Family of Navy Veteran Gets 'Substantial Settlement' in Asbestos Exposure Case

Military veterans and their families are barred from collecting damages from the U.S. government by the Feres Doctrine, even in the case of blatant neglect regarding asbestos exposure. But they have another option: collecting from companies that supplied the toxic asbestos products to the military. The family of one Navy veteran recently received a "substantial settlement" from 26 defendants that were listed in his complaint filed with the Supreme Court of the state of New York by the Weitz & Luxenberg law firm. Although terms of the settlement are confidential, the original complaint filed in court asked for $10 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages. The veteran died earlier this year from mesothelioma, the cancer caused by an exposure to asbestos. He was first diagnosed in 2010 when he was in his 80s. He traced his exposure as far back as 1950 when he first served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS California. He later worked as an electrician in Rochester, New York. All but one of the manufacturers settled before the plaintiff's case reached the courtroom. The final defendant settled after hearing the plaintiff's evidence in court. Among the 26 defendants were well known corporations like Goodyear Tire and Rubber, Ingersoll-Rand, Georgia Pacific, CBS, Trane, and U.S. Rubber (Uniroyal). The defendants made the asbestos products, including the valves, pumps, turbines, floor tile and joint compounds that all contributed to the mesothelioma. Some...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Veterans & Military Source Type: news