The South Carolina Supreme Court [in August 2021] upheld a $16 million jury award to the family of a maintenance worker at a polyester fiber plant who died following years of asbestos exposure. Hystron Fibers Inc., owned by defendant CNA Holdings, hired Daniel Construction Co. in 1965 to build a plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. When the … [Read more...]
Talc-Based Beauty Products Found to be Contaminated with Asbestos
Talc-based beauty products have been found to be contaminated with asbestos according to some recent news headlines. How can this be? For years, cosmetics and personal care products have included a mineral ingredient called talc in their manufacturing process. Talc's original intention was to improve the texture and feel of products, absorb … [Read more...]
Dying Patients Denied Justice Amid COVID-Related Court Delays
Terminally ill plaintiffs, who were supposed to be guaranteed expedited trials in light of their deteriorating medical conditions, are still waiting for their day in court, according to an NBC Bay Area investigation. [ Terminally ill plaintiffs ] who are dying are supposed to be granted preferential treatment when it comes to scheduling their … [Read more...]
Private Settlement Reached in Mesothelioma Case
A private settlement was reached in a mass litigation asbestos case [on July 28, 2020] in Ohio County [(West Virginia)] Circuit Court, meaning a trial set to take place at The Highlands Event Center next week won’t be necessary. Both Ohio County Clerk of Courts Brenda Miller and court employees for Judge Ronald Wilson said details of the … [Read more...]
Statute of Repose Bars Asbestos-related Claim by Former Power Plant Worker
The estate of a career pipefitter who died from mesothelioma recently lost an appeal on claims that asbestos exposure caused his cancer and the exposure, in the course of his employment, violated the state’s safe place statute. [ This was an appeal of the trial court’s ruling that plaintiff’s complaint was barred by the Wisconsin construction … [Read more...]
Recall: FDA Sees Trace Asbestos in J&J Baby Powder
A shipment of baby powder has been recalled by Johnson & Johnson after U.S. authorities found asbestos in it. The recall comes after months of denial from the company about the presence of the cancer-causing substance in its talc-based products, The New York Times reported [October 19, 2019]. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration … [Read more...]
Johnson & Johnson must pay dying woman $29 million over talc-linked cancer
Johnson & Johnson must pay about $29 million to a dying California woman who blamed asbestos-tainted talc for causing her cancer, the company’s latest loss in nationwide litigation over its iconic baby powder. Jurors in state court in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday held J&J responsible for Teresa Leavitt’s mesothelioma, a cancer linked to … [Read more...]
Mass. High Court Rules Statute of Repose Applies to Asbestos-Related Claims
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that a statute of repose barring many construction-related personal injury claims after a time limit of six years also applies to claims involving diseases with extended latency periods, such as asbestos-related illnesses. The ruling follows the death of Wayne Oliver in 2016 due to mesothelioma … [Read more...]
Appeals court affirms $14 million asbestos wrongful death award
An appeals court in South Carolina on Wednesday affirmed the denial of a motion for retrial in a $14 million wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a contractor who performed maintenance at a polyester plant and suffered from mesothelioma stemming from asbestos exposure. From 1971 to 1980, Dennis Seay was assigned via his employer Daniel … [Read more...]
Talc-asbestos lawsuits to stay in Pa. courts because of corporate registration law
According to the ruling of a federal judge, Pennsylvania courts now have jurisdiction over [ talc-asbestos lawsuits ] because the defendant followed state law in registering to do business in the state. On Wednesday, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Judge Michael M. Baylson declared that Imerys Talc America, defendant … [Read more...]