In a recent ruling, a Washington appeals court upheld a nearly $17 million jury verdict against a paper mill supplier accused of causing a worker’s mesothelioma with its asbestos-laden product. The court rejected the supplier’s claims that the case was based on “pure speculation.”
Details of the Asbestos Exposure Case
The verdict was awarded to Sherrie D. Holdsworth, who continued the lawsuit filed jointly with her late husband, Kevan A. Holdsworth, after his passing. Kevan, a former mill worker, contracted mesothelioma from products produced by Scapa Waycross Inc., according to the court’s findings.
Scapa Waycross argued that the trial judge should have ruled in its favor, as Sherrie Holdsworth allegedly relied on speculation rather than proving her husband’s exposure to asbestos. However, the appeals court disagreed, stating that there was sufficient evidence for the jury’s decision.
Evidence of Asbestos Exposure
Kevan Holdsworth had been exposed to asbestos during his decades-long career at a paper mill in Camas, Washington. He worked with dryer felts manufactured by Scapa Waycross, which contained asbestos. Despite Scapa’s arguments, the court found that the evidence supported the conclusion that the felts caused Holdsworth’s illness.
The court’s decision upheld the jury’s award and denied Scapa Waycross’s requests for a new trial or judgment as a matter of law. The ruling highlights the importance of considering the proximity, duration, and nature of asbestos exposure in such cases.
