November 06, 2006

...but under principles of sovereign immunity will pay 0 percent of the $10.5 million award a San Francisco jury gave plaintiff George Barnes, who worked at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. The Thorpe Insulation Co., "the lone named defendant at trial", probably won't have the money to pay its assigned 15 percent of the responsibility. Several other defendants settled before trial. Naval shipyard workers are at the center of the epidemic as regards serious asbestos-related disease; if you Google "Long Beach Naval Shipyard", a sponsored link will lead you to asbestos lawyers who will proceed to sue everyone but the Navy on your behalf.