PR WEB, SEPTEMBER 11, 2006
A jury ruled in favor of a former plastics molder suffering from mesothelioma, assessing over $18.5 million in damages against Union Carbide Corporation, a former asbestos mining and manufacturing company. The plaintiff was represented by mesothelioma lawyers Gilbert Purcell and John Goldstein, both of Brayton Purcell.
San Francisco, CA (PRWeb) September 9, 2006 — On September 1, 2006, a jury ruled in favor of a former plastics molder suffering from mesothelioma, assessing over $18.5 million in damages against Union Carbide Corporation, a former asbestos mining and manufacturing company. Union Carbide was negligent and failed to provide warnings about its defective open asbestos fiber product RG-144, according to the jury. It assessed $3,223,450 in economic damages and $15,300,000 in non-economic damages.
The plaintiff, David Bakkie, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in September 2005. Caused by asbestos exposure, mesothelioma is an invariably fatal cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs.
“We are very gratified with the jury decision and thankful for their efforts,” said Gilbert Purcell, counsel for Mr. Bakkie. “Mr. Bakkie is a wonderful, deserving man and the jury process didn’t let him down.” Gilbert Purcell, along with John Goldstein of Brayton Purcell, represented David Bakkie.
Mr. Bakkie worked with asbestos-containing products, including asbestos-insulated cables and electrical switch gear. While employed during the mid-1970s at American Polytherm, a Sacramento aerospace plastics molding company, Mr. Bakkie worked with Union Carbide Corporation’s open fiber asbestos product RG-144. American Polytherm was using the Union Carbide asbestos fiber in the manufacture of a canal sealant widely used on projects including the California Aqueduct to fill the seams between concrete sections.
Union Carbide was a leading manufacturer of Calidria™ asbestos, mined at its King City mine near Fresno, California. It supplied asbestos to manufacturers of various products including floor tile, epoxy adhesives, sealants, wall board joint and taping compounds.
The case was David Bakkie v. Union Carbide Corporation, San Francisco Superior Court, No. 445300.
About Brayton Purcell
For over 20 years, Brayton Purcell has helped clients protect their legal rights in the face of devastating losses such as illness, injuries, and harm to family members. The law firm enjoys a national reputation for the high quality of its personal injury and product liability work, particularly in the area of asbestos litigation. For more information, call 415-898-1555 or visit the firm web site at http://www.braytonlaw.com.
For information about asbestos and asbestos-related diseases, see the firm’s web sites, Mesothelioma Network, http://www.mesotheliomasite.com and Asbestos Network, http://www.asbestosnetwork.com.
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