Potter?s Widow Awarded $3M in Asbestos Case

Potter?s Widow Awarded $3M in Asbestos Case

Potter?s Widow Awarded $3M in Asbestos Case

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

A woman who claims her potter husband died from mesothelioma after inhaling an asbestos-containing material he frequently used for glazes, was awarded $3 million in damages.

This lawsuit is the first in the U.S. that deals with asbestos—a cancer-causing substance—in industrial talc. Over the last 30 years or so, asbestos-containing product manufacturers have paid billions of dollars in compensation to people who developed cancer and other life-threatening health problems.

According to the lawsuit, Peter Stanley Hirsch worked as a potter for many years before he was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in 2002. Less than two years later, Hirsch died from the extremely aggressive form of lung cancer.

“He had his life taken away prematurely,” said his wife of 22 years Bonnie L. Parker. “This verdict is where he is vindicated, where he does beat it.”

The defendants in the lawsuit, R.T. Vanderbilt Inc., which mines industrial talc often used in products like rubber, ceramics, and plastics, and Hammill & Gillespie Inc., the product distributor, must pay Parker $3 million for the pain and suffering she endured as a result of her husband’s death.

The plaintiff lawyers hope that this lawsuit will prompt the companies to take action to protect workers and consumers from the dangers of asbestos-containing talc.

“Not only must their own workers be protected from lung disease, end users and others who come into contact with the product must be warned properly of the carcinogenic fibers lurking in this dusty powder used in so many manufacturing applications,” said attorney Moshe Maimon.

Injured by asbestos? Please contact us today to learn how you can recover your damages through a product liability lawsuit.
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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 am.
Potter?s Widow Awarded $3M in Asbestos Case