$3,271,704 Mesothelioma Settlement for a Steel Worker Exposed to Asbestos

In the spring of 2018, the spouse of a former steel worker contacted The Lyon Firm following her husband's recent diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure.

Joseph Lyon and members of The Lyon Firm responded within days, meeting with the family at their retirement home outside Tampa, Florida. Because the disease progressed quickly, the firm made multiple visits over the following weeks to complete the client interview and preserve evidence. The worker passed away only months after his diagnosis, leaving his surviving spouse.

After investigating the worker's employment history, The Lyon Firm identified the responsible defendants from historical records and prior asbestos litigation and filed a lawsuit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The complaint named seventy-five defendants, including the steel company and the manufacturers, distributors, marketers, and installers of the raw asbestos and asbestos-containing products present in his work and home environments. Over the course of approximately four years, the case was litigated and resolved in settlements with all named defendants.

The lawsuit alleged that the worker was exposed to asbestos over decades of employment in steel mills in Ohio and Pennsylvania, from the 1960s through 1975. According to the complaint, he encountered asbestos at industrial jobsites through products such as steam pipe coverings, block insulation, refractory brick and cement, gaskets and packing materials, and brakes and clutches, and through take-home exposure on his work clothing and during personal automotive and home remodeling projects.

The complaint further alleged that the defendants knew, or should have known, of the dangers of asbestos and failed to take adequate steps to protect workers, including failing to provide safer product alternatives, failing to instruct on the use of protective equipment, failing to warn families of take-home exposure, and continuing to use asbestos after its hazards were widely understood. The case addressed the comparative liability of several groups of defendants, including product manufacturers, contractors, and site owners and employers, across many years and varying work environments.

The litigation resulted in settlements with each named defendant for a collective amount over $3,271,704, paid to the surviving spouse over the course of five years. The compensation accounted for:

1. Medical expenses and care;
2. Pain and suffering before death;
3. Loss of companionship and support;
4. Funeral and burial costs;
5. Other financial and emotional losses.

The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or an indication that any defendant violated any law. It represents a resolution of disputed claims. Settlement results depend on the facts and circumstances of each case, and past results are not a guarantee or prediction of the result of any other case.