Product Liability
Aug. 5, 2000
Little Fibers
By Ruchi Gupta. Following a day-and-a-half of deliberation, a San Francisco jury awarded Mark Lewis, a 51-year-old mesothelioma victim, $3.7 million for injuries resulting from exposure to asbestos-containing products. Defendant John Crane Inc. was held strictly liable for manufacturing a defective product, exposing Lewis to carcinogenic asbestos fibers while he was a shipyard employee. Jurors also awarded $1.25 million to Lewis' wife, Shirley Hackett, for loss of consortium.