An 86-year-old man recently won his lawsuit against defendant Burnham LLC, a manufacturer of boilers. The man is a victim of mesothelioma, which he claimed was a result of his exposure to asbestos found in Burnham’s boilers. According to the suit, Gondar was regularly and continuously exposed to asbestos-containing dust during his working years, when he engaged in home renovation projects (many of which involved boiler removal). Gondar, who was represented by the attorneys of Belluck & Fox, LLP, alleged that Burnham failed to exercise reasonable care, as it did not warn Gondar (nor others) of the hazards of asbestos associated with in products. The jury agreed, and issued a verdict against the company for $22 million.
The jury’s $22 million decision included $12 million in damages for Gondar’s past pain and suffering, and $10 million for his future pain and suffering. While the jury only found that Burnham LLC was 25 percent at fault for Gondar’s mesothelioma – with the remaining 75 percent of fault being distributed amongst other boiler manufacturing companies – they were responsible for all of the damages because the company acted with “reckless disregard” for the safety of others.
What is Mesothelioma?
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare, asbestos-related cancer that forms on the thin protective tissues that cover the lungs and abdomen. A combined approach to treatment is helping people improve their survival and ease symptoms.
Did you know that doctors diagnose an estimated 3,000 cases of mesothelioma annually in the U.S.? The majority of those are traced to job-related exposures to asbestos. Most people have the pleural type, which forms on the lining of the lungs, but the cancer can also form around the lining of the abdomen or heart.
Although asbestos use in this country has dropped in recent decades, a steady number of people are still getting mesothelioma. That’s because this cancer can take anywhere from 20 to 50 years after asbestos exposure before symptoms appear, and an oncologist can make a definitive diagnosis.
While there’s no cure for mesothelioma and the outlook is generally poor, researchers have made significant progress in understanding the cancer and developing new treatment options and alternative therapies.
Contact the attorneys at Gill & Chamas today to see how we can help.
