Factors Affecting the Largest Asbestos Settlement
The biggest asbestos settlement is affected by a variety of variables. Lawyers can draw on their experience to determine potential payouts for each case.
Generally, lawyers settle 95% of cases. They begin by collecting evidence and then filing suits. Passaic asbestos lawsuits may also exchange information through discovery. Depending on the strength of evidence, some cases 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 is responsible for 80% of its annual sales. Owens Corning is known for its Fiberglas insulation and vinyl siding. It also manufactures windows and patio doors. Its Composite Solutions division produces composite materials for bathtubs and showers, electronics, as well as telecom equipment.
The company's primary focus is corporate sustainability and environmental responsibility. Its stewardship includes community and civic initiatives including product donations and volunteering time. Owens Corning donates more than $1,000,000 in monetary donations each year to the communities it serves. The company's environmental and community efforts are an extension of the company's fundamental value of Individual Dignity.
Mesothelioma is an asbestos-related illness that often takes decades to develop. When patients begin to show symptoms, many culpable businesses have already gone bankrupt. Pressure from firms like Baron & Budd has forced these companies that are bankrupt to negotiate, where they agreed to establish bankruptcy trusts to settle asbestos claims. Victims are able to bring a lawsuit against the trust to receive compensation.
While most victims receive a settlement however, not all do. People who decide to go to trial are often granted a verdict from a jury. These verdicts can be smaller than a settlement, however they offer the benefit of being backed by a guarantee of compensation. A jury or judge can lower or overturn jury awards after a trial.
Owens Corning has a strong commitment to the environment, which is evidenced by its eco-friendly products and business practices. The company's best-known environmental efforts are to reduce energy use in its facilities. Insulating products from the company utilize recycled glass, renewable resources and roofing and insulation products that are made with a minimum 30 percent post-consumer materials.
The firm has asbestos experts who are committed to helping victims with mesothelioma and other toxic exposures. The team has successfully represented clients who suffered from asbestos exposures that were not expected. This includes HVAC technicians and industrial workers. They also have won significant verdicts for auto mechanics and 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 died from mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos at an Union Carbide plant in California. This is the biggest verdict in an asbestos-related case to date. The company could appeal the ruling. It has alleged that the judge, Eddie Bowen, had conflicts of interest due to the fact that his father suffers from asbestosis. The Mississippi Supreme Court is reviewing these allegations.
Union Carbide produced asbestos in large quantities until the 1980s. The company's facilities used the substance for the production of cement, insulation and a range of industrial products. It also supplied asbestos to other companies to use in their factories. Workers in these factories were exposed to asbestos. Many of them were later diagnosed with mesothelioma. This is a deadly cancer that has no treatment or cure.
One of the most famous cases involving Union Carbide involved the 1984 gas leak at the Bhopal plant in India. This disaster killed thousands of people and injured thousands more. A faulty safety system was at fault for the incident. Despite this disaster, Union Carbide refused to improve its safety systems.
Another asbestos lawsuit brought against the company was brought by a mesothelioma patient 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 that the company had sold asbestos to Kelly-Moore between 1971 and 1976. The evidence, however, showed that Kelly-Moore obtained most of its asbestos through other sources.
These companies are only one of the many asbestos producers who are liable for mesothelioma and related asbestos-related diseases. Contrary to the majority of asbestos producers Union Carbide did not file for bankruptcy or set up an trust fund to settle claims. The company continues to fight mesothelioma lawsuits in courts all over the country. If you have been exposed to asbestos in the Union Carbide factory, an experienced New York mesothelioma lawyer can assist you in obtaining maximum compensation from the company that is responsible for your condition. Call Belluck & Fox to schedule an appointment.
Chevron Phillips Chemical
The Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC is a petrochemical firm that produces olefins and polyolefins. It also manufactures alpha-olefins and specialty chemicals. It is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. The company manufactures and markets diverse products that are used in industries like construction, electronics, agriculture and energy.
Asbestos, a mineral, was mined, refined and then sold in the United States for most of the 20th century. Asbestos is extremely harmful and can lead to a variety of serious health problems, such as mesothelioma. If you or someone you care about has been exposed to asbestos, contact a mesothelioma lawyer to learn about your legal options.
The most famous case against Chevron Phillips Chemical was the $322 million verdict that was awarded to former oil worker Thomas Brown. A jury found defendants accountable for his asbestosis because they produced 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 more than $300 million for future medical expenses, pain and suffering, as well as punitive damages.
Chevron Phillips Chemical operates three plants in Texas. These plants are primarily used for the production of ethylene, however they also produce propylene and polyethylene. The company has made a number of environmental improvements to its plants. For example in 2008 the company announced plans to upgrade its emission control equipment at the Baytown plant. This upgrade will lower emissions from the plant by more than 10 percent.
In addition to these improvements, the company has also committed to improving its waste gas flaring practices. This will help prevent the release of harmful chemicals into the environment. The agreement requires that the company to install and operate instruments to ensure that gases sent into flares are efficiently ignited.
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 violations of the Clean Air Act. In this case, the company has to pay a civil penalty of $1.8 million for violations that occurred at its Pasadena facility in 1999 and 2000.
Dana Corporation
For decades, Dana Corporation provided an assortment of asbestos-containing items to standard and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers. These products included axles, universal joints, drive shafts and seals. Workers who assembled, mounted and disassembled parts were at risk of exposure to asbestos fibers. Family members and friends of these workers could accidentally be exposed to these harmful substances while working around the auto components at home or at work. The exposure to asbestos can increase the chance of developing lung cancer or Mesothelioma.
Clarence Spicer founded the company in 1904 after he developed a new part for cars called the Spicer Universal Joint. Despite the invention of this revolutionary part, the company had a difficult time financially in its beginning. It wasn't till 1914 that the company started to make profits.
When the company was founded, Spicer hired a team of scientists and engineers to focus on developing new products for the automotive industry. In the end, Spicer was one of the world's leading producers of automotive parts.
In March 2006 in March 2006, the Dana Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As part of the company's reorganization the company set aside $240 million aside to pay asbestos-related claims.
Asbestos lawsuits have been filed against the company by a range of individuals, including former workers and customers of its products. Some of these cases resulted in huge payouts for mesothelioma sufferers.
The largest settlement to date was awarded to Edward Robaey, a New York man who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2012. He sued the company, along with Felt Products MFG Co. and four other asbestos manufacturers. Robaey was diagnosed as having peritoneal Mesothelioma after a lifetime of exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos victims who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related illnesses should contact an asbestos law firm to learn more about the compensation they may be entitled to receive. Asbestos lawyers have the knowledge and expertise to assist asbestos victims get the most possible compensation. They can also connect asbestos victims with qualified mesothelioma physicians and help them receive the treatment they need. Call us today to set up a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced mesothelioma lawyer.