Simon Greenstone Earns 2016 Top Verdict Recognition in California, Arizona
TopVerdict.com has recognized Dallas trial law firm Simon Greenstone Panatier Bartlett, P.C. for securing the largest jury verdict in Arizona, and the largest asbestos case verdict in California, in 2016.
In Arizona, a federal jury awarded $17 million to the family of a retired civilian employee of the U.S. Navy who died from mesothelioma after working for years in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia. The case was Coulbourn v. Crane in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
In a news release, the firm said attorneys David C. Greenstone, Jordan Blumenfield-James and Samuel Iola represented George Coulbourn’s family. Coulbourn, a shipyard machinist, repaired and maintained equipment including the removal of asbestos-containing gaskets and packing from valves. He died at age 73, less than a year after being diagnosed. After a three-week trial, jurors found Crane Co. and William Powell Co. liable for Coulbourn’s death and assessed punitive damages against both defendants.
In California, a Los Angeles jury awarded $18 million, a record verdict in a mesothelioma case tied to cosmetic talc. The case involved Philip Depoian, a prominent political figure and longtime aide to Mayor Tom Bradley, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in May 2015.
Evidence showed Depoian was exposed to asbestos in talc products at a barber shop and through personal use of products such as Old Spice, Clubman, Kings Men and Mennen Shave Talc. Jurors found talc supplier Whittaker Clark & Daniels liable for supplying asbestos-containing talc to the manufacturers. Attorneys Jay Stuemke and Stuart Purdy represented Depoian in the case, Depoian v. American International Industries, Inc., in Los Angeles Superior Court.
“We are pleased that our verdicts have been recognized as landmarks in jurisdictions across the country. But more than that, we are very proud of the work we are doing to help all of our clients, wherever their cases may be,” said Greenstone, co-founder and shareholder of Simon Greenstone Panatier Bartlett, P.C.
Co-founder and shareholder Jeffrey Simon said, “We work hard to make sure that those who have been injured by dangerous products or workplaces get the justice they deserve.”
TopVerdict.com recognizes law firms and attorneys who have obtained the highest jury verdicts in individual states and nationwide in specific practice areas.