Blog

Mesothelioma Case in NJ Appeals Court

Mesothelioma lawyers in New Jersey are resting after the conclusion of a long asbestos lawsuit which has finally resulted in a $7 million award to a woman who was exposed to asbestos while washing her husbands clothes. The decision comes against Exxon Mobile Corporation.

The award is the latest in a string of secondary-exposure lawsuits in which asbestos manufacturers and companies who used the deadly substance are being held accountable for people who develop mesothelioma as a result, even if they did not work directly with the substance.

Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease that attacks the lining of the bodys organs. It has been linked to asbestos exposure, and has a relatively long latency period of 15 years or more. At the present time there is no known cure.

61 year old Bonnie Anderson worked at an Exxon refinery from 1974 to 1986 as an electrician, but admitted that she probably was not exposed to asbestos in her position. Her husband John, however, worked at the same plant as a pipefitter, where he constantly came in contact with asbestos insulation which was used to cover pipes at the facility. Bonnie Anderson washed his work clothes at their home.

In her original lawsuit, Anderson was awarded $500,000 by a jury for compensation. After she challenged the award the judge allowed a new damages portion of the trial to take place, at which she was awarded $7 million by a jury. Her husband was also awarded $500,000.

Exxon appealed the award, arguing that the trial judge erred in allowing the new damages trial to take place. The three judges on the appellate panel, however, disagreed and upheld the verdict.