Attorneys representing the family of a man who died of mesothelioma three years ago are requesting the court to uphold a $13 million asbestos verdict declared against Hillshire Brands in August 2017.
In the 1950s the plaintiff grew up in Betteravia, a small town west of Santa Maria that surrounded the Union Sugar Plant. His surviving family members filed a lawsuit against numerous companies in Alameda County Superior Court accusing them of negligent conduct in handling asbestos exposure, which led to the plaintiff's death at the age of 61 in July 2015. The jury found Hillshire liable for acting negligently while operating the factory in the 50s and asked the company to pay $13 million to the plaintiff's family. Hillshire appealed the verdict stating that the mere presence of asbestos at the company premises was not enough to hold them liable for the plaintiff's death. Plaintiffs' attorneys opposed the dismissal of the verdict and claimed the company failed to examine the asbestos problem between 1954 and 1972, and Hillshire’s defense expert confessed being unaware of Hillshire complying with any existing OSHA (The Occupational Safety and Health Act) rules prior to 1973. As per the plaintiffs' attorneys, medical experts confirmed asbestos exposure from sugar refinery was the reason for the plaintiff's mesothelioma.
Asbestos-related lawsuits are currently facing trial in several federal courts over claims of mesothelioma in individuals exposed to asbestos fibers at their workplaces. Talcum powder manufacturers are also defendants in several asbestos exposure lawsuits filed by individuals who used cosmetic talcum powder for personal hygiene and suffered fatal side-effects like mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.
