Mesothelioma Lawsuit Results in $2 million for Family of Asbestos Exposure Victim

The family of a woman who passed away from mesothelioma received $2 million after a jury deliberated for three days following a three-week trial.

Juanita Rodarmel of Bloomington, Illinois passed away after developing mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure. The case stated Rodarmel was exposed to the toxic mineral when she washed the clothing of her first husband, Leslie Corry, a former employee of Union Asbestos & Rubber Company.

Secondhand exposure to asbestos frequently occurred when workers who handled asbestos-containing materials unknowingly brought asbestos fibers into the home in their hair or on their clothing and skin. If the fibers were inhaled or ingested by the family members of the workers, they could become lodged in the body, causing inflammation and infection. Overtime, this can result in the development of an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma.

Rodarmel’s first husband was employed as an asbestos worker in the Bloomington plant of UNARCO Industries, Inc. in the 1950s. The lawsuit was filed against eight companies, including Union Asbestos & Rubber Company, UNARCO Industries, Inc., Pneumo Abex, LLC, Honeywell International, Inc., Johns-Manville, Raybestos-Manhatten, Owens-Illinois, Owens Corning and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

The case stated the companies conspired, along with manufacturers, to hide information about the hazards of asbestos exposure from employees. Along with the $2 million awarded to Rodarmel’s family, $100,000 in punitive damages against Pneumo Abex and $400,000 in punitive damages against Honeywell International were also awarded.

A mesothelioma diagnosis often occurs 20 to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos. Like Rodarmel, mesothelioma patients typically take several decades to express symptoms of the cancer, allowing the illness to progress to later developmental stages before any treatment is typically administered.

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

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 at 9:47 am and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Litigation, Illinois, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.