New Jersey Mesothelioma Attorneys Win $7.5M Asbestos Verdict

New Jersey mesothelioma attorneys from the nationally-acclaimed asbestos law firm Levy Konigsberg LLP obtain a $7.5M verdict, including a $1M award of punitive damages, for a victim of mesothelioma and his wife.

NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey, January 15, 2015 - William and Debbie Condon of Lake Hopatcong, NJ – represented by mesothelioma attorneys Moshe Maimon and Joseph J. Mandia of Levy Konigsberg LLP - won a month-long trial against Pecora Corporation¹. The jury verdict awarded $6.5M in compensatory damages for Mr. Condon's asbestos-caused mesothelioma. The jury also determined that Pecora had acted in wanton and willful disregard of his rights - and further awarded $1M in punitive damages.

Known to his co-workers as "Billy Boiler," Mr. Condon, who is currently 67 years old, installed heating and air conditioning systems, including boilers, for 11 years (1973-1984) while he was employed at Fritze Heating and Cooling of Whippany, New Jersey. Asbestos, including Pecora's Asbestos Furnace Cement, came with the boilers he installed, and it was Mr. Condon's exposure to these products that resulted in him developing mesothelioma, a terminal cancer, in June of 2013. Mr. Condon testified in Court that, prior to being diagnosed with mesothelioma, he had a "great life," which includes his "wonderful wife" (they have been together for 50 years), and two children.

The evidence presented at trial showed that before Mr. Condon ever worked with its Asbestos Furnace Cement, Pecora was warned about the hazards of asbestos by its own asbestos suppliers. Yet, Pecora took no action to eliminate the hazards of asbestos from its product or to warn Mr. Condon (or others) about those hazards so that he could protect himself. Finally, the evidence showed that, during the time period in which Mr. Condon was working with Pecora's Asbestos Furnace Cement, Pecora's own president was diagnosed with mesothelioma and filed his own lawsuit seeking justice for his asbestos-related cancer. Despite this, Pecora did not stop making asbestos-containing products and removed asbestos from its products only 5 years later when its insurers would no longer cover asbestos-related risk.

After considering the evidence, the jury awarded $1M in punitive damages against Pecora. The Honorable Ana C. Viscomi – Superior Court Judge - presided over the trial. Punitive damages are designed to punish a wrongdoer for particularly egregious conduct and to deter that party from future misconduct².

Levy Konigsberg LLP is a nationally recognized asbestos litigation firm specializing in the representation of mesothelioma and lung cancer victims for close to 30 years.

For more information about this verdict, please contact New Jersey mesothelioma attorneys Moshe Maimon or Joseph Mandia at 1-800-724-6510 or by email inquiry to jmandia@levylaw.com.

ATTENTION: Mesothelioma has no known cure and often causes severe pain, suffering, and other types of damage, such as loss of consortium, and loss of income. Additionally, due to the exceedingly high cost of mesothelioma treatments, many families exhaust savings and accumulate financial debt in order to pay for the medical expenses of their family member.
Under the law of most states, pain and suffering from mesothelioma may be compensated through the award of money damages, usually obtained with the help of experienced mesothelioma attorneys. In some states other types of damages may also be recovered.
Asbestos litigation affords mesothelioma victims the opportunity to receive financial compensation and hold accountable the companies that caused their asbestos exposure.

IMPORTANT: If you or your family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should get in touch with a mesothelioma lawyer as early as possible to determine if you have a mesothelioma case and to:

Preserve your rights to bring a legal action against the responsible parties within the limited time frame allowed by law, known as statute of limitations;

Obtain maximum compensation in your case by being able to:

Preserve evidence and establish facts of the asbestos exposure while the claimant is still alive and able to provide information;
File and resolve a lawsuit against the responsible parties before they file for bankruptcy or, if they already have, to obtain compensation before their bankruptcy trust funds run out of money;

Expedite your case, as courts tend to give higher priority to mesothelioma lawsuits where the claimant is still alive.

Find out whether you have a case by speaking to one of our experienced mesothelioma lawyers via our 24/7 toll-free hotline at 1-800-565-1507 or by submitting an email inquiry (see form above). Our attorneys will be quick to respond to you and happy to answer all of your questions.NOTE: While our offices are located in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Georgia, many of our mesothelioma lawyers are licensed to practice law in a number of U.S. states and have the capability and extensive experience of representing mesothelioma clients throughout the United States.

¹ Condon v. Advanced Thermal Hydronics, et al., Docket No.: MID-L-5695-13AS, Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Middlesex County;
² New Jersey Model Jury Charge 8.62, Punitive Damages Actions - Products Liability (Approved 1/1997; Revised 12/2011).

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