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Jury Awards Our Client $11,500,000 in Damages in Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Case

After recovering settlements of nearly $700,000 for our mesothelioma client, Jeanette Poage, we won a hard-fought two-week trial in St. Louis, MO, on July 2, 2015, with an $11,500,000 verdict for Mrs. Poage’s loss of her husband, James Poage. The jury found Crane Co. liable for the death of her husband and awarded her $1,500,000 in compensatory damages and another $10,000,000 in punitive damages.
This decision was affirmed on all points by a unanimous decision of three justices. The entire damage report was upheld for $10.8 million in settlements.

James Poage served honorably in the US Navy as a machinist mate from 1954 to 1958, where he was exposed to asbestos. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in September 2013 and passed away in May 2014.

The team of attorneys on Mrs. Poage’s case from SWMW Law were Ben Schmickle and Lauren Boaz, who worked with attorneys from Trammell, PC and Bailey Peavey Bailey, along with many hard-working, sleep-deprived support staff. While Crane Co. has filed an appeal, we are confident our outstanding appellate team will prevail.