Seattle Jury Delivers Verdict in Favor of Paper Mill Worker with Asbestosis
A Seattle jury delivered a $242,500 verdict in favor of Ernest Coulter, a 75–year old Port Hadlock paper mill worker with asbestosis, and his wife, LeRose.
King County, WA (PRWEB) April 8, 2005 -- A Seattle jury delivered a $242,500
verdict in favor of Ernest Coulter, a 75–year old Port Hadlock paper mill worker
with asbestosis, and his wife, LeRose (Ernest Coulter and Lerose Coulter v.
ACandS, Inc. et al., 2005, Case No. 01–2–34675–0SEA, King County Superior Court,
WA). Caused by exposure to asbestos, asbestosis is an illness that scars and
damages the lungs. Mr. Coulter was diagnosed with the disease in June 2000.
Mr. Coulter worked at the paper mill of Crown Zellerbach, also known as
Port Townsend Paper Co., in Port Townsend, WA from 1946 through 1992. During
this time, he was exposed to various asbestos dryer felts. Among his many
duties, Mr. Coulter assisted with the changing of dryer felts on paper
machines.
Asten Johnson manufactured and distributed asbestos–containing
dryer felts, which were used inside large paper machines during the paper–making
process. The dryer felts were made from woven asbestos yarn. Today, dryer felts
are made with new synthetic yarns and fabrics, rather than with asbestos yarn.
Huge rolls of felts are run through paper machines daily.
Dryer felt
machine records showed that Port Townsend Paper used Asten asbestos dryer felts
during the years that Mr. Coulter worked there. Mr. Coulter’s counsel showed
that the felts contained asbestos, and that Mr. Coulter’s work with the felts
was a substantial factor in causing his asbestosis. The jury rejected the
defendant’s claims that the felts did not release asbestos into the air, that
they did not degrade, and that any released asbestos was washed away.
Mr.
Coulter was represented by Gilbert L. Purcell of the Novato, California office
of Brayton Purcell, and by Zachary Herschensohn of the law firm’s Portland,
Oregon office.
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 mesothelioma, asbestosis,
and other asbestos-related diseases.
For more information, call
415-898-1555 or visit our firm web site at http://www.braytonlaw.com. For legal, legislative and medical
news about asbestosis and mesothelioma, see our specialty web sites, Asbestos
Network at http://www.asbestosnetwork.com and Mesothelioma Network at http://www.mesotheliomasite.com
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/4/prweb226841.htm