Keefe Bartels Settles NJ Local 28 Boilermaker's Mesothelioma Case for over $1.4M

RED BANK, NJ, February 24, 2012

Patrick J. Bartels, Esq. and Jennifer L. Harwood, Esq. of Keefe Bartels represented the Estate of Vincent Cook and his widow, Muriel Cook in an asbestos case filed in Middlesex County, New Jersey (The Estate of Vincent Cook v. A.W. Chesterton Company, et al. Docket No. MID-L-4659-05 AS). Mr. Cook was a member of Local 28 Boilermakers Union, and worked as a boilermaker for over 40 years before he retired in 1988. As a boilermaker, he worked at numerous job sites throughout New Jersey including PSE&G sites at Hudson, Sewaren, Mercer, and Linden, and refineries such as Exxon, Texaco and Chevron. Mr. Cook was exposed to numerous types of asbestos materials while working on various pieces of equipment such as boilers and furnaces.

In April, 2005 Mr. Cook was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare form of malignant lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. He passed away from the mesothelioma on October 27, 2005. A lawsuit was filed on his behalf and his wife Muriel in Middlesex County, New Jersey on June 24, 2005. The Complaint named many jobsites and numerous manufacturers and suppliers of asbestos-containing materials to which Mr. Cook was exposed over his 40+ year career. In December, 2011, Mrs. Cook agreed to settle the last outstanding claims, on behalf of herself and the Estate of Vincent Cook for a total of over $1.4M.

"Although we are happy to have resolved this matter favorably for Mrs. Cook, this was the result of a needless loss of life. If the premises owners and manufacturers and suppliers of the asbestos materials had acted responsibly, Mr. Cook would not have suffered such a terrible death," stated Patrick Bartels.

Keefe Bartels, LLC's headquarters is located at 170 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701 with additional offices at 57 Paterson Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 and 56 Ferry Street, Newark, NJ 07105. For more information, please visit the firm's website at www.keefebartels.com.