$12.25 million verdict on behalf of Belluck Law mesothelioma client
Belluck Law, along with Iola Gross & Forbes-King, announced a $12.25 million verdict against Vanderbilt Minerals LLC on behalf of the estate of a woman who developed mesothelioma after living near the company’s talc mining operations in St. Lawrence County, New York.
The jury awarded $4.5 million in compensatory damages for pain and suffering and $7.75 million in punitive damages, making it the largest mesothelioma verdict in Upstate New York history.
The case involved a woman who lived for decades in proximity to Vanderbilt’s talc mines in Balmat, New York. Though she never worked for the company, she was exposed to asbestos fibers that were released into the surrounding environment. She was diagnosed with mesothelioma in October 2022 and passed away just three months later, in January 2023.
At trial, attorneys demonstrated that Vanderbilt Minerals was aware for decades that its talc deposits contained asbestos but failed to take adequate steps to protect nearby residents from exposure. The jury found the company’s conduct sufficiently reckless to justify punitive damages in addition to compensation for the victim’s suffering.
The verdict marks a significant milestone in asbestos litigation, particularly for cases involving environmental rather than occupational exposure. It reinforces the legal and moral obligation of companies to ensure the safety of people living near industrial and mining sites.
The case, Weaver v. Vanderbilt Minerals LLC, was tried in the Supreme Court of St. Lawrence County, New York.
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