Texas Jury Awards $3 Million in Mesothelioma Cancer Lawsuit
By Jim Greene
Published on April 16, 2010
A Texas jury last month awarded $3 million in damages to a couple who claims the husband developed cancer as a result of inhaling asbestos fibers while working at a Brownsville plant.
The award in the personal injury lawsuit filed by Oscar and Dora Torres against Union Carbide Corporation, Garlock Sealing Technologies, and Brown & Root, was delivered March 6 in the Cameron County 107th District Court before Judge Benjamin Euresti, Jr. The jury awarded $1 million for past damages and $2 million for future damages.
Mesothelioma Diagnosis Made Last Year
Torres was diagnosed late last year with mesothelioma, a form of cancer primarily affecting the lining of the chest and lungs, and, in some cases, of the heart and other organs. The only known cause of mesothelioma is inhalation of asbestos fibers. The disease is progressive, terminal, and incurable.
Torres claims he was exposed to asbestos in the 1970s at a manufacturing plant owned by Union Carbide, now part of The Dow Chemical Company. He was working for Brown & Root, now part of KBR, Inc., on products for Garlock Sealing Technologies, now part of EnPro Industries, Inc. Torres says those products contained asbestos.
In his suit, Torres said the defendants were negligent in not taking any steps to protect workers from asbestos exposure, and in not warning workers of the potential health risks.
Liability Apportioned among Defendants
The Browsville jury apportioned Union Carbide 45 percent of the liability for damages, Garlock Sealing Technologies 45 percent, and Brown & Root 10 percent.
Mesothelioma is not immediately apparent. It may be 20 to 40 years after exposure before it is diagnosed, by which time it is quite advanced, so that subsequent life expectancy is limited. Death is usually related to difficulty in breathing.
If you have developed mesothelioma or have lost a loved one as a result of this incurable cancer, or as a result of asbestosis or other asbestos-related illnesses, contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney. You are entitled to financial compensation to help you deal with the tragic consequences of asbestos exposure.
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