EAST WENATCHEE RETIRED TEACHER WINS $10 MILLION JUDGEMENT IN ASBESTOS CASE

SEATTLE, Dec. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A unanimous King County jury has awarded $10 million to George Kraemer, 79 of East Wenatchee who is suffering from mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.  The verdict is unusual because Kraemer's exposure happened nearly 80 years ago when his father brought the cancerous dust home on his clothes from working at a Puget Sound shipyard during World War II. 

Lone Star Industries was found liable based on evidence that its predecessor company, Pioneer Sand & Gravel, supplied asbestos insulation to Todd Shipyard when it built destroyers for the war effort in the early 1940s. Kramer's father Charles Kraemer worked as an insulator at the shipyard and brought asbestos fibers home on his contaminated work clothes, exposing his entire family to toxic dust.

"We are grateful the court found in favor of our case," said Kraemer. "It set a precedent so others afflicted with this disease may find justice in the future. Our family has been through a lot in the past few years so the judgment will ease the financial medical burden but moreover we're just relived to know those responsible have been held accountable. I was an innocent toddler when I was exposed to asbestos in my own home."

Kraemer was assistant principal at Eastmont Junior High from 1991 until his retirement in 1999.  A middle school science teacher, coach, and administrator; Kraemer's career spanned more than 30 years including the Shoreline, Lake Washington and Eastmont school districts. 

Kramer worked with trial attorney Venessa Oslund at Bergman Draper Oslund Udo, who successfully obtained the $10 million verdict. The trial was unusual in that it occurred virtually with the judge, jury, plaintiff, and defense counsels all participating online to argue and judge the case.

"We are grateful that George Kraemer was able participate in his trial and see a jury hold Lone Star Industries accountable for failing to protect him from asbestos hazards. Many of our clients have spent years hoping for justice." said Oslund. "To have a swift and just outcome shows the importance of this type of case."

George Kraemer was the youngest of three children who grew up in the Lake City neighborhood of Seattle.  His father started working at the shipyard just before Pearl Harbor and continued to make asbestos-insulated wrappings for pipes throughout the war effort. George's father died of lung related illness in 1970.  One of his older siblings was diagnosed with asbestosis in the 1980s.  George's own lung disease was first diagnosed in 2001.  Nearly 20 years later, doctors confirmed his diagnosis of mesothelioma in July 2021.

"A lawsuit was the last thing on our minds," said Kraemer. "But I started seeing ads about national lawyers who took these cases but we wanted to work with someone local. That's how we found the Bergman law firm. From the start, they became our advocates and helped us navigate the stress of litigation."

The lawsuit was heard by King County Superior Court Judge Judith H. Ramseyer and lasted two weeks. The jury's verdict was delivered on November 23, 2021

Background:

Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring minerals composed of soft, flexible fibers that are heat resistant. It was widely used though the 1970s. Its diverse applications included fire-retardant coatings, concrete, bricks, pipes, and fireplace cement, heat-, fire-, and acid-resistant gaskets, pipe insulation, ceiling insulation, fireproof drywall, flooring, roofing, lawn furniture and drywall joint compound.  

Mesothelioma is a relatively rare disease that afflicts 2,500 to 3,000 Americans every year. It occurs when asbestos fibers are inhaled and become embedded in the protective lining of the lungs (pleura). Overtime, asbestos fibers cause inflammation and scarring within the lining that can cause genetic mutation that leads to cancer. Mesothelioma typically arises 30 to 50 years after an individual is exposed to asbestos. While chemotherapy can slow the progression of the disease, there is no cure and most mesothelioma victims die within six to eighteen months of their diagnosis. Unlike lung cancer, mesothelioma is only caused by asbestos and not impacted by cigarette smoking.

Mesothelioma is not limited to the trades who work directly with asbestos products but impacts anyone in the work area who breaths asbestos dust released by this work. Mesothelioma also afflicts family members of exposed workers who bring asbestos dust home on their work clothes. 

Washington state has the fourth highest rate of mesothelioma in the United States based on the high proportion of its population who worked in the shipbuilding, aluminum, and wood processing industries.

SOURCE Bergman Draper Oslund Udo