Real-Time Court Decisions and Other Developments in Asbestos Litigation.
Court: United States District Court, Middle District of Florida On Thursday April 18, a Florida jury found the talcum powder in Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder product did not cause the ovarian cancer of deceased Sarasota County resident Patricia Matthey. The plaintiffs alleged in their complaint that J&J suppressed scientific evidence linking talc products to …
Court: Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois On April 19, a Chicago jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $45 million to the family of a Cook County woman named Theresa Garcia who died from mesothelioma, allegedly caused by exposure to asbestos in various talc powder products. Plaintiffs claimed that Theresa Garcia inhaled asbestos fibers …
Court: Court of Appeals of Texas, Fourteenth District, Houston Carolyn and Frank Burford were married from November 1962 until Carolyn’s death in 2015. While married, Frank Buford worked for Alcoa at its aluminum smelter in Rockdale, Texas. As a potlining helper, Mr. Burford regularly worked with and around asbestos-containing materials. Mrs. Burford (Carolyn, or decedent) washed …
Court: Superior Court of Pennsylvania In this asbestos action, appellant American International Industries (AII) appealed from a judgment entered in December 2022 awarding damages to appellee, Holly Fisher, executrix of the Estate of Sandra Reichart (decedent), following a jury trial. Decedent owned a beauty salon from 1960 through 1985. During that time, decedent allegedly used …
Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco Plaintiff Lisa Castillo filed an action in the San Francisco, California Superior Court alleging that her husband, Abraham Castillo, died of mesothelioma as a result of his exposure to asbestos during his service in the United States Navy in the 1980s and later employment as a refrigeration …
The shipping industry is an extensive and foundational mode of global transportation and resource distribution. The men and women who work aboard the U.S. fleet are routinely exposed to varying types of cargo, machinery, and unfortunately, a vast array of harmful materials such as asbestos. According to the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, asbestos can still be …
Court: Supreme Court of New York, New York County In this action, plaintiff June Savianeso alleges that decedent Michael Savianeso was exposed to asbestos from the products of various defendants. Decedent passed away without giving deposition testimony. Subsequently, decedent’s brother, James, provided seven days of testimony. As pertinent to this motion, James testified that he …
Supreme Court of New York, New York County In this asbestos action, defendant Burnham, LLC moved for partial summary judgment to dismiss the plaintiff’s punitive damages claim on the basis that any alleged asbestos exposure from Burnham boilers would fall below TLV or PEL/OSHA limits, and that Burnham did not have workers’ compensation claims for …
Jurisdiction: United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida Decedent John McCabe died from malignant epithelioid mesothelioma in January 2023, following a career as an aircraft mechanic. His estate initiated this action, alleging strict products liability and negligence against dozens of defendants, including Curtiss-Wright. Curtis-Wright moved for summary judgment, arguing that plaintiff failed to submit …
Jurisdiction: United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina Marshall E. Pike worked in the farm-equipment manufacturing and maintenance field for the duration of his 55-year career. This included performing maintenance on fertilizer spreader and sprayer pumps at multiple companies. In September 2021, Pike was diagnosed with mesothelioma and commenced this action. His estate continued …