Factors Affecting the Largest Asbestos Settlement
There are a variety of aspects that impact the largest asbestos settlement. Lawyers can utilize their expertise to determine potential settlements in individual cases.
Generally, lawyers will settle the majority of cases. They start by gathering evidence and then filing a lawsuit. They can also exchange information through discovery. Certain cases could be tried in court depending on the strength and volume of evidence.
Owens Corning
The Owens Corning Corporation is a glass and fiberglass products company. The company operates in two major operating segments: Building Materials Systems and Composite Solutions. The former accounts for 80 percent of its annual sales. The company is well-known for its Fiberglas and foam insulation, Owens Corning also makes vinyl siding, asphalt products, windows, and patio doors. Its Composite Solutions division manufactures composite materials used in electronics, telecommunications equipment and bathtubs and showers.
The company is focused on corporate responsibility and sustainability as well as environmental sustainability. Its stewardship activities include civic and community initiatives, donations to products, as well as volunteering time. Owens Corning donates more than $1,000,000 in financial donations each year to the communities it serves. The company's environmental and community efforts are an extension of the company's core value of Individual Dignity.
Mesothelioma is an asbestos-related disease that often takes decades to develop. When asbestos-related diseases manifest, many of the responsible companies have already declared bankruptcy. Pressure from firms like Baron & Budd has forced these bankrupt corporations to negotiate, which is where they agreed to create bankruptcy trusts to settle asbestos claims. Victims can bring a lawsuit against the trust to receive compensation.
Some victims do not get settlements. Those who choose to go to trial are typically awarded a verdict by a jury. The verdicts might be smaller than settlements but they are guaranteed compensation. However, jury verdicts may be lowered or overturned by a judge, or a jury after the trial has ended.
Owens Corning is committed to the environment, as demonstrated by its green products and business practices. One of the company's most known environmental initiatives is to reduce the energy use of its facilities. The company's insulating products use recycled glass and other renewable resources, while its roofing and insulation products are made up of a minimum of 30% post-consumer content.
The firm has a seasoned asbestos team that is dedicated to helping victims of mesothelioma and other toxic exposures. The team has successfully represented clients with unique asbestos exposure histories, such as HVAC technicians and industrial talc workers. They also have won significant verdicts for auto mechanics as well as workers exposed to asbestos in shipyards and construction sites.
Union Carbide
In July 2023, a jury awarded $107,000,000 in damages to the family of an individual who died from mesothelioma following exposure to asbestos in a Union Carbide facility in California. This is the biggest asbestos verdict ever. However, the company has the option to appeal the ruling. It has alleged that the judge, Eddie Bowen, had a conflict of interest because his father suffers from asbestosis. Scottsdale asbestos lawyer is reviewing the allegations.
Union Carbide produced asbestos in huge quantities from the 1980s onwards. Its plants employed asbestos to make cement, insulation, and a variety of industrial products. It also offered asbestos to other companies to use in their factories. In the end, workers in these factories were at risk of exposure to asbestos. Many of these workers were later diagnosed with mesothelioma. This is a deadly cancer that is not curable or treated.
One of the most notorious cases that involved Union Carbide involved the 1984 gas leak at the Bhopal plant in India. This disaster resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and injuries to a number of others. A malfunctioning safety system was responsible for the tragedy. Union Carbide has refused to upgrade their safety systems in spite of the tragedy.
Another asbestos lawsuit against this company involved mesothelioma patients who worked at Kelly-Moore, in San Carlos, California. Plaintiffs argued Union Carbide sold toxic asbestos to Kelly-Moore in a knowingly. Plaintiffs presented invoices showing the company sold asbestos to Kelly-Moore from 1971 and 1976. However, uncontradicted evidence suggested that Kelly-Moore received most of its asbestos from other sources.
