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Utah Asbestos Victim Wins Largest Suit

Mesothelioma lawyers representing a Utah woman who contracted the deadly disease after years of asbestos exposure this week secured an award of $5.2 million for their client. The award for Vickie Warren, who is terminally ill from mesothelioma, was handed down by a Salt Lake City jury and is believed to be the largest ever asbestos verdict in the state.

Growing up in Provo, Utah, Warren often helped her father with home construction projects, where she helped clean up asbestos-laden joint compounds that her father used for wall repairs. Neither knew at the time that the materials they were handling were deadly. Those compounds were traced back to three companies, Georgia-Pacific LLP; Hamilton Materials, Inc.; and Union Carbide.

Warren was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2007. The terminal disease attacks the lining of the bodys internal organs and has no cure. Development of mesothelioma has been linked to exposure to asbestos, although the disease has an extremely long latency period of 20 years or more.

After a trial that lasted five and a half weeks, the jury decided that Georgia-Pacific and Hamilton Materials had produced defectively designed joint compounds made of asbestos-fiber products produced by Union Carbide.

Warren, who is very ill at present, was awarded approximately $1.4 million in economic damages and more than $3.7 million in noneconomic damages. Mesothelioma lawyers in other states often secure awards of much higher amounts to compensate their clients for pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and medical expenses.