James Wylder and Lisa Corwin of the Bloomington law firm Wylder Corwin Kelly, LLP were the lawyers representing Jayne Menssen in a 4 week trial in which a McLean County jury returned a verdict in the amount of $17,870,000 against defendants Pneumo Abex, LLC, and Honeywell International, Inc.
The jury assessed compensatory damages in the amount of $3,500,000 against both defendants Pnuemo Abex, LLC and Honeywell International, Inc. The jury further assessed punitive damages against defendant Pneumo Abex, LLC in the amount of $4,370,000, and against defendant Honeywell International, Inc. in the amount of $10,000,000.
Jayne Menssen contracted mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos when she worked as a secretary at Union Asbestos & Rubber Company, later called UNARCO Industries, Inc., in Bloomington from 1967-1969. Menssen was never warned of the dangers of asbestos.
The jury found Defendants, Pneumo Abex, LLC, and Honeywell International, Inc. (through their corporate predecessors Abex and Bendix) conspired with other companies, including UNARCO, Johns-Manville, Raybestos-Manhattan, Owens Corning and Metropolitan
Life Insurance Company, to suppress information about the hazards of asbestos, including an agreement not to warn their employees and customers about the hazards of asbestos.
The four week trial was held in McLean County in front of Judge Michael Prall. The jury deliberated for 1 day.
