Mansir v. John Crane Inc.
Case Summary
William W. Mansir is a 70-year-old former Navy man who was born and raised in San Diego County. He currently resides in Ramona, California, with his wife, Teri M. Mansir. During his 10 years of service as a boiler technician in the Navy (1961-1971), Mr. Mansir was exposed to various asbestos-containing products, including gasket and packing material. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in September 2010 and recently received news that his disease, which initially responded to chemotherapy, has continued to worsen. On July 20, 2011, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the Mansirs for approx. $2.4 million, finding Defendant John Crane Inc. responsible for Mr. Mansir’s illness and apportioned a prorated 1/20th (5%) liability.
Verdict*
July 20, 2011
Approximately $2.4 million award, including:
$1.8 million in past and future non-economic damages
* John Crane Inc. apportioned a prorated 1/20th (5%) liability
Significance
The plaintiff lived to see the outcome of the trial — a rare occurrence since most mesothelioma patients die within six to 18 months of diagnosis.
The case originally involved 21 defendants; only John Crane Inc. and Kelly-Moore went to trial. Kelly-Moore settled soon after opening arguments.
The defendant’s attempts to shift blame to the Navy and other manufacturers did not excuse John Crane Inc. from liability.
Case Information
Case No. 37-2010-00104112-CU-AS-CTL: Mansir v. John Crane Inc.
Trial length: 5 weeks Deliberation: 4.5 days
Jurisdiction
San Diego County, Calif., Superior Court
Hon. Jeffrey B. Barton, presiding
Plaintiff’s Experts (live testimony)
Carl Andrew Brodkin, M.D., occupational medicine
David Bodkin, M.D., treating oncologist (rebuttal expert)
David Fractor, Ph.D., economist
Defense Expert (live testimony)
David A. Galbraith, M.D., asbestos expert
Amy Madl, Ph.D., toxicologist
Cmdr. James Delaney (U.S. Navy, ret.), Navy expert
Plaintiff’s Counsel
Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel (Los Angeles):
David Bricker (lead), Jonathan A. George, Peter Klausner
Defense Counsel
Hassard Bonnington LLP (San Francisco):
Robert Nelder, Nicole Roberts
Disclaimer – Results obtained depend on the facts of each case. Award amounts are not actual cash amounts received by plaintiffs. Deductions are made for liens, attorney fees and expenses.
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