Former Shipyard Worker Wins 4.39 Million Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer Verdict in Virginia | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

According to published reports in the Daily Press, of Newport News, Virginia a Newport News jury returned a $4.39 million mesothelioma asbestos cancer/disease verdict in early September, 2008 in favor of John Koonce, 59, a former Norfolk shipbuilding and dry dock Corp. worker. The verdict in the mesothelioma case was returned after a 2 1/2 week jury trial.  Our firm has a strong interest in asbestos/mesothelioma disease affecting railroad workers and other workers in the Virginia/Carolina area and beyond.

 

Koonce originally contracted the asbestos related cancer/disease in April, 2006 his personal injury lawyers and doctors believed that the asbestos exposure he experience came from working in boiler rooms on liberty ships between 1968 and 1971.

 

John Crane Inc. is responsible for the entire 4.3 million Dollar verdict but has asked the judge who heard the trial to set aside the jury verdict because it did not apportion or attribute any part of the verdict to another defendant in the case, Garlock Sealing Technologies, however, Koonce’s personal injury lawyers have argued there was no jury mistake. Virginia and many states instruct members of the jury that if they have no way of determining how to divide damages between multiple defendants, that they may find each of the defendants equally responsible. Virginia follows what is called joint and several liability, although some other states have now changed the common law and allow a jury to apportion damages between defendants.

 

The suit claimed that John Crane Inc. knew and should’ve known that breathing asbestos fibers was very dangerous and that it was negligent in failing to test its products and warn workers in a timely way.

 

In order to prove negligence in an asbestos/cancer/mesothelioma case, it is crucial to have attorneys/lawyers that have both knowledge of the field and real trial experience. The Law Firm of Shapiro & Appleton& Duffan routinely confer with some of the foremost medical experts in the country on behalf of their clients, and have a long and distinguished history of taking cases to trial with successful results. If you or a loved one has been the victim of an asbestos injury or death, please contact our offices for a free consultation today.