Factors Affecting the Largest Asbestos Settlement
There are many aspects that impact the largest asbestos settlement. Lawyers can utilize their knowledge to determine the best settlements in specific cases.
Generally, lawyers will settle 95% of cases. They begin by obtaining evidence and then filing a lawsuit. They can also exchange information through discovery. Depending on the strength of the evidence, certain cases will go to trial.
Owens Corning
The Owens Corning Corporation manufactures fiberglass and glass products. The company has two major operating segments: Building Materials Systems and Composite Solutions. The former makes up 80 percent of its annual sales. Owens Corning is known for its Fiberglas insulation and vinyl siding. It also makes windows and patio doors. Its Composite Solutions division manufactures composite materials used in electronics, telecommunications equipment, and bathtubs and showers.
The company's primary focus is sustainability of the company and environmental responsibility. Its stewardship activities include civic and community-based initiatives, donations to products as well as volunteering time. Each year, Owens Corning gives more than $1 million in financial contributions, materials, and expertise to the communities it serves. The company's environmental and community efforts are a reflection of the company's fundamental value of Individual Dignity.
Mesothelioma is an asbestos-related illness that can take decades to develop. By the time asbestos-related illnesses manifest, many of the accountable companies have already declared bankruptcy. These companies that went bankrupt were forced to bargain by firms like Baron & Budd, and they agreed to establish bankruptcy trusts to settle asbestos claims. Victims can sue the trust to recover compensation.
Some victims do not get settlements. The ones who choose to go to trial are usually granted a verdict from a jury. The verdicts could be less than settlements however, they are guaranteed compensation. A judge or jury can reduce or reverse jury verdicts following the trial.
Owens Corning is committed to the environment, as evident by its green products and business practices. One of the most well-known environmental initiatives is to cut down on energy consumption at its plants. Insulating products from the company are made from recycled glass as well as renewable resources, roofing and insulation products that are made with a minimum 30 percent post-consumer material.
Richmond asbestos attorney has a seasoned asbestos team that is committed to helping mesothelioma victims and other toxic exposures. The team has successfully represented clients with unconventional asbestos exposure histories, such as HVAC technicians as well as industrial talc workers. They have also won substantial verdicts for auto mechanics as well as workers exposed to asbestos in shipyards and construction sites.
Union Carbide
In July 2023, a jury handed $107 million to the family of a man who had died from mesothelioma following exposure to asbestos at an Union Carbide plant in California. This is the biggest verdict in an asbestos case ever. The company could appeal the ruling. It has alleged that the judge, Eddie Bowen, had an interest conflict due to the fact that his father suffers from asbestosis. The Mississippi Supreme Court is reviewing these allegations.
Up until the 1980s Union Carbide was a major producer of asbestos. Its facilities used asbestos to make insulation, cement and a wide variety of other industrial products. It also offered asbestos to other companies to use in their factories. As a result, workers at these factories could be exposed to exposure to asbestos. Many of them were diagnosed with mesothelioma, which is a fatal type of cancer that has no cure or treatment.
One of the most famous cases involving Union Carbide involved the 1984 gas leak at the Bhopal plant in India. The incident resulted in deaths of thousands of people and injuries to a number of others. The cause of the accident was an ineffective safety system. Union Carbide has refused to upgrade their safety systems in spite of the tragedy.
Another asbestos-related lawsuit against the company involved a mesothelioma sufferer who worked at Kelly-Moore in San Carlos, California. Plaintiffs argued that Union Carbide knowingly sold toxic asbestos to the company. Plaintiffs presented invoices that showed the company sold Kelly-Moore asbestos from 1971 between 1971 and 1976. However, uncontradicted evidence suggested that Kelly-Moore sourced the majority of its asbestos from other sources.
These companies are just a few of the numerous asbestos manufacturers who are liable for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. Union Carbide, unlike most asbestos producers, did NOT declare bankruptcy or create an account for the settlement of claims. Instead the company continues to fight mesothelioma claims in courts across the country. If you were exposed to asbestos in an Union Carbide plant, a New York mesothelioma attorney can assist you in seeking maximum compensation from the company that triggered the illness. Contact Belluck & Fox today to set up a free consultation.
Chevron Phillips Chemical
The Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC is a petrochemical firm that produces polyolefins and olefins. It also manufactures alpha-olefins as well as specialty chemicals. Its headquarters are in The Woodlands, Texas. The company produces and sells a wide range of products for industries such as agriculture, electronics, construction, and energy.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was mined, processed, and sold across the United States throughout the majority of the 20th century. Asbestos can trigger serious health issues, such as mesothelioma. If you or someone you care about has been exposed to asbestos, you should consult a mesothelioma lawyer to learn more about your legal options.
Thomas Brown, a former oil worker, was awarded $322 million in the most famous case involving Chevron Philips Chemical. A jury found that the defendants were responsible for his condition because they produced and distributed drilling mud containing asbestos. Brown was employed at the plant from 1979 until 1990, and breathed asbestos when mixing the drilling mud. The jury awarded him over $300 million to cover future medical expenses as well as pain and suffering and punitive damages.
Chevron Phillips Chemical operates three plants in Texas. These plants are used principally to produce ethylene, but also propylene and polyethylene. The company has made several environmental improvements to its plant. For instance in 2008, the company announced plans to upgrade its emission control equipment at the Baytown plant. This upgrade will reduce emissions from the facility by more than 10 percent.
The company also has agreed to improve its practices of flaring waste gas. This will prevent the release of toxic chemicals into the environment. The agreement requires that the company to install and operate instruments to ensure that gases sent to flares are effectively burned.
The agreement is part of an overall settlement between the company and the Justice Department. The Justice Department has agreed to settle an action against the company for violating of the Clean Air Act. In this case, the company will pay a $1.8 million civil penalty for violations at its Pasadena plant in 1999 and 2000.
Dana Corporation
Dana Corporation has been supplying asbestos-containing products for a long time to manufacturers of heavy-duty and standard vehicles. These included axles and drive shafts, aswell as universal joints and seals. Workers who assembled, installed and disassembled the parts were at risk of asbestos fiber exposure. These harmful materials could also be contacted by family members or friends of workers when they work near auto parts at their work sites or at their homes. The exposure to asbestos can increase the risk of developing lung cancer or Mesothelioma.
The company was established in 1904 by an engineering student Clarence Spicer, who had created a revolutionary car part known as the Spicer universal joint. Despite the invention of this breakthrough part, the company had a difficult time financially in its early years. It wasn't until 1914 when the company began to turn a profit.
Spicer created the company and hired an engineering team made up of engineers and scientists who were tasked with developing new automobile components. Eventually, the company became one of the largest producers of automotive components worldwide.
In March 2006, Dana Company filed for Chapter 11 protection. As part of its reorganization plan, the company put aside $240 million to settle any asbestos-related claims.
Asbestos lawsuits have been filed against the company by a range of people, including former workers and consumers of its products. Some of these cases led to large payouts for mesothelioma patients.
The largest settlement to date was given to Edward Robaey, a New York man who developed mesothelioma back in 2012. He filed a lawsuit against the company as well as Felt Products MFG Co. and four other asbestos producers. Robaey was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in response to the long-term exposure to asbestos at home and at work.
If you've been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma, it is essential to contact a mesothelioma lawyer to learn what compensation may be available to you. Asbestos lawyers have the knowledge and resources to ensure asbestos victims receive the highest amount of compensation. They can also connect victims with qualified mesothelioma doctors and help them receive the treatment they require. Call today to arrange a no-obligation, free consultation with a mesothelioma attorney.