Louisiana Man Awarded $3.2 Million in Asbestos Case
A former pipefitter and welder from Metairie, Louisiana was recently awarded $3.2 million by a Baton Rouge District Court for injuries resulting from asbestos exposure.
According to a recent press release by the law firm who represented Ray F. Rando, the judgment, signed by Judge Robert Burns in the 19th Judicial District Court for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, awards $2.8 million to Rando for pain, suffering and mental anguish, and $402,000 in special damages.
Though the case was tried in January, the final judgment was entered April 16 against Jacob Constructors (formerly H.E. Wiese Inc.), Parsons Infrastructure and Technology, Lou-Con Construction, insulator contractors Eagle and McCarty, Shell Oil Company, Tenneco and Murphy Oil.
Rando worked as both a pipefitter and welder at various locations, both commercial and industrial, since 1965. Now age 61, the Louisiana native was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma about 18 months ago. The only known cause of this form of cancer is exposure to asbestos. Evidence in the case showed that none of the defendants warned Rando as to the dangers of exposure to asbestos, with which he worked on a daily basis, even though they were aware of the hazards.
“Mr. Rando and his family are very glad that the court agreed with what we’ve said all along: that the defendants were responsible for exposing our client to deadly asbestos,” says Cameron Waddell, lead counsel for Mr. Rando. “Our team worked hard to make sure the facts were clear, and we are pleased that this judgment will help the Rando family.”
