Mesothelioma lawsuits comprise the single largest civil tort in this nations history.

Below is a discussion of a few of the largest Mesothelioma cases and settlements. Second Largest Settlement of 2010April 2010 The spouse of a Los Angeles County Department of Water and Power employee filed an asbestos-related claim after contracting mesothelioma. The company that provided the countys pipes failed to disclose that its product contained asbestos material, so the DWP employee was unwittingly in regular contact with asbestos. The employees wife inhaled the asbestos fibers from her husbands clothing as she did his laundry, leading to her development of mesothelioma. She was awarded $8.8 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages. The pipe producer was held responsible for the entire punitive award, and the compensatory award was split 70/30 between the pipe maker and the Los Angeles DWP. At a sum of $208.8 million, this settlement comprised the second largest award in 2010.

Example of Asbestos Pipe

The World Trade Center LawsuitMarch 2010 A 2003 lawsuit filed by rescue and recover workers was settled on 12th March 2010 for $657.5 million. The settlement will be divided over 100,000 plaintiffs, individuals who suffered from exposure to toxic substances in the aftermath of 9/11. Some plaintiffs will only receive a few thousand dollars while others will receive over a million, as the amount largely depends upon the nature and extent of incurred injuries. The settlement provides $23.4 million to be shared with any plaintiffs who have not yet

experienced symptoms of asbestos or other toxic-related illnesses but who may need insurance money in the future. In order for the settlement to take effect, 95 percent of all plaintiffs must agree to its terms, but if only 95 percent, rather than 100 percent, accepts the terms, then the settlement will be reduced to $575 million. The Case Against John Crane, Inc. February 2010 A son filed a claim against John Crane, Inc. for his fathers asbestos-related death. His father was a Baltimore shipyard worker who died after contracting pleural mesothelioma. The court ruled that John Crane Inc., the fathers employer, was responsible for the negligence and awarded the son $5,086,321. The corporation appealed the verdict, arguing that the disease did not develop as a result of exposure to the companys products, but the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland disagreed and upheld the original verdict. The Zadroga ActDecember 2010 On 22nd December 2010, Congress passed the Zadroga Act, which appropriated $4.3 million to victims of post 9/11. Also known as the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, this bill established a World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, which was designed to help those affected by the fallout of 9/11. The program allows for monitoring and treatment services until 2015, including treatment for individuals who have contracted Mesothelioma as a result of the 9/11 debris. The WTC Health Program consists of two divisions. The Responder Program applies to the rescue and recovery workers, which include over 15,000 New York City firefighters, and the Survival Program includes individuals who lived, worked, or went to school in the lower Manhattan area on 9/11. The director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) administers the WTC Health Program, and both the federal government and the city of New York provide the funding. In addition to creating the WTC Health Program, the Zadroga Act reestablishes the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, which allows claimants who were physically harmed or the families of those killed in 9/11 to file for economic reparations. $10.2 Million SettlementDecember 2009 A paper-mill worker contracted mesothelioma after working at factories that manufactured paper from asbestos-related products. He worked in two factories in Washington from 1964-2001, claiming that both had poor working conditions. The jury deemed his claim legitimate and awarded him $10.2 million as compensation for pain and suffering, medical costs, and lost wages, among other expenses.

$500 Million Trust for Mesothelioma VictimsJuly 2009 In 2004, the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled against creating a fund for mesothelioma patients, overturning a decision originally made by a New York bankruptcy judge, but the U.S. Supreme Court decided to reinstate the original decision. Despite appeals from many claimants and their attorneys, the Supreme Court allowed the creation of a $500 million trust to be paid out to individuals who contracted mesothelioma at the fault of the Manville Corporation. Combined AwardDecember 2007 A New York jury awarded two men, one a pipe fitter and the other an electrician, a combined award of $9 million for asbestos-related compensatory and punitive damages. Though different companies employed the two workers, they practiced the same negligence, which led the men to the eventual contraction of mesothelioma. U.K. SettlementSeptember 2006 A London carpenter claimed that his work on the three-tower blocks in Stratford exposed him to asbestos, which contributed to his development of mesothelioma. His employer admitted liability, and the man received the US equivalent of $506,998.71, the largest settlement in U.K. history.