These companies are only one of the many asbestos producers who have been found to be responsible for mesothelioma, asbestosis and other asbestos-related illnesses. Union Carbide, unlike most asbestos producers, did not declare bankruptcy or establish a trust fund for the settlement of claims. Instead the company continues to fight mesothelioma claims in courts across the country. If you've been exposed to asbestos in a Union Carbide factory, an experienced New York mesothelioma lawyer can help you seek the maximum amount of compensation from the company that is responsible for your condition. Contact Belluck & Fox today to set up a free consultation.
Chevron Phillips Chemical
The Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC is a petrochemical producer that produces olefins, polyolefins propylene, alpha olefins, and specialty chemicals. Its headquarters are in The Woodlands, Texas. The company produces and markets various products for industries such as agriculture, electronics, and construction.
Asbestos, a mineral, was mined, refined and sold in the United States for most of the 20th century. Asbestos can cause serious health problems such as mesothelioma. If you or someone you love has been exposed to asbestos, you should consult a mesothelioma lawyer to learn about your legal options.
Thomas Brown, a former oil worker, was awarded $322 million in the most well-known case against Chevron Philips Chemical. The jury found the defendants responsible for his asbestosis since they manufactured and sold drilling mud containing asbestos. Brown was employed at the plant between 1979 and 1990, where he breathed asbestos while mixing the drilling mud. The jury awarded him over $300 million in medical bills for the future and pain, suffering and punitive damage.
Chevron Phillips Chemical is a manufacturer of petrochemicals that has three plants in Texas. These facilities are primarily used to produce ethylene, but also polyethylene and propylene. The company has made several environmental improvements at its plant. For instance, in 2008, the company announced plans to upgrade its emission control equipment at the Baytown plant. This upgrade will lower emissions from the facility by more than 10 percent.
In addition to these improvements, the company has also committed to improving the flaring of waste gas. This will help prevent the release of harmful chemicals into the environment. The agreement requires that the company install and operate instruments to ensure that gases sent into flares are effectively ignited.
The agreement is a part of a larger settlement between a business and the Justice Department. The Justice Department has settled a lawsuit filed against the company over violations of the Clean Air Act. In this case the company is expected to pay an $1.8 million civil penalty for violations that occurred at its Pasadena plant in 1999 and 2000.
Dana Corporation
For many years, Dana Corporation provided an array of asbestos-containing products to heavy-duty and standard vehicle manufacturers. These included axles and drive shafts, aswell as universal joints and seals. Workers that assembled, installed and disassembled these components were at risk of exposure to dangerous asbestos fibers. These harmful substances can also be contacted by relatives or friends of the workers when they work near auto parts at their work sites or at their homes. Asbestos exposure increases the risk of developing lung cancer, or Mesothelioma.
The company was founded in 1904 by an engineering student Clarence Spicer, who had invented a revolutionary car part called the Spicer universal joint. The company was struggling to make a profit in its early days despite the invention of the universal Spicer joint. It wasn't until 1914 when it began turning profits.
Spicer established the company and employed an engineering team of engineers and scientists who were tasked with developing new products for automobiles. In the end, the company was one of the leading manufacturers of automotive components around the world.
In March 2006, the Dana Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As part of the reorganization process, $240 million was set aside to pay asbestos-related claims.
Asbestos lawsuits have been brought against the company by a variety of individuals including former employees and customers of its products. Some of these cases have resulted in significant settlements for mesothelioma patients.
Edward Robaey was awarded the largest settlement in the United States, a New Yorker who developed mesothelioma in the year prior. He filed a lawsuit against the company, Felt Products MFG Co., and four other asbestos producers. Robaey was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma due to his long-time exposure to asbestos in his home and at work.
Asbestos victims who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases should contact a mesothelioma law firm to learn more about the compensation they might be entitled to. Asbestos lawyers have the expertise and expertise to help asbestos victims recover the maximum possible compensation. They can also connect asbestos victims with mesothelioma specialists who are qualified and help them receive the treatment they need. Call today to arrange an unpressured, no-cost consultation with a mesothelioma lawyer.