Patricia Katcham v. Caudle-Hyatt Inc., et al

Case Background

On July 06, 2022, Patricia Coffey Katcham filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against several companies for the wrongful death of her husband, James C. Katcham who had passed away due to his occupational asbestos exposure. The case was filed in Newport News Circuit Court, Virginia. [Case number: CL2202484P-00]

Cause

The complaint asserted that James Katcham had been exposed to asbestos while handling gaskets, packing, and other asbestos-containing materials while working as a millwright at the DuPont Spruance plant during the 1960s and 1970s.

Before his death, James Katcham provided a declaration in which he confirmed his use of Defendant John Crane Inc. gaskets and packing for pumps and valves at DuPont. He stated that he frequently used hammers, hand scrapers, and power wire brushes to install and remove these materials.

Damages

In 2022, James Katcham passed away from malignant mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer primarily caused by asbestos exposure. Following his death, his family filed a lawsuit against John Crane, Inc., claiming that Katcham’s occupational exposure directly contributed to his illness and wrongful death.

They sought special and general damages through this mesothelioma lawsuit for the losses suffered due to failure to warn Katcham about the danger of the products he was handling daily.

Key Arguments and Proceedings

Legal Representation

  • Plaintiff(s): Patricia Coffey Katcham | James C. Katcham
  • Defendant(s): John Crane Inc.

Key Counsel Remarks and Arguments

Speaking of the evidence presented, Mrs. Katcham’s attorney said, “It was demonstrated throughout the trial that the asbestos fibers from asbestos gaskets and packing had no ‘onion’ properties — in other words, workers could not see the fibers, they could not taste them, they could not smell them, and they had no indication that the fibers were harmful to breathe.” They also learned that mesothelioma was “well known to the scientific community since the 1960s,” and that the Illinois Pollution Control Board gave John Crane documents in 1972 that showed that mesothelioma could be triggered by minimal exposure to asbestos.

Claims

John Crane Inc., the only remaining defendant at trial, was accused of manufacturing asbestos-containing gaskets and packing. Katcham argued that John Crane failed to provide adequate warnings or safety instructions with its product. She claimed that the company breached the implied warranty of safety by selling an unreasonably dangerous product without proper warnings.

During the trial, evidence demonstrated that by the time J.K. worked at the plant, the scientific community had already recognized asbestos’s dangers. In 1972, John Crane, Inc. received warnings that even minimal asbestos exposure could cause mesothelioma. Despite this, the company delayed action. It failed to provide adequate warnings to customers for over a decade.

During this prolonged delay, countless workers, including J.K., were exposed to hazardous levels of asbestos.

Expert Testimony

At trial, Katcham called William Longo, Ph.D., an electron microscopist from Materials Analytical Services in Suwanee, Ga., and John Maddox, M.D., a pathologist at Peninsula Pathology Associates in Newport News.

In response, John Crane called Allan Feingold, M.D., a pulmonologist from Miami, and John Henshaw, CIH, a former Occupational Safety and Health Administration director and certified industrial hygienist from Henshaw & Associates Inc. in Fort Myers, Fla.

Jury Verdict

The trial for the mesothelioma lawsuit began on September 24, 2024, and lasted eleven days. On October 9, 2024, after reviewing all the evidence about James Katcham’s suffering and his family’s loss, the jury concluded that John Crane, Inc. had breached its duty of care. The jury ordered the sole remaining defendant, John Crane, Inc., to pay the widow $3.45 million for the harm that her husband had suffered.

Court Documents:

Available upon request

Press Release

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