Below are summaries of our trials from 2015.
David Helm, et. al. v. Pneumo Abex LLC, Hennessy Industries, Inc., et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Alameda
Judge: Hon. Brad Seligman
Trial Type: Wrongful Death- Mesothelioma- Negligence and Products Liability
Case Resolved After Jury Selection In Excess of $1,300,000
December 2015
Richard Whittenburg, et ux. v. Kaiser Gypsum Company, et al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Solano County
Judge: Hon. Paul L. Beeman
Trial Type: Product Liability and Negligence – Personal Injury – Lung Cancer – Combined Effects of Asbestos and Cigarettes – Former Mare Island Naval Shipyard Machinist and Nuclear Inspector.
Case resolved as to all case defendants during plaintiffs case in chief in excess of $750,000.
October – December 2015
Gary Sisto v. Amcord Inc, et al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Los Angeles
Judge: Hon. John Kralik
Trial Type: Products Liability – Negligence – Smoking – Lung Cancer
Case Resolved During Plaintiffs Case-in-Chief: Excess of $750,000
October – November 2015
Alan Spalding et al. v. Apache Underground Construction, et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: San Jose
Judge: Hon. James Stoelker
Trial Type: Personal Injury – Mesothelioma- Negligence and Products Liability
Case Resolved as Verdict for Plaintiff was Being Announced.
Verdict of $2,714,000
Total Settlements In Excess of $5,500,000
August – September 2015
Doug Bell v. Kaiser Gypsum Company, et al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: San Francisco County
Judge: Hon. Leslie C. Nichols (Ret. – Sitting by Assignment).Trial Type: Product Liability and Negligence – Mesothelioma – Career: Shoe Sales and Store Owner
Case resolved during Plaintiffs closing argument in excess of $2,200,000 as to all case defendants.
August – September 2015
Barbara Lewis, as Personal Representative for the Estate of John Robert Lewis, Deceased v. Todd Shipyards Corp. et al.
Civil Jury Trial
Federal District Court: Western District of Washington
Judge: Hon. Marsha Pechman
Trial Type: Wrongful Death
Case resolved after motions in limine filed
Total settlements $2,114,608.87
August 2015
Ralph Schwebel v. Amcord, Inc.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Los Angeles (Santa Monica)
Judge: Hon. Lawrence Cho
Trial Type: Negligence – Product Liability – Smoking- Lung Cancer
Case resolved during plaintiffs’ case-in-chief: in excess of $ 470,000 as to all case defendants
July 2015
Delmar Stephens v. Pacific Mechanical Corp., Timec Company, Westburne Supply, et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Richard Ulmer
Trial Type: Personal Injury – Lung Cancer – Multiple Myeloma- Negligence and Products Liability
Case resolved after motions in limine in excess of $1,750,000
July 2015
Robert Hanson v. Beazer East Company, et al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: San Francisco County
Judge: Hon. Leslie C. Nichols (Ret. – sitting by assignment)
Trial Type: Retired insulator/carpenter with bilateral asbestos-caused pleural disease
Case resolved at the conclusion of pre-trial motions prior to jury selection in excess of $300,000 as to all case defendants.
June – July 2015
Larry Sublett v. Anderson, Rowe & Buckley, Cahill Contractors, Cupertino Electric, Johnson Controls, Kaiser Gypsum Company, Marcal Associates, Pacific Bell Telephone Company, Timec Company, et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Richard Ulmer
Trial Type: Personal Injury – Mesothelioma- Negligence and Products Liability
Case resolved after jury selection in excess of $3,400,000
June 2015
Richard Borchart v. Crane Co.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Los Angeles (Chatsworth)
Judge: Hon. Graciela Freixes
Trial Type: Negligence – Product Liability – Asbestosis
Case resolved during Motions in Limine: in excess of $ 135,000 as to all case defendants
June 2015
James Lackey v. Sequoia Ventures, Inc.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Los Angeles (Chatsworth)
Judge: Hon. Randy Rhodes
Trial Type: Negligence – Product Liability – Smoking – Pharyngeal Cancer
Case resolved during Motions in Limine: in excess of $680,000 as to all case defendants
May 2015
Omar Barstad v. Crane Co., Douglass Insulation Company, Inc., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, William Powell Company, et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Charles Haines
Trial Type: Personal Injury – Colon Cancer – Negligence and Products Liability
Case resolved after motions in limine in excess of $175,000
May 2015
Robert Lundquist v. Borg Warner Corporation, Crane Co., et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Charles Haines
Trial Type: Personal Injury – Asbestosis – Negligence and Products Liability
Case resolved after motions in limine in excess of $125,000
May 2015
Barry Kelly v. Crane Co., et al.
