Preg O'Donnell & Gillett has had a major role in protecting the rights and interests of manufacturers, distributors, and contractors sued for asbestos exposure in Washington and Oregon and has provided clients with strategic national coordination of claims to globally manage litigation risks and costs. Among the many clients we have successfully defended are:
- manufacturers and distributors of heavy cranes,
- industrial strainers, steam pumps and valves,
- automotive brakes and clutches,
- industrial brake mechanisms, gaskets, drywall taping and joint compounds,
- vinyl floor tiles, and
- other products used in the construction trades, industrial settings, or in the home.
Our attorneys have years of experience in asbestos defense, some with prior backgrounds in fields such as industrial hygiene and environmental and public health. With our strong roots in traditional product liability, we are well-versed in how products are used in the industrial, commercial, and residential environments. Our attorneys work hard at keeping abreast of current developments in asbestos science and medicine and have established good working relationships with national and local experts for trial readiness.
Asbestos litigation has evolved over the years, and it is changing once again. The mass filings of asbestosis claims of the recent past have given way to a focus on fewer, but singularly more serious cancer cases, like mesothelioma. The wisdom of maintaining a low profile to control transaction costs for many defendants in these high-stake cases has come into question. As a result, while we prepare each case for trial, we also aggressively pursue innovative and creative strategies to achieve early dismissals or encourage timely favorable settlements.
We seek opportunities to improve the substantive law to better protect our clients, and in Claire v. Saberhagen Holdings, Inc., 129 Wn. App. 599, 123 P.3d 465 (2005), we successfully helped shape reasonable limits for the accrual of the statute of limitations for asbestos claims. At Preg O'Donnell & Gillett, we believe that zealous representation cannot be successful unless it is also cost effective for our clients, and we are dedicated to delivering both.
