According to his estate’s attorneys, the factory had Mitchell “spending several hours every week cutting rope packing with a band saw, which threw asbestos particles in the air.”
According to his estate’s attorneys, the factory had Mitchell “spending several hours every week cutting rope packing with a band saw, which threw asbestos particles in the air.”
A Lorain County judge and jury awarded $12.1 million in damages to the estate of a deceased 83-year-old man in Ohio after a four-decade-long asbestos exposure had led to him contracting and eventually dying from mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer.
Korean War veteran Robert Mitchell contracted the lung disease at the Pfaudler Co. plant in Elyria, where he worked in the stockroom, preparing specialized glass-coated steel bowls used in pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing.
According to his estate’s attorneys, the factory had Mitchell “spending several hours every week cutting rope packing with a band saw, which threw asbestos particles in the air.” Asbestos is a fibrous mineral used in many products, such as cement, sealants, and tiles. Long-term inhalation of asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer.
Law firm Simon Greenstone Panatier claimed in a statement following the verdict that Crane Packing Co. (now John Crane, Inc.), the material manufacturer, never warned Mitchell and his colleagues about the occupational risks in their workplace. The firm also claimed that the company even advertised the product as “completely non-toxic.”
Despite the packing material’s high concentration of blue crocidolite asbestos, Pfaudler was never warned of the potential dangers or advised on proper handling by Crane Packing Co. (now John Crane Inc.), the material’s manufacturer,” the firm said.
According to evidence presented to the court, Pfaudler eventually learned about the dangers of asbestos, but it took John Crane, Inc. a full three years to issue a public warning. “That was too late for Mr. Mitchell, who had many years of life stolen from him due to irresponsible decisions made by the manufacturer,” Atty. Holly Peterson, representing Mitchell’s estate in the trial, said in a statement.
Mitchell died from the effects of mesothelioma in 2016 with no children and just one surviving relative.
The Lorain County jury awarded Mitchell’s estate $6.1 million following the trial – $5 million for wrongful death and $1.1 million for both economic and non-economic damages. Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Rothgery threw in another $6 million to top the award.
Peterson celebrated the verdict, saying that it shows that the “people will not tolerate a pattern and practice of treating human life as disposable and not worth protecting.”
