The cancer case of a retired Georgia truck driver centers on allegations of decades of exposure to toxic gas from a medical-equipment sterilization plant. He won a $70 million verdict that has survived an appeal.
Gary Walker, the retired truck driver, is not yet assured of the full amount: a new jury could cut the award to $20.25 million.
Here’s what to know
The Georgia Court of Appeals rejected a request from Becton, Dickinson and Company, along with predecessor C.R. Bard, to overturn the verdict and retry the entire case, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A limited retrial will instead determine whether Georgia’s cap on punitive damages applies.
Walker’s award consisted of $50 million in punitive damages and $20 million in compensatory damages. The Gwinnett County jury held the companies liable for creating a public nuisance and for negligence. The companies denied wrongdoing…