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Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular)
Product Liability
Asbestos

Zakar Toopinian v. A C and S, Inc.; et al.

Published: Oct. 1, 1994 | Result Date: Jul. 29, 1994 | Filing Date: Jan. 1, 1900 |

Case number: 948561 –  $121,450

Judge

John E. Dearman

Court

San Francisco Superior


Attorneys

Plaintiff

Thomas A. Paoli
(Paoli & Geerhart LLP)


Defendant

Jerome Dougherty


Experts

Plaintiff

Gordon Gamsu
(medical)

Allan H. Smith
(medical)

Richard Cohen
(medical)

Carolyn S. Ray
(medical)

Defendant

Charles McDonald
(medical)

Eric M. Gershwin M.D.
(medical)

Norman Moscow M.D.
(medical)

Facts

Plaintiff, now a retired shipyard electrician, discovered that he was a victim of pleural disease and asbestosis through a high-resolution CT scan.

Settlement Discussions

Plaintiff contends he demanded $5,000 and Defendant offered $150 before trial and $500 at trial.

Specials in Evidence

$21,450

Injuries

Asbestosis and pleural plaques (no treatments possible).

Other Information

The five-week trial included 19 cases; this Plaintiff's case was the only one which proceeded to a verdict. The other 18 Plaintiffs settled their cases for undisclosed amounts. On October 7, 1994, Superior Court Judge John Dearman granted a defense motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict because a key witness could not remember the name of the ship in which he installed asbestos, or the exact year.

Deliberation

2 days

Poll

12-0

Length

5 weeks


#78148

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