Jury finds valve company liable for former welder’s exposure to asbestos
NEW YORK – Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation’s leading mesothelioma law firms, is pleased to announce a New York Supreme Court jury has awarded $4.6 million to Thomas McGlynn of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, who suffers from mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibers.
McGlynn, 75, contracted mesothelioma after working with asbestos-contaminated valves manufactured by Jenkin Bros. of Hartford, Connecticut.
As a welder, McGlynn was exposed to valves manufactured by Jenkins Bros. that contained asbestos-contaminated gaskets, packing and insulation while building and rehabbing boiler rooms on ships in and around New York City in the 1970s and ‘80s. He was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma on May 16, 2016.
Firm Shareholders Daniel P. Blouin, Jim Kramer, Brian J. Cooke and Karoline Carstens represented McGlynn and his family in Thomas McGlynn v. Jenkins Bros., No. 16-190219.
“While no amount of money can give Thomas back his health, we are extremely pleased that Jenkins Bros. is being held accountable for knowingly exposing Thomas to cancer-causing asbestos,” said Blouin, lead trial attorney on the case. “We hope this result brings some relief to Thomas and his family.”
Expert testimony during the trial linked McGlynn’s exposure to asbestos fibers. The verdict holds Jenkins Bros. partially responsible for McGlynn’s exposure to asbestos but applies 100 percent liability to the company for what the jury called “reckless” behavior in exposing McGlynn to the deadly carcinogen.
Founded in 1868, Jenkins Bros. is now a part of Liberty Mutual Group, Inc. and was a manufacturer of valves and rubber goods. Jenkins was represented by Clyde & Co, one of the largest defense law firms in the world.
Michael and Anna Idell, close family friends who have been caring for McGlynn since he was diagnosed, testified at trial and said the result was important for all workers. “We hope today sends a message to companies to put people’s safety first,” said Michael Idell.
McGlynn’s son, Craig, lives in New Jersey and is in the Plumbers Union Local 24. McGlynn emigrated with his wife, Agnes Cummings McGlynn, from Scotland to the United States in 1970. Agnes McGlynn died in 2012. Another son, Mark, is deceased.
