Thomas Glenn was a worker at Duke Energy from 1970 to 1997. During this time he would come into contact with asbestos regularly as he performed his duties of inspecting pumps, fitting pipes, and more. He would then die at the age of 69 just months after being diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness. Law firm Dean Omar Branham Shirley represented his widow, Rita Glenn, in court, and got her a $5.1 settlement from Fisher Controls LLC. Here are the details.
Three Companies Sued
In addition to Fisher Controls LLC, Carboline Co. and Crosby Valves LLC were also sued. However, the jury acquitted Carboline and Crosby, leaving Fisher to take the blame and be held liable for breaching the implied warranty of selling its products. Fisher tried to deflect the blame by saying that Duke Energy was the responsible party because they knew about the dangers and warned their employees. They also said that Thomas Glenn himself knew about the dangers as well. In the end, the jury still found Fisher guilty thanks to the work of Dean Omar.
Damages Awarded
Dean Omar won a big victory for the community in this case. $2 million was awarded to Rita Glenn in compensatory damages, and a further 2.1 was awarded in punitive damages. In fact, it was stated that Fisher was “willful, wanton, and reckless” in their actions. A further $1 million was awarded to Rita Glenn for the loss of consortium with her husband. This came to a total of $5.1 million in damages awarded thanks to the hard work of Dean Omar.