Connecticut Jury Awards $15 Million Mesothelioma Verdict

May 21, 2024

A Connecticut jury recently awarded $15 million for the death of a Milford, Connecticut resident who died from mesothelioma.

Brian Kenney of Early Lucarelli Sweeney & Meisenkothen and Benjamin Braly and Sam Iola of Dean Omar Branham Shirley investigated, worked up and tried this case to verdict against the Defendant, Vanderbilt Minerals.

During their four-week trial, counsel presented evidence that the Plaintiff was exposed to asbestos-contaminated talc while working as a process engineer at General Electric’s plastics facility in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. This talc, which was mined in Upstate New York, was a common ingredient used to make phenolic molding compounds during the 1960s and early 1970s.

The jury deliberated for less than two hours before finding Vanderbilt Minerals responsible for causing the death of the Plaintiff. In addition to compensatory damages, the jury also found Vanderbilt Minerals responsible for punitive damages on account of the company’s efforts to suppress knowledge that its talc contained asbestos. The award of punitive damages will be determined at a later date.

Regarding the verdict, Kenney said, “We are so grateful to have had an attentive and smart jury. This was a complicated case that took many weeks to develop. The jury remained focused throughout and ultimately provided a fair and just result for a family, who lost a wonderful man to an asbestos-related cancer he never should have developed.”

Braly noted that “This case continues the legacy of workers who were victimized at work, where they were exposed to things they were unaware of that could kill them, that could cause cancers decades after they were exposed. I’m happy the jury was able to see through the defenses and see the case for what it was.”