A jury in South Carolina has awarded $32 million in a mesothelioma case, deciding that a 62-year-old woman’s malignant mesothelioma was caused by toxic asbestos fibers carried home by her husband from his job.
Mesothelioma took Kathy’s life in 2020, but her story was recently told in a South Carolina courtroom over a four-day period. It was ultimately determined that Kathy’s diagnosis was due to secondhand exposure from particles on her husband’s clothing. Her husband worked at a company called Metal Masters, owned by Kraft Heinz, where he was regularly exposed to asbestos.
Her husband’s exposure occurred in the 1980s, at a time when the dangers of asbestos were well known. Kathy’s family argued that her husband’s company had an obligation to notify workers of those dangers, but failed to do so.
The jury awarded a total of $32 million in damages to Kathy’s husband, including $11 million in survival damages, $10 million in wrongful death damages, $1 million for loss of consortium, and $10 million for punitive damages.
Mesothelioma, a cancer of the membranes lining the chest or abdomen, is a serious diagnosis which is most often linked to workplace exposure to asbestos. Five-year survival rates are very low for the disease compared to many other cancers, because diagnoses are often made at a late stage.
A mesothelioma diagnosis is a tragic one, particularly because many companies continued to use asbestos in the workplace long after the dangers of the material were well documented, choosing profit over the health of their employees.
When a person is diagnosed with mesothelioma, it can leave them worried, scared, and angry for being put in such close proximity to a known toxic material.
A person’s health is priceless, and no amount of money can take away a mesothelioma diagnosis. Receiving compensation can, however, help cover expensive medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and loss of companionship (consortium).
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos in the workplace, you are advised to contact a South Carolina personal injury attorney who has experience in this area of the law.
The personal injury lawyers at McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates are highly experienced in mesothelioma cases and know how to build strong cases that maximize the chances of clients receiving the compensation they’re rightfully owed.
McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates has offices across the Midlands of South Carolina, in Aiken, Camden, Columbia, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, and Sumter.
Give McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates a call today at 803-653-6189 for a free, no obligation case evaluation. It won’t cost you anything to see if we can help.®
