Jury Awards $318,000 in Four Asbestos Cases

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — March 12, 2001 — A San Francisco jury awarded $318,000 to three retired workers and one active worker suffering from asbestosis and asbestos–related pleural disease due to their occupational asbestos exposure to asbestos. The defendant was ACandS, Inc., formerly known as Armstrong Contracting and Supply. ACandS was a nationwide supplier and installer of asbestos–containing products.

The San Francisco court has a policy of consolidating similar asbestos–related lawsuits for trial in order to reduce court congestion. San Francisco Superior Court Judge James McBride presided over the trial of these four cases, which were heard by a jury. During the trial, the parties presented medical and asbestos exposure evidence and corporate documents about ACandS’s direct knowledge of asbestos hazards. The defendants disputed the diagnosis of asbestos–related disease.

Each of the plaintiffs had long work histories of asbestos exposure covering many decades. Archie Daubin is a career insulator working at various Bay Area refineries and shipyards since 1966. Neville Hawkins was also a career insulator working both Bay Area and Southern California job sites beginning in 1974. Larry Evans was a boilermaker at various industrial Southern California job sites from 1966–1986. Jerry Daugherty was a Southern California insulator who worked at various refineries, shipyards and industrial sites from 1964–1993.

The jury found that ACandS was negligent in its installation, supply and sales of asbestos–containing products and that the plaintiffs were all injured as a result of their asbestos exposure. The awards did not include compensation for the risk of developing an asbestos cancer, but each of the plaintiffs retains the right to pursue an additional action against ACandS should they develop such a malignancy.

Plaintiffs were represented at trial by Brayton Purcell LLP‘s asbestos attorneys.

ACandS was represented by Gary H. Anderson of the Law Offices of Gary H. Anderson in association with the St. Peter Law Group, San Francisco, California and by Thomas P. Hanna of Kelley, Jasons, McGuire & Spinelli, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.