Client: Orrly K.
Category: Industrial Mesothelioma
Start Date: September 8
End Date: June 3
Tag: Asbestos, Workplace Safety
Budgets: $225,000.00 USD
Orrly Kowalski’s 32-year career installing asbestos insulation at Bethlehem Steel ended when he was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma at age 68. This case exposed how asbestos manufacturers knowingly endangered workers while concealing health risks.
The Exposure
Orrly worked without protection in clouds of asbestos dust, breathing in deadly fibers daily. Internal documents showed companies knew since the 1930s that asbestos caused cancer but prioritized profits over lives.
Corporate Defenses
Manufacturers argued:
- Orrly’s smoking history caused his cancer
- Statute of limitations had expired
- Bankruptcy protections shielded them
Our Evidence
- The “Summer Snow” Memos: Internal documents joking about asbestos dust
- Lung Analysis: Showing thousands of amphibole fibers
- Suppressed Research: 1950s studies proving cancer links
- Worker Testimony: About absent safety equipment
Scientific Challenges
We retained:
- Pathologists to analyze tissue samples
- Industrial hygienists to reconstruct exposure levels
- Oncologists to establish causation
Resolution
After navigating 14 bankrupt defendants, we secured:
- $4.2 million from remaining solvent companies
- Additional $1.8 million from asbestos trust funds
- Medicare set-aside for ongoing treatment
The case contributed to new OSHA asbestos handling regulations.
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