© 2014 The Texas Lawbook.
By Natalie Posgate – (September 9) – A Dallas County jury last week awarded $18.6 million to the family of a deceased Goodyear tire builder, finding his former employer negligent in allowing his continued exposure to asbestos fibers while at work.
Carl Rogers worked at the Tyler, Texas Goodyear Tire & Robber Co. plant for 30 years before he was diagnosed with the deadly asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma, in August 2008. He passed away a year later.
“Mr. Rogers’ family just wanted a jury to hear the story of their husband and father – he did nothing wrong and still died because his employer did not protect him,” Dallas attorney Christopher Panatier, the lead counsel for the Rogers family, said in a statement.
Goodyear’s attorneys, who appear to be from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease in Houston, were not immediately available for comment.
Friday’s verdict included $2.7 million in non-economic damages, $900,000 in economic damages and $15 million in punitive damages. A stipulated amount of paid medical bills will be also added to the final judgment.
“We showed the jury that Goodyear was well-versed in the asbestos safety standards that they ignored because the company simply didn’t want to pay the money to protect the employees,” Panatier said.
Dallas associate Darren McDowell represented the Rogers family along with Panatier. Both attorneys are from Simon Greenstone Panatier Bartlett.
Dallas County Court at Law Judge Mark Greenberg presided over the trial.
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