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Melinda J. Helbock, A.P.C., works with the top asbestos law firms in the country to successfully resolve asbestos litigation cases for our clients. These renowned law firms have recovered over $900 million in verdicts and settlements for asbestos victims. Below are the results of some of the most recent
Verdicts and Settlements:
Silvestro v. Kelly-Moore Paint Company, Inc. et al. – On September 7, 2006, a Los Angeles jury ordered Kelly-Moore Company, Inc. and Kaiser Gypsum Company, Inc. to pay $15.2 million in monetary compensation to the family of a worker who developed malignant mesothelioma after handling asbestos-containing materials for over 30 years.
The jury found that Kelly-Moore and Kaiser Gypsum acted maliciously for failing to inform or warn employees and consumers of the cancer risk associated with their products, which caused 74-year-old Salvatore “Sam” Silvestro to develop the fatal disease.
Mr. Silvestro worked as a laborer and cement mason on commercial and residential construction products in the Bay Area for three decades and also remodeled homes in which he used asbestos-containing cement products and drywall manufactured by the defendants in the case.
In 2001, Mr. Silvestro was diagnosed with mesothelioma and died several months later. The $15.2 million verdict awarded to the victim’s family includes $15 million to compensate for their loss of comfort, care, and society, and $250,000 for lost benefits and medical expenses.
The $15.2 million verdict is one of the largest asbestos awards in Los Angeles County.
Please contact us to learn more about filing an asbestos lawsuit to recover compensation for your losses and suffering.
Lowery v. Bondex International, Inc. – On June 28, 2006, a Texas jury awarded $1 million to the widow of a former drywaller who died at the age of 63 after developing malignant mesothelioma. The jury found the asbestos-containing product manufacturer, Bondex International, Inc., liable for Frank Lowery’s death.
Frank Lowery worked as a drywaller from the late 1950s until 1989. His job required that he use joint compound—an asbestos-containing product—every day. The jury held Bondex responsible for marketing a defective product without warning consumers of the serious risks, which include mesothelioma – a fatal cancer that has been linked to asbestos exposure.
In September 2003, Mr. Lowery was diagnosed with mesothelioma and died less than 6 months later. The $1 million verdict will compensate Mrs. Lowery for the mental anguish and suffering she endured as a result of her husband’s wrongful death.
Please click here to find out how you may be eligible to recover your damages through an asbestos lawsuit.
Behshid v. Bondex International et al. – On June 23, 2006, a Los Angeles County jury awarded a homeowner with intermittent exposure to asbestos $12.6 million in damages. The man developed malignant mesothelioma as a result of home repairs he made during the mid-1960s through the 1970s.
The plaintiff immigrated to the United States in 1961 and bought a home and other investment properties for extra income as he attended graduate school. On nights and weekends, the plaintiff, his brothers, and often his young son would work to fix up these properties.
In 2004, the 71-year-old victim was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma that he developed as a direct result of inhaling asbestos fibers while working with joint compound. At the time of his trial, the plaintiff, who had one of his lungs removed and requires a ventilator to breathe, was too sick to testify. Instead, the family members who helped him fix up the homes testified.
The Los Angeles jury found the product manufacturer, Bondex, liable for failing to warn consumers of the cancer risk.
The $12.6 million award includes $12 million for physical and emotional pain and suffering and $600,000 for medical expenses.
If you or a loved one has suffered from asbestos-related injuries, please contact us today to learn how you may be eligible to seek compensation for your losses through a product liability lawsuit.
Sandel et al v. Bondex International, Inc. - On January 23, 2006, a Tarrant County (Fort Worth, Texas) jury unanimously awarded $2.971 million in damages to a Milwaukee man who developed mesothelioma from non-occupational exposure to asbestos.