Jay served as lead trial counsel for Bill Pfeifer and his family. Bill Pfeifer contracted mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos products, including John Crane gaskets and packing. Plaintiffs proved that John Crane knew or should have known that asbestos was deadly for decades, but failed to take the proper precautions to protect Mr. Pfeifer. The jury found that John Crane was negligent, that its products were unreasonably dangerous, and that it failed to warn of asbestos related dangers.  The jury awarded substantial compensatory and punitive damages, and the case was affirmed on appeal by the California Court of Appeals.  The verdict was recognized as one of the top 100 in the nation, and the reported opinion remains one of the most significant cases on punitive damages in California jurisprudence.

Jay served as lead trial counsel for Barbara Bobo’s family in this federal bench trial in Alabama. Mrs. Bobo developed and died from mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos on her husband’s work clothing.  He had been a laborer at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant for many years, and routinely wore his work clothes home to be laundered by Mrs. Bobo.  U.S. District Judge Lynwood Smith found that the TVA had violated its own safety codes in allowing asbestos fibers to contaminate his clothing and was therefore negligent. The multi-million dollar judgment was affirmed by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

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Jay served as lead trial counsel representing the family of Keith Urbach. Mr. Urbach had developed mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos-containing products, including asbestos-containing fixture wire manufactured by Okonite, during his career as an electrician.  Okonite claimed that it never made the product at issue, and even if it did, that the product could not have caused mesothelioma.  The jury disagreed, finding Okonite was negligent and that its asbestos-containing fixture wire was in a defective condition unreasonably dangerous to its users. The multi-million dollar verdict was recognized as one of the year’s top verdicts in Missouri.

Jay served as lead trial counsel for the family of Ed Ford, who died from mesothelioma after having worked in a steel mill for decades. Among other products, he worked with and around asbestos containing “hot tops” used in steel production. The jury found that the manufacturer of the hot tops was negligent and strictly liable for their defective asbestos products and awarded substantial damages.

Jay served as lead trial counsel for the family of Bill Ihlenfeld, who died from mesothelioma after having worked in a steel mill for decades. Among other products, he worked with and around asbestos containing “hot tops” used in steel production. The jury found that the manufacturer of the asbestos liners used in hot tops was negligent and strictly liable for their defective asbestos products and awarded substantial damages.

Jay served as lead trial counsel for the family of Bill McCann, who died from mesothelioma after having worked in a steel mill for decades. Among other products, he worked around asbestos containing “hot tops” used in steel production. The jury found that the manufacturer of the asbestos liners used in hot tops was negligent and strictly liable for their defective asbestos products and awarded substantial damages.

Jay served as lead trial counsel for the Voelker family after Bill Voelker died of mesothelioma caused by his extensive exposure to asbestos products, including John Crane gaskets. Plaintiffs proved that John Crane knew or should have known that asbestos was deadly for decades, but failed to take the proper precautions to protect Mr. Voelker. The jury found that John Crane was negligent, that their products were unreasonably dangerous, and that they failed to warn of asbestos related dangers.  Although the Plaintiffs readily admitted exposure to many other asbestos products, the jury found that John Crane failed to establish that any other party was negligent and found John Crane 100% responsible for Mr. Voelker’s disease.

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