Plumber

Age: 74

Settlement: $5.7 Million

Frank and his wife Dana were enjoying their retirement when Frank suddenly began to have trouble breathing. A series of tests lead to the diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Frank and Dana were shocked. They hired us to pursue compensation. Frank had been exposed to asbestos during his career as a plumber and controls technician in Nevada and Northern California.

We interviewed everyone we could find whom Frank had worked with to determine the manufacturers and suppliers of asbestos products he was exposed to during his career. Frank himself had done work installing sectional boilers, and he was able to identify the asbestos components of the boilers he installed.

We also located insulation contractors who had worked with Frank, and they helped us identify manufacturers and suppliers of asbestos insulation to which Frank was exposed. We settled with most of these companies just prior to trial for a total of $3.8 million. The insurance company for one of the liable companies refused to pay to defend Frank’s claim.

We obtained an additional $2.7 million judgment against the company, and filed suit against its insurance company to collect the judgment. That suit was successfully settled in Federal District Court in San Francisco.