Tempers began to flare last week as the possible billion-dollar asbestos trial of Willis Whisnat Jr. et al vs. DuPont De Nemours wrapped up its third week of testimony.

Whisnat, was a pipefitter at DuPont's Sabine Works facility in Beaumont. He was also a lifelong smoker. Allegedly, back in 1968 when he worked as an independent contractor, Whisnat was allegedly exposed to enough asbestos fibers to contract mesothelioma. He finally died from the disease in the late 1990's, when he was 72 years of age.

Jurors heard excerpts of depositions given by several former DuPont workers this week, all of whom had worked with Whisnat during the late '60s. They testified that they never saw Whisnat wearing a respirator. Dupont claimed that safety policies during this time required employees to wear respirators during exposure to 'extreme' dust. However, an industrial hygienist, hired by the plaintiffs, passionately testified that workers were not capable of determining when they were working in 'extreme' dusty conditions. The expert became so impassioned that he began shouting at the DuPont defense attorney, Larry Cotten.

Cotten asked if the man was upset with him. The plaintiff's expert responded by saying, "I'm upset with (DuPont) for not implementing (adequate asbestos safety) programs."

The trial is expected to conclude in mid-March.

DuPont Trial