Kazan Law filed suit on behalf of Timothy and Caroline Vest in December 2009 against the manufacturers of the asbestos products he was exposed to, as well as the property owner, tenant, and contractors at the hangar. Kazan Law was able to defeat the defendants’ two attempts to remove the case to Federal Court in Philadelphia. The trial began in February 2012 against Dowman Products, Inc., which manufactured the joint compound used to build and remodel the office spaces at the hangar. The case settled the following week during jury selection. (Timothy and Caroline Vest v. Allied Packing & Supply, Inc., et al., Case No. RG09489518, Alameda County Superior Court )
In September 2009 at the age of 44, Timothy Vest was diagnosed with mesothelioma. He and his wife Caroline had three young children together at the time of his diagnosis.
Mr. Vest is a highly skilled airline pilot for a major carrier. His exposure to asbestos came as a result of his love of flying. His father was a senior pilot and later executive for World Airways. Young Tim often went with his father to the World Airways hanger at the Oakland Airport on the weekends so he could see the planes being repaired. The hangar, which was one of the largest in the country at the time, was first opened in 1973. Tim visited the hangar twice during construction, when he was exposed to the asbestos-containing fireproofing being sprayed. During the trips to the hangar after it opened, Mr. Vest breathed asbestos dust from the fireproofing in the hangar, from asbestos parts and epoxy on the planes, and from the asbestos drywall products used in the office spaces. Neither Vest knew they were being exposed to this invisible toxin.
When he turned 16, Tim Vest got his pilot’s license. He flew for Emery Worldwide throughout the 1990s, and was awarded the Civilian Air Medal by President George H.W. Bush for his work supporting Operation Desert Storm. Tim also flew relief missions to Chernobyl and Darfur. In 2001, Tim began flying for JetBlue.