Los Angeles Jury Returns $780,000 Verdict for Talc User Who Died from Mesothelioma
Los Angeles Jury Returns $780,000 Verdict for Talc User Who Died from Mesothelioma
Award is second talc-asbestos verdict this year in LA County for Simon Greenstone Panatier lawyers
LOS ANGELES – Simon Greenstone Panatier trial lawyers secured a $780,000 jury verdict for the family of an 86-year-old woman who died from cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The jury issued its decision on December 10, 2021, after a 10-day trial. The case was resolved between the parties before punitive damages were considered.
Doreen Myers died in 2018 from pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure. During trial, lead attorney Stuart Purdy presented evidence establishing Ms. Myers as a decades-long user of Avon products and that she was exposed to asbestos-contaminated talcum powder supplied by Whittaker Clark & Daniels (WCD).
WCD was once one of the largest U.S. suppliers of cosmetic talc used in popular consumer products, including those marketed by Avon. According to trial testimony, although WCD was aware that its North Carolina talc mine was contaminated with asbestos, the company did nothing to address the contamination or warn consumers. Talc and asbestos minerals are frequently found together in mining operations.
“Doreen Myers was an incredible mother and grandmother who worked hard to provide for her family and to establish a loving environment in her home,” said Mr. Purdy. “Her cancer was a preventable one. WCD knew they had serious issues with the talc they were supplying and had established testing policies which enabled them to hide the risks from their customers. Their false assurances were relied on by countless manufacturers.”
Earlier this year, Simon Greenstone Panatier trial lawyers secured a $4.8 million verdict on behalf of a 78-year-old mesothelioma victim in the first civil jury verdict in Los Angeles County since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020.
The Myers family was represented at trial by Mr. Purdy and Michael Reid of the Los Angeles office of Simon Greenstone Panatier, which also has offices in Dallas, New York and Houston.
The case is Michelle Roedel, Individually and as Successor-In-Interest to the Estate of Doreen Myers, Deceased, and Steven Myers vs. Whittaker, Clark & Daniels, Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. BC720136.
About Simon Greenstone Panatier
Simon Greenstone Panatier, P.C., is a nationally recognized trial law firm with a reputation for creative and aggressive representation of clients in a wide variety of catastrophic personal injury matters nationwide.
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