California Jury Awards $700,000 to Family of Mesothelioma Victim

SAN FRACISCO - The family of a retired merchant seaman who died of mesothelioma has been awarded more than $700,000 by a jury in San Francisco. Mak v. Asbestos Defendants (BHC), No. SCV-305526 (Calif. Super. Ct., San Francisco Cty.).

The jury unanimously found on Aug. 30 that defendant Moore Dry Dock Company was negligent in its installation, supply and sale of asbestos-containing ships, concluding that the vessels were defective in design. The jury also found that the company had been aware of the dangers associated with asbestos exposure, but failed to warn the plaintiff.

Plaintiff Benjamin Mak, a native of …