Montana asbestos injury jury acquits W.R. Grace

July 27, 2009
9:20 pm

Justice Seeker

Heather L. Ryan, R.N., C.L.N.C- Heather Ryan is a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant with 15 years of experience in the health care industry. Her expertise in reviewing medical records and assisting lawyers with the determination as to whether legal action should be taken provides an invaluable asset to the newsroom. Medical-malpractice, products liability, personal injury and workers’ compensation are some of the recent areas of litigation Ms. Ryan has focused her efforts on. A member of the Florida Justice Association, Heather maintains a long list of certifications and credentials to support her areas of expertise and stays up-to-date with her clinical knowledge working as an emergency room/trauma nurse, at a Level 1, Adult/Pediatric trauma and teaching institution in South Florida.

Montana asbestos injury jury acquits W.R. Grace

A Montana asbestos exposure lawsuit trial argued by mesothelioma cancer lawyers representing Libby area residents ended with the jury ruling for W.R. Grace. W.R. Grace the owner of the Libby vermiculite mine won the asbestos injury claims filed by Montana personal injury attorneys.

Montana asbestos injury victims lose to W.R. Grace and Company in a Missoula personal injury court room after jury rules for vermiculite mine company.

Missoula, MT–A Federal District Court jury in Missoula, Montana, acquitted W.R. Grace and three of its executives, on Friday, of all charges, in the government’s federal asbestos violations lawsuit. As reported by the New York Times, lawyers for the federal government brought charges against the big chemical company alleging W.R. Grace knowingly contaminated the Montana mining town of Libby with asbestos. They also accused the chemical product manufacturing company, and three of its top executives, of conspiring to cover up exposing, the 2,600 person, mining town of toxic asbestos fibers. At least 200 people have died from asbestos related illnesses and diseases, like mesothelioma cancer, in Libby. Hundreds more residents, former mine workers, and consumers have been sickened by direct and secondary exposure to asbestos in the mining town.

W.R. Grace owned and operated the Zonolite Mountain vermiculite mine from 1963 to 1990. Federal regulators with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) www.epa.gov and asbestos exposure experts assert the asbestos came from mining the vermiculite. Asbestos is a known byproduct of vermiculite mining. Libby mine workers did not receive the proper asbestos education, information, nor protective work apparel when they mined the vermiculite day after day for decades.

Federal and state regulatory agencies like the U.S. Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) www.osha.gov and the EPA say no amount of exposure to asbestos is safe. OSHA requires workers, laborers, and miners to wear protective gear when handling and working around asbestos containing materials. Direct and secondary exposure to asbestos causes life-long illnesses and diseases, which medical experts state there is currently no cure. Asbestos injury care and mesothelioma cancer treatment focuses on symptom management because doctors and researchers have yet to find a cure.

Mesothelioma cancer lawyer news reports for Montana asbestos injury victims by Senior Law Correspondent, Heather L. Ryan.