Appellate Court Awards $16M to Widows of Mesothelioma
Last week the New York appellate court ruled in favor of two widows who lost their husbands to mesothelioma after years of on-the-job exposure to asbestos. The women, represented by the nationally recognized New York mesothelioma law firm of Belluck & Fox, LLP will each receive a record-breaking $8 million for the pain and suffering their husbands experienced from the asbestos-caused cancer.
In the first case, Ronald Dummitt, a U.S. Navy veteran, was exposed to asbestos over 28 years while repairing valves aboard seven U.S. Navy ships. The second ruling was in favor of Dave Konstantin who inhaled asbestos released from joint-sealing compounds while working on the construction of a high-rise building in Manhattan between 1974 and 1977.
The rulings were an appeal of the verdicts from a 2011 case where Crane Co. and Elliott Turbomachinery Co. were found responsible for the asbestos exposure that led to Dummitt’s pleural mesothelioma. During the joint trial, the jury also found Tishman Liquidating Corporation, formerly known as Tishman Realty & Construction, Co., Inc., responsible for Konstantin’s testicular mesothelioma.
Pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects the lining of the chest. Testicular mesothelioma, also known as mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis, invades the membrane lining that covers the testicle. Less than five percent of mesothelioma cases are testicular mesothelioma.
All forms of mesothelioma are linked to exposure to asbestos, a naturally occurring heat- and fire-resistant fibrous mineral. Asbestos has been used in a variety of industrial machinery and equipment, and in consumer products.
Workers most likely to contract mesothelioma are military veterans or those who had direct contact with asbestos in an industrial setting or a factory, such as pipefitters, electricians, plumbers, foundry workers, machinists and mechanics. Statistics show that about 30 percent of all mesothelioma victims served in the military.
Mesothelioma victims typically show disease symptoms years or even decades after exposure to asbestos. The disease is eventually fatal, but aggressive therapy may prolong the lives of patients who are diagnosed early.
If you have been suffering from asbestos-related diseases, our top ranked asbestos attorneys at Belluck & Fox, LLP can certainly help you. We can meet with you at our law offices located at Rochester and New York City.
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