A jury in New York has ruled that a company had to pay $6.4 million to a plaintiff who alleged that his mesothelioma had been caused by his exposure to asbestos while he was working. The case is Meissner v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., No. 7953/18 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Monroe Co. Nov. 15, 2019).

Wayne Meissner alleged that, in March 2018, he began to experience impairment of his respiration and also developed a persistent cough. Several months later, he said, he learned that his symptoms were a product of pleural mesothelioma – an aggressive, incurable cancer that can result from ingestion or inhalation of fibers of asbestos.

Meissner said that, from 1964 and 1966, he was a laborer working at residential sites that were being renovated. He claimed that his work required use of an asbestos-containing joint compound that was manufactured by a now-defunct company: Chicago-based United States Gypsum Corp.