Mesothelioma Case Results in $700,000 for Family of Mechanic's Assistant

A South Carolina jury awarded $700,000 to the family of a man who passed away from mesothelioma, a rare asbestos-related cancer, following the asbestos exposure he experienced on the job in the 1950s.

Thomas Firth was diagnosed with mesothelioma in November 2006 and passed away from the cancer on July 13, 2007. Firth and his family filed a lawsuit against Garlock Sealing Technologies, a global leader in high-performance fluid sealing products for the world’s processing industries, alleging the company was responsible for his exposure to asbestos that occurred when he worked as a mechanic’s assistant in Sparrows Point, Maryland at a Bethlehem Steel Corporation plant.

Firth worked with Garlock gaskets and packing on many pumps and valves found on a variety of coke ovens, used to heat and control coal. The jury determined Garlock failed to warn Firth, and others who used their products, of the inherent dangers associated with handling their asbestos-containing products.

“We are so happy for the Firth family. While Garlock has admitted outside of the court room that their products can cause cancer, they refuse to do so in the court room,” said the lead attorney for the Firth family. “It was satisfying to hear the jury unanimously find that Garlock’s asbestos products were dangerous and that Garlock is responsible for this terrible loss to the Firth family.”

Firth’s only known exposure to asbestos occurred at the plant in Maryland in the 1950s. Though Firth worked at the plant for less than a year, the asbestos exposure he experienced on the job lead to his mesothelioma diagnosis.

Mesothelioma develops when asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested into the body. The fibers then become lodged in organs or cavities, causing inflammation and infection. Patients with mesothelioma typically do not demonstrate symptoms of mesothelioma for 20 to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos occurred.

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

This entry was posted on Friday, July 31st, 2009 at 9:05 am and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Litigation, Jobsite Exposure, Maryland, Mesothelioma, South Carolina. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.