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August 9th, 2006
A 60-year-old man suffering from mesothelioma, which is an asbestos related cancer, has been awarded over $10 million by a San Francisco Superior Court jury. George Barnes was awarded $10.3 million by the jury in his claim for compensation for asbestos related health problems.
However, there was only one defendant named at the trial, which was the Thorpe Insulation Company, and only fifteen percent of the liability was attributed to this defendant. It is therefore thought that Barnes will end up getting around $2.3 million once the judge has made a final ruling.
A lawyer for Barnes said that he doubted that Thorpe would have the financial means to settle the claim, and therefore it might be a case of fighting for compensation from the firm’s insurers. He stated: "Unfortunately, I expect they'll continue to deny coverage and we'll have to litigate with the insurance companies."
Liability for the asbestos related disease was attributed by the jury as follows: fifteen percent was attributed to Thorpe, five percent attributed to the plaintiff himself, fifty five percent to his former employer, the U.S. Navy, and twenty five percent to other manufacturers and distributors.
