An Oregon jury recently awarded a Beaverton man and his wife $8.75 million dollars in a mesothelioma asbestos lawsuit filed against drywall maker, Kaiser Gypsum. Jurors agreed the plaintiff’s mesothelioma was more likely than not caused by his repeated exposure to the asbestos-laced spackle product at his job and that the defendant knew for a decade about the risks the product could pose.
The award is one of the largest asbestos verdicts in Oregon. The Portland jury awarded the plaintiff $750,000 for medical expenses, $4 million to himself for pain and suffering, and an additional $4 million to his wife. Doctors estimate the plaintiff has less than two years left to live. The judge in the case estimated the plaintiff could have lived for almost two-decades longer under the state’s life table.
The plaintiff is a father of three and grandfather to several grandchildren. He had just retired when doctors diagnosed him with the deadly cancer of the lining of the lungs. The plaintiff claims he contracted mesothelioma due to repeated exposure to asbestos while working as a carpenter in his early 20s. The asbestos flakes were contained inside gypsum board applied by drywall workers who would then sand down the product to create a uniform finish.