Case Study

Judge Lyle Frank presided over the trial, and the jury determined the percentages of liability for each defendant. The Port Authority was found 25 percent liable, Mario & DiBono 30 percent liable, and Tishman 15 percent liable. All three defendants were deemed reckless, making them jointly and severally liable for the remaining 30 percent of responsibility.

Petro worked as a union pipefitter during the construction of the World Trade Center, which took place from 1966 to 1975. According to his complaint, Tishman was the general contractor, while the Port Authority controlled the site and construction details. Petro was present on site when DiBono applied the insulation, and he later developed lung cancer, allegedly due to inhaling asbestos fibers released during the insulation process.

The defendants attempted to attribute Petro’s lung cancer to his smoking habits, but the plaintiff’s legal team argued that he had quit smoking in 1970. Alternatively, the defendants pointed to other asbestos exposures as potential causes of Petro’s illness.

Expert witnesses who testified on behalf of the plaintiff included Dr. Arthur Frank, Dr. David Zhang, Dr. Steven Markowitz, Dr. Barry Castleman, and Steven Paskal. The defense relied on experts Drs. Louis Kyriakoudes and Benjamin Safirstein.