Mesothelioma Case Results in a $2.59 Million Verdict

The wife of a former Navy firefighter who passed away from an asbestos-related cancer was awarded nearly $2.6 million after a two-month trial concluded March 12, 2009.

Port Orange, Florida resident Gail Fortier will receive $2,595,000 from Allis-Chalmers Corp. Fortier’s husband, David, died at the age of 59 as a result of mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma develops from the inhalation or ingestion of toxic asbestos fibers, however, not everyone who is exposed to asbestos will contract this aggressive cancer. The hazardous fibers can become lodged in organs, causing inflammation or infection which can lead to the development of an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma. A mesothelioma prognosis is generally poor because patients typically do not demonstrate symptoms of the cancer for 20 to 50 years after the initial exposure to asbestos occurred.

David worked on the USS Forrestal aircraft carrier as a fireman for the majority of his service in the United States Navy, which lasted from 1969 to 1972. The USS Forrestal was constructed at Newport News Shipbuilding, a shipyard known to have used asbestos-contaminated materials in the creation of ships and vessels in Virginia. According to Gail’s attorney, David worked on pumps and other equipment heavily insulated with asbestos while serving on the ship. The products were manufactured by Allis-Chalmers.

Allis-Chalmers was formerly one of the largest and most diverse American manufacturing companies. Currently based in Houston, Texas the company is now known as Allis-Chalmers Energy and describes itself as a multi-faceted oilfield services company.

Asbestos-contaminated materials were commonly used in the construction of aircraft carriers crafted prior to 1970. The mineral’s innate resistance to heat and fire made it ideal for use in insulation or products located in engine rooms. Asbestos fibers can still be found in some naval ships, as the mineral may be imbedded in gaskets, boilers, brakes and older construction materials.

Fortier was diagnosed with mesothelioma in October 2006 and filed a lawsuit in December that same year. He passed away June 20, 2008.

The six-person jury deliberated for less than a day and a half after the two-month trial concluded. The trial took place before Judge David Tobin in Connecticut and is the first asbestos-related case to go to verdict in Connecticut in 20 years. The Fortiers were former residents of Connecticut.

Additional information about mesothelioma can be found through the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 16th, 2009 at 1:42 pm and is filed under Asbestos Litigation, Connecticut, Florida, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.