December 28, 2011 – A mesothelioma attorney from the law firm of Levy Konigsberg LLP (“LK”), recently won a $2.5 Million verdict for the family of the late Lloyd “Barry” Benton, a Vietnam veteran, who died from mesothelioma at the age of 56. The trial was against John Crane Inc., a multi-national company that made and sold asbestos products that Mr. Benton used in the Navy and throughout his career as a union pipefitter.
Mesothelioma Attorney from LK Wins $2.5 Million Verdict for Navy Veteran’s Family
It was undisputed that John Crane Inc. sold hundreds of different styles of asbestos products over 60 years. At trial, Levy Konigsberg contended that while Mr. Benton used their asbestos products, the company knew that asbestos was dangerous and knew that its products could potentially release dangerous asbestos fibers when used. The firm further contended that the company even took steps to protect its own workers, but failed to pass this information on to their customers, like Mr. Benton, which put them at risk of developing mesothelioma.
At trial, the defendant argued that its products were not the cause of Mr. Benton’s cancer. The jury unanimously found that John Crane’s products were a substantial cause of Mr. Benton’s disease.
Barry Benton first used John Crane’s asbestos products when he served in the Navy, and then continued to use them throughout his career as a union pipefitter. During his career, he made thousands of gaskets out of large sheet gasket material which he would cut and hammer out. Additionally, part of Mr. Benton’s job duties involved opening up flanges and removing old asbestos gaskets that were stuck on the flange face. To remove the gaskets he would use a scrapper, wire brush, or an electric wire brush. Once the old gasket was removed, he would frequently clean the area with compressed air before putting a new gasket on. All of these tasks created a substantial amount of asbestos dust in the air which Mr. Benton breathed in.
As a result of his exposure to asbestos products, including John Crane gaskets and packing, Mr. Benton died of mesothelioma, which is a type of cancer whose only known cause in North America is asbestos exposure.
“What happened here was 100% preventable. This is a tragic example of corporate greed and recklessness. This company turned a blind eye to the potential dangers of its products and put its own interests ahead of its customer’s safety. Veterans and workers like Mr. Benton deserve better,” said a firm spokesperson.
LK is a national leader in asbestos litigation and other toxic tort cases. Over the last 25 years, LK attorneys have successfully represented thousands of veterans and workers who have been diagnosed with asbestos related cancer, including mesothelioma.
For more information about this or other mesothelioma lawsuits, please contact Levy Konigsberg LLP at 212-605-6200 or 1-800-MESO-LAW (1-800-637-6529), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Under the law of most states, pain and suffering from mesothelioma may be compensated through the award of money damages, usually obtained with the help of experienced mesothelioma attorneys. In some states other types of damages may also be recovered.
Asbestos litigation affords mesothelioma victims the opportunity to receive financial compensation and hold accountable the companies that caused their asbestos exposure.
- Preserve your rights to bring a legal action against the responsible parties within the limited time frame allowed by law, known as statute of limitations;
- Obtain maximum compensation in your case by being able to:
- Preserve evidence and establish facts of the asbestos exposure while the claimant is still alive and able to provide information;
- File and resolve a lawsuit against the responsible parties before they file for bankruptcy or, if they already have, to obtain compensation before their bankruptcy trust funds run out of money;
- Expedite your case, as courts tend to give higher priority to mesothelioma lawsuits where the claimant is still alive.