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Chronic PCB exposure at school
October/November 2022Leaking light fixtures and other materials at The Sky Valley Education Center in Monroe, Wash., contained polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Three individuals who were students at the school from 2011 to 2015, as well as John Beutler, a maintenance worker for the school district from 2015 to 2016, suffered health problems, including neurobehavioral and neurocognitive problems, from their chronic PCB exposure.
The four sued Monsanto and sibling corporation Pharmacia LLC, alleging the PCBs were defective and that the defense was strictly liable for supplying a product that lacked adequate warnings, was not reasonably safe in construction, and was not reasonably safe as designed.
The jury awarded approximately $21.37 million, including more than $15 million in punitive damages.
Citation: Beutler v. Pharmacia LLC, No. 21-2-14302-1 SEA (Wash. Super. Ct. King Cty. June 2, 2022).
Plaintiff counsel: AAJ members Richard H. Friedman, Henry G. Jones, Sean J. Gamble, James A. Hertz, and Ronald J. Park, all of Seattle.