Civil Jury Trial
U.S. District Court: Northern District of California
Judge: Hon. Vince Chhabria
Trial Type: Peritoneal Mesothelioma – Naval Veteran – USS Downes Destroyer Escort – General Maritime Law
Case resolved during Plaintiff’s case in chief in excess of $2,000,000 as to all case parties.
May 2015
James Thomas v. J.T. Thorpe & Son, Union Carbide Corporation, et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Alameda County
Judge: Hon. Julia Spain
Trial Type: Personal Injury – Lung Cancer – Kaiser Gypsum Antioch Plant Worker – Negligence and Products Liability
Case resolved during plaintiff’s case in chief in excess of $500,000
April 2015
Geraldine Hilt, et al. v. Todd Shipyard Corporation, et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Northern District of California
Judge: Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero
Trial Type: Wrongful Death – Mesothelioma- Negligence and Products Liability
Case resolved prior to trial in excess of $10,000,000
April 2015
Charles Van Norman v. Bell Industries, Inc.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Los Angeles (Van Nuys)
Judge: Hon. James Kaddo
Trial Type: Negligence – Product Liability – Supplier -Mesothelioma
Case resolved during plaintiffs’ case-in-chief: in excess of $ 2,600,000 as to all case defendants
April 2015
Judith Reece, Shirley Cronin, Shirley Admanson, Ollie McElrath, Renee Flaggs, Lisa Lee, Oleva Owens, Floyd Johnston, Barbara Scarborough, Mary Kratzer, Ernest Breda, et al. v. Hennessey Industries, Inc., Kelly-Moore Paint Company, Inc., Owens-Illinois, Inc., et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Suzanne Bolanos
Trial Type: Wrongful Death- Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer – Negligence and Products Liability
Case resolved during trial motions in limine in excess of $6,700,000
March – April 2015
Sharron Dowell, et al. v. Kaiser Gypsum Company, Inc., J.T. Thorpe & Son, Inc., et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Alameda
Judge: Hon. Brad Seligman
Trial Type: Wrongful Death- Lung Cancer – Negligence and Products Liability Case resolved during jury selection in excess of $200,000
March 2015
Stephen and Paula Windham v. Metalclad Insulation Corporation
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Solano County
Judge: Hon. Paul Beeman
Trial Type: Lung Cancer – Marine Machinist – Mare Island Naval Shipyard – Sturgeon Class Nuclear Submarine construction – Pintado, Drum and Guitarro – 1960s/70s.
Case resolved at the end of plaintiffs’ case in chief in excess of six figures.
February – April 2015
Newton King v. J.T. Thorpe & Son, Inc., et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Alameda
Judge: Hon. Brad Seligman
Trial Type: Personal Injury – Asbestosis – Negligence and Products Liability
Case resolved during jury selection in excess of $100,000
February 2015
Betty Peterson et al v. Cahill Construction Co., et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: San Francisco County
Judge: Hon. Suzanne Bolanos
Trial Type: Wrongful Death Mesothelioma – Career Local #16 Insulator – Negligence and Product Liability
Case resolved after Plaintiffs’ opening statement as to all defendants in excess of $6,250,000
January – February 2015
Elaine Percy et al v. San Francisco Gravel Co., et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: San Francisco County
Judge: Hon. Suzanne Bolanos
Trial Type: Homemaker Mesothelioma Wrongful Death – Laundry exposure from insulator husband’s work clothing – Negligence and Product Liability
Case resolved after Plaintiffs’ opening statement as to all defendants in excess of $3,000,000
January – February 2015
Roderick Johnston v. Kaiser Gypsum, et al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Los Angeles (Van Nuys)
Judge: Hon. Elizabeth Lippitt
Trial Type: Negligence – Product Liability – Smoking Lung Cancer
Case resolved during Motions in Limine: in excess of $690,000 as to all case defendants
January 2015
Eddie Gentry, et al v. Amcord, Inc., et al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: Orange
Judge: Hon. Kim Dunning
Trial Type: Negligence – Product Liability – Asbestos Pleural Disease
Case resolved during Motions in Limine: in excess of $170,000 as to all case defendants
January 2015
Debra Fontana, et al. v. Tosco Corporation; General Electric Co., et. al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court: San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Richard Ulmer
Trial Type: Products Liability – Negligence – Wrongful Death – Asbestosis
Case resolved during Plaintiffs’ case-in-chief: in excess of $900,000 as to all case defendants
January 2015
