Mesothelioma Patient, Former Drywaller Receives $8.4 Million in Asbestos Lawsuit

A mesothelioma patient was awarded $8 million in non-economic damages and more than $400,000 in economic damages following an asbestos lawsuit filed against a manufacturer and distributor of asbestos-containing joint compound.

Jack Reynolds was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in 2008 after serving in the United States Navy for 10 years before working for a fellow Navy serviceman’s business installing and finishing drywall in residential construction.

Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure. Reynolds used asbestos-containing joint compound, a product manufactured and supplied by Hamilton Materials, Inc. The company was the supplier of Red Dot brand asbestos-containing joint compound from 1963 through 1977.

The joint compound was used to fill joints between sheets of drywall that were then sanded after application, causing asbestos dust to fill the air where fibers could be inhaled or ingested. Once asbestos fibers enter the body they can become lodged in organs, causing inflammation or infection and, overtime, the development of an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma.

A San Francisco jury assigned 20 percent liability for Reynolds’ mesothelioma diagnosis to Hamilton Materials, Inc.

“We are very happy for Mr. Reynolds and his family as they are deserving, good people,” said Reynolds’ attorney.

Reynolds served in the Navy, primarily aboard two naval vessels, a destroyer (USS Mason) and an aircraft cruiser (USS Ranger), from 1954 to 1964. Aboard the vessels Reynolds’ worked as a painter and also served in the laundry service department. Following an honorable discharge, Reynolds worked as a drywaller until 1973, marking the last time he was exposed to asbestos in an occupational setting.

After his mesothelioma diagnosis, Reynolds underwent treatment including chemotherapy, pleural effusion drainings and talc pleurodesis, a procedure intended to prevent further fluid accumulation in the chest.

Additional information about mesothelioma and mesothelioma treatment options may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 at 9:26 am and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Litigation, California, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.