Legal News

Asbestos award in doubt

By Richard Binder

The largest mesothelioma lawsuit award in California history is likely to be reversed.

Evans v. AW Chesterton Co et al. was decided last month in favor of the plaintiff to the tune of a jury award of $200 million in punitive damages and $8 million in compensatory damages. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Conrad Richard Aragon has postponed entering the judgment, which critics and observes say is a sure sign the jury verdict will be reversed.

The case was filed by Rhonda Evans, who claimed to have contracted mesothelioma from breathing asbestos fibers and dust while cleaning her husband's clothes.  Bobby Evans was in charge of cutting cement pipes at the public works department.  Those pipes contained crocidolite, a dangerous asbestos fiber. The pipe was made by building materials manufacturer CertainTeed Corp.

Los Angeles county courts were recently rated the second-worst in the country for legal fairness, according to a Harris poll.

Full story here.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on May 10, 2010 (boomark / email).