In a significant legal decision, a Connecticut jury has awarded $20 million to the widow of a man who passed away from mesothelioma in 2020. The verdict holds DAP Inc. and Vanderbilt Minerals LLC accountable for producing and supplying a window glaze that exposed the man to asbestos starting in the 1960s.
The jury’s decision, reached on Thursday, grants Kathleen M. Peckham $15 million as the executrix of her husband John Peckham’s estate, along with an additional $5 million for loss of consortium. Moreover, the jury determined that punitive damages should be awarded.
According to the lawsuit’s latest amended complaint, John Peckham encountered the DAP ’33’ glazing compound, manufactured by DAP and distributed by a predecessor of Vanderbilt, while working for the Webster Spring Co. in East Woodstock in 1961. He continued to be exposed to the compound while working for Moore-Kirk Pharmaceutical at the same facility in 1963 and 1964. Additionally, he used the same compound during repairs to his residence throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
The lawsuit, filed in July 2019 after John Peckham’s mesothelioma diagnosis, progressed after his passing in November 2020. Kathleen Peckham, his widow, then became the plaintiff as the executrix of his estate.
The complaint alleges that the companies liable were aware of asbestos dangers dating back to the 1920s and 1930s but failed to disclose this knowledge while continuing to use asbestos in their products.
During the trial, the jury found Vanderbilt to be a successor-in-interest to International Talc Co., which sold the products that exposed John Peckham to asbestos. The jury also determined that the products were defective and dangerous when sold and that the companies did not adequately warn users about the associated dangers. The fault was apportioned equally between the defendant companies.
Patrick Wigle of Waters Kraus & Paul, representing the Peckhams, expressed gratitude for the jury’s dedication during the seven-week trial, emphasizing the preventable tragedies resulting from manufacturers prioritizing profits over safety. Wigle noted that the verdict, one of the largest against DAP and Vanderbilt, sets a record for asbestos cases in Connecticut.
“The jury really heard her voice and felt like she deserved justice,” Wigle said.
