Jury Awards $24.4 Million to Chicago Area Family in Asbestos-Contaminated Talc Exposure Case Against Avon

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Jul 29, 2024, 09:00 ET

Simmons Hanly Conroy attorneys represented Cipriano Ramirez who was diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer after working at an Avon facility outside of Chicago

CHICAGO, July 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation's largest mesothelioma law firms, has secured a $24.4 million verdict against Avon Products, Inc. on behalf of the family of Cipriano Ramirez, a Chicago area resident diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare and fatal cancer caused by asbestos-contaminated talcum powder exposure.

Mr. Ramirez was exposed to asbestos in the 1980s while working at Avon's facility in Morton Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, where the company processed asbestos-contaminated talc and manufactured products containing asbestos-contaminated talc. Ramirez worked as a janitor at the facility in the early 1980s.

The jury found Avon at fault and awarded $24.4 million to Ramirez and his family, including his wife, Maria.

"After carefully reviewing the facts of the case, the jury rejected Avon's reprehensible attempts to impugn the dignity and integrity of Cipriano Ramirez and found that Avon was responsible for his cancer diagnosis," said firm Partner Jennifer Alesio, who served as lead trial attorney with Partner James Kramer. "No amount can give Mr. Ramirez his health back, but we are so proud of how hard this jury worked to hold Avon accountable on his family's behalf."

In addition to Alesio and Kramer, Simmons Hanly Conroy Shareholders Taylor Kerns, Phil Proud and Cody Favilla represented the Ramirez family in the Circuit Court of Cook County before the Hon. Scott McKenna.

Ramirez was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in 2023. Pleural mesothelioma is caused by inhaling asbestos fibers that become lodged in the protective lining of the lungs.

"Mr. Ramirez dedicated his life to working hard for his family," said Kramer. "He should be enjoying retirement but has been forced to spend his time fighting a cancer that could have been prevented."

The verdict is the 14th mesothelioma verdict Simmons Hanly Conroy has won on behalf of mesothelioma patients in the past seven years. The trial lasted more than a month.

The case is Cipriano Ramirez and Maria Ramirez v. Avon Products, Inc., et al., case no. 2023L004386 in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.

About Simmons Hanly Conroy LLP

Simmons Hanly Conroy, with over 275 employees, including over 90 attorneys practicing nationwide, is one of the country's largest plaintiff law firms dedicated to holding corporations responsible for wrongdoing. Primary areas of litigation include mesothelioma and asbestos, pharmaceutical and medical device injuries, consumer protection class actions, environmental injuries and protection, and complex personal injury. The firm's attorneys have been appointed to leadership in numerous national multidistrict litigations, including prescription opioids, Vioxx, Yaz, Toyota unintended acceleration, BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, DePuy Pinnacle, Uber Rideshare sexual assault, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Norfolk Southern East Palestine train derailment and the Volkswagen emission scandal. Since 1999, the firm has successfully secured $10.6 billion in verdicts and settlements for thousands of clients nationwide and is a major supporter of asbestos-related cancer research. Offices are located in Alton, Illinois; Boston; Los Angeles; New York City; San Francisco; and St. Louis. Read more at www.simmonsfirm.com.

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