Jury awards $11.5M in mesothelioma lawsuit
A jury in San Francisco has awarded more than $11.5 million to a Navy veteran who received a mesothelioma diagnosis after working with asbestos products for nine years.
Joseph Garza served as a boilerman and fireman aboard three U.S. Navy ships
from 1948 until 1957, during which time he worked with asbestos-containing
cement, gaskets, pumps and valves.
In his mesothelioma lawsuit, Garza alleged that Asbestos Corporation Ltd., the company that supplied the asbestos fibers found in the products he used, was aware of the dangers posed by asbestos exposure, yet failed to warn about the health risks of the mineral. The company admitted that it was aware of the dangers posed by asbestos in the 1940s. The first health warnings issued by the company did not appear until 1970.
During the trial, experts testified that Garza, while mixing and cleaning up the dry, asbestos powder used in cement within the confines of small Navy boiler rooms, was exposed to extremely high levels of airborne asbestos. Airborne asbestos fibers can produce mesothelioma symptoms when inhaled.
After experiencing difficulty breathing in early 2004, Garza went to see his doctor, where he received a mesothelioma diagnosis. He is receiving 24-hour oxygen and drugs as a mesothelioma treatment, but doctors who testified at the trial said Garza would likely die within the next five years. The average life expectancy for patients who receive a mesothelioma diagnosis is one to five years.