The Virginia Supreme Court upheld a $3.4 million jury verdict in the wrongful death suit maintained by the family of shipyard worker Garland F. "Buddy" Jones Jr., who died of mesothelioma in 2005. Jones, who had been an employee of Newport News Shipbuilding from 1963 to 1967, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in January 2005 and passed away within six months of his diagnosis. Jones lived only long enough to file suit in Newport News Circuit Court against defendants John Crane, Inc., Johns Manville Corp., and Garlock Sealing Technologies.

His family, led by his wife Wanda T. Jones, continued the fight on his behalf, garnering a jury verdict of $10.4 million in July 2006, which a judge later reduced to $10 million. The jury found John Crane responsible for $3.4 million, and Johns Manville and Garlock responsible for $3.3 million each. Since both Johns Mansville and Garlock settled their cases with the family prior to the verdict (for far less than the jury award), Crane was the only one to appeal the $3.4 million award to the Virginia Supreme Court. The Court upheld the verdict finding that it was not excessive or disproportionate to the injuries suffered by Jones.

According to the attorneys who handled the case on behalf of the Jones family, the $3.4 million verdict is among the largest in a Virginia asbestos case. The award will be shared by Jones' three children who expressed gratitude to the Court for upholding the verdict but found the victory bittersweet, as their mother Wanda died of an unrelated cancer just three weeks ago. It remains to be seen whether Crane will appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.