RAMSEY COUNTY, Minnesota – A Minnesota jury awarded a judgment of $4.6 million to a man who worked for Northern States Power Company for over thirty years.

The family of Dennis Newinski brought suit against John Crane, Inc., which manufactured products used by Newinski after Newinski was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in 2007. Newinski’s attorney said that the dangers of asbestos in the workplace have been known for many years, but Crane continued to manufacture and sell products containing asbestos without warning those who were exposed.

Newinski worked for Northern States Power Company (now a subsidiary of Xcel Energy) from 1968 to 2000. In the course of his work, he was exposed to asbestos gaskets and packing materials manufactured by Crane. In 2007, he was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, an incurable and aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

Newinski’s suit alleged that he had been exposed to asbestos without being warned that the asbestos containing products were harmful to his health and could cause a deadly cancer. The jury found that John Crane, Inc. had been negligent and awarded more than $4.6 million in damages to Newinski and his wife as compensation for the illness and resulting damages.

Newinski’s attorney expressed the family’s gratitude for a just verdict which “fairly reflects John Crane’s share of fault” for Newinski’s exposure to products containing asbestos in the course of a thirty five year career as a machinist. He said that they also hope that the jury’s verdict will facilitate the settlement of other pending claims against the company by cancer and mesothelioma victims.

The jury deliberated for several hours after a ten day trial before handing down its decision.
Machinists and other power plant workers are one of the occupational groups most likely to be affected by mesothelioma because of the likelihood that they will or have been exposed to asbestos. In addition to the gaskets and packing materials named in Newinksi’s suit, other machine parts and linings may contain asbestos. Workers in power plants may have been exposed to asbestos when changing linings, replacing insulation and gaskets, and replacing packing around bearings and other moving parts.

Those who were exposed to asbestos are at a far higher risk of developing lung cancer and many other cancers than the general population. In addition, they face the risk of developing mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects the thin lining of tissue around the lung sac, the heart and the abdominal cavity. Mesothelioma may not develop for up to forty years after the initial exposure, but once it is diagnosed, it often moves fast and can kill within months of diagnosis.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 9:38 am and is filed under Asbestos Litigation, Minnesota. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.