U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Crane Co.'s Appeal of Missouri Appellate Court Ruling

HOUSTON, March 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Monday, March 26 that it will not consider Crane Co.'s appeal of the Missouri Court of Appeals' ruling on Crane Co. v. Poage, Jeanette G.

Crane Co., a multi-billion dollar industrial products company based in Stamford, CT, appealed the Missouri appellate courts' decision to uphold the original $11.5 million jury verdict in favor of Jeanette Poage, the widow of James Poage, who died of mesothelioma in 2012. At trial, the jury awarded $1.5 million in compensatory damages and an additional $10 million for punitive damages.

Mr. Poage contracted the cancer after being exposed to asbestos while working on the USS Haynsworth, a World War II-era ship, from 1954 to 1958. Throughout the litigation, Crane Co. argued that there wasn't sufficient evidence to find the company liable, and even if the company was ultimately found liable, punitive damages were improper under a variety of defense theories.

This line of argument never gained traction with the courts, as Crane Co. lost at the jury trial, before both the Missouri Court of Appeals and Missouri Supreme Court, and ultimately at the U.S. Supreme Court.  Bailey Peavy Bailey Cowan Heckaman's attorneys Robert Cowan, who is listed as counsel of record before the U.S. Supreme Court, Aaron Heckaman, and Justin Jenson, along with Missouri co-appellate-counsel Michael Gross and Joe Yeckel and Houston trial lawyer Fletch Trammell, successfully represented Ms. Poage throughout her case and defeated Crane Co. at every turn.

"We are pleased to finally have reached this great result for our client," said Mr. Cowan.  "The legal positions that our law firm and co-counsel staked out on behalf of Mrs. Poage in the trial court, the Missouri appellate courts, and now the United States Supreme Court have been fully vindicated."

Bailey Peavy Bailey Cowan Heckaman is a trial-ready national law practice based out of Houston, TX. Attorneys on staff have decades of experience, an invaluable asset during any trial, whether our client is facing down a single person or a multi-billion dollar corporation. With the knowledge only time can cultivate, we understand exactly the level of commitment, time, and resources each case needs, and we remain committed to providing the passionate legal representation our clients deserve in order to secure them the maximum compensation possible. Learn more about our firm by visiting our website at https://www.bpblaw.com/.

SOURCE Bailey Peavy Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC