Client Success Story: $6.3 Million Recovered for a Foundry Worker Exposed to Asbestos

We had a case where we were able to obtain a $6.3 million settlement for someone who worked at the Atlas Foundry in Tacoma, Washington. That job site was a foundry that made complex steel components using sand molds. They would have huge molds, fill them with sand, pour in molten metal to create a shape, let it cool, and it would become a piece of industrial equipment.

The downside of that process was that asbestos materials were used during production. They used insulating sleeves, riser sleeves, and some talc containing asbestos in the molds. This case came to us, and we represented our client. We filed the case, and at the same time, a second person at the same plant contracted mesothelioma. This was an extremely rare situation but also a demonstration of the fact that asbestos was prevalent at that job site.

Those cases were brought together, and we ultimately started the trial in that case. It’s really important in asbestos cases, as in any litigation, to demonstrate to the defendants that you’re willing to start the trial and complete it if necessary in order to get the best settlements possible. That’s something that our firm does best: starting trials and finishing trials, either taking the matter to a jury and letting them decide or reaching the best settlement. In this case, we started the trial, which led to the defendants making their highest settlement offer. Ultimately, we were able to reach the settlement that we did because of that.