
in the case of a 60-year old Navy machinist and engineering officer, Anthony
Cadlo, who was exposed to asbestos in products made by John Crane, Inc. and
Metalclad Insulation Corp. (Anthony Cadlo and Maxlyn Cadlo v. John Crane Inc.
and Metalclad Insulation Corp., Case No. 412325, San Francisco Superior Court).
Mr. Cadlo developed pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive, incurable cancer that
is caused by contact with asbestos. He testified at the trial, despite suffering
from tumor protrusions on his left chest and being permanently tethered to
supplemental oxygen 24 hours a day.
During his naval career, Mr. Cadlo
removed and installed pump and valve packing and gaskets, all of which contained
asbestos. He was also routinely exposed to high levels of airborne asbestos from
thermal insulation, packing, and gaskets in the engine rooms of ships. Mr. Cadlo
never wore respiratory protection and was unaware of the dangers of asbestos.
Neither he nor his shipmates received any warnings from the manufacturers or
suppliers of these asbestos products.
John Crane Inc. manufactured
asbestos pump and valve packing and distributed asbestos gaskets during the
years when Mr. Cadlo was in the Navy. Metalclad Insulation Corp. supplied
asbestos thermal insulation products at that time. The jury determined that
exposure to these products caused Mr. Cadlo’s mesothelioma, and that his illness
was “reasonably foreseeable” to the companies. It also found that John Crane
Inc. and Metalclad Insulation Corp. made defective asbestos products and failed
to issue warnings about their hazards.
Mr. Cadlo was awarded $4 million
in “noneconomic damages” (pain, suffering, and emotional distress). He was also
awarded $1,412,400 for nonmedical economic damages, such as lost earning
capacity, $87,304 for past medical expenses, and $174,000 for future medical
expenses. Mr. Cadlo’s wife, Maxlyn, was awarded $3 million for her suffering and
the loss of her husband’s companionship.
The Cadlos were represented at
trial by Christopher Andreas of Brayton Purcell in Novato, California.
About Brayton Purcell
For over 20 years, Brayton Purcell has helped
clients protect their legal rights in the face of devastating losses such as
illness, injuries, and harm to family members. The law firm enjoys a national
reputation for the high quality of its personal injury and product liability
work, particularly in the area of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related
cancers. For more information, call 415-898-1555 or visit our firm web site at
http://www.braytonlaw.com.
For mesothelioma legal and medical news as well as information about
mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment, see our specialty web site, Mesothelioma
Network, at http://www.mesotheliomasite.com
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/3/prweb221984.htm