fbpx

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.

To learn more about our national plaintiffs’ attorneys or the law firm’s resources or to have a Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel, LLP attorney review your potential case, call 800.226.9880 or email us.

What are my chances?

That’s the first question everyone asks. The truth is it’s impossible to know. But we can tell you this. Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel has what it takes to fight against big corporate interests and win. That’s why we’ve taken more mesothelioma trials to verdict than any other firm. And that’s why we’ve recovered more than $1.3 billion for clients like you. Do you think you have a case? Contact us now to speak with an attorney.

Call 800.226.9880