Sylvestre v. New England Insulation Company

Case Fact Sheet

$7.55 M asbestos verdict awarded to Power Plant worker in Boston, Massachusetts mesothelioma trial against lone defendant.

Case Summary
A Boston jury handed down a verdict of $7.55 million dollars to a power plant worker and his wife against New England Insulation (NEI), which sold, distributed, ripped out, and installed asbestos insulation material until the early 1970s. Gerald Sylvestre, who was a former worker who oversaw equipment for a New Hampshire power plant, was exposed to asbestos by NEI workers performing asbestos insulation work at the power plant. As a result, Mr. Sylvestre was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, in 2015. He is currently undergoing treatment.

Verdict

• September 20, 2017
• $7,550,000 total award
• Breakdown:
  • $3,000,000 pain and suffering
  • $3,050,000 economic
  • $1,500,000 loss of consortium

Case Information

Civil Action No. 15-7031 Sylvestre et al v. New England Insulation Company
Trial length: 8 days     Deliberation Length: 3.5 hours

Jurisdiction

Middlesex County Superior Court, Common Wealth of Massachusetts
Hon. Heidi E. Brieger, presiding

Plaintiffs Experts

• David Christiani, MD, MPH occupational doctor
• Dr. Ellenbecker, CIH, industrial hygienist

Defense Experts

• Kyle Dotson, CIH from northern CA

Plaintiffs’ Counsel

• Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel (Los Angeles)
  • Gary Paul (lead trial attorney)
  • Susan Ulrich
• Waters & Kraus, LLP (Dallas)
  • Chris Johnson
• Thornton Law Firm (Boston) (co-counsel)
  • Andrew Wainwright, Andrea Marino Landry

Defense Counsel

• Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith (Boston, Hartford)
  Chris Tauro and Chris Sanetti

Disclaimer – Results obtained depend on the facts of each case. Award amounts are not actual cash amounts received by plaintiffs. Deductions are made for offsets, liens, attorney fees and expenses.

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