Man wins $7 million in popcorn lung lawsuit
DENVER (AP) - A suburban Denver man who was diagnosed with "popcorn lung," possibly from inhaling the artificial butter smell of the microwave popcorn he regularly ate, has won a $7.2 million verdict against various food companies.
Wayne Watson's attorney, Ken McClain, said a federal jury granted the award Wednesday against Gilster-Mary Lee Corp., The Kroger Co. and Dillon Companies Inc. after he developed respiratory problems in 2007.
Watson previously settled claims against the flavor developer FONA International Inc., formerly Flavors of North America Inc.
Watson argued the companies failed to warn consumers that inhaling the buttery aroma could put them at risk of lung injury.
KCNC-TV in Denver reports defense attorneys had argued Watson's health problems stemmed not from popcorn but from his years of working with carpet-cleaning chemicals.
Jerk. problem with society.
7 million? I hope this useless jerk chokes on it
**shaking head**
Now why didn't I think of that...(facepalm)...
Back to work for me...
So to become a millionaire all you have to do is sit around on my lazy butt and eat 3 bags of popcorn a day? Â He should have took his popcorn to McDonalds and got coffee. Â He could have gotten 9 million out of it.
So if inhaling causes lung injury then what does eating it cause? My initial reaction was this is a crap lawsuit and frivolous. However, if there really is a connection between inhaling the fumes and lung injury then what is not being told to consumers? Besides movie theater workers, there are the workers in factory making this stuff, what about them? Whoever this individual is, he must have popped, inhaled, and eaten excessive amounts of popcorn to cause a $7M injury; which leads me back to a crap lawsuit.
 @Cinn Depends.... Let's face it, freshly popped microwave popcorn smells incredibly good to some people. Finish popping it, snatch it out of the microwave, open it up and deeply inhale that steam... now do that for three years daily. it might cause a problem. The real issue is that we don't know how much is too much. Movie popcorn doesn't use this chemical (diaceytl) and the label Popcorn Lung" came from the case of the 9 microwave popcorn factory workers who died inhaling this stuff at work. Today, they're required to wear re-breathers in the factory. Yep. A little info can go a long way. Diaceytl is known to be harmful, it's indisputable... what's not known is how much is harmful and over what period of time.
 @Coffey  @Cinn Well, I need to brush up on my reading comprehension skills.  I thought this was movie popcorn and heck, didn't even realize they used different flavoring agents in the two.  Thanks for posting the info.  Now I know why I hate the smell of microwaved popcorn but I always thought it was from the bag itself.
Really? And all those years of using toxic chemicals to clean carpets didn't cause the underlying problem? Trash your lungs like that and nearly anything aromatic will cause problems for you. Where's the toxicology report to confirm that he's actually sensitive to Diacetyl? It's a byproduct of fermentation, so how much alchool has he taken a sniff of over the years? This is an insult to those of us who are actually chemically sensitive.
OK, I'm really not buying this. Â If this was directly caused by the chemical in the fake butter, than why aren't theater employees everywhere coming down with this thing? Â They would have far more exposure than this guy. Â We won't even go into the particulars of why this guy felt the need to eat that much popcorn. Â I'd say the carpet cleaning materials are far more likely. Â Hope the companies appeal.
Something is wrong when you can't even sniff your food because of the toxins it may produce....
LOL! Seriously? Can't wait for those popcorn butter flavored cigarettes.
 @Zoso No waiting around... they have them! But after law suits similar to this one, they no longer contain diaceytl.
WHAT?!?! This is the first I've heard that inhaling the buttery aroma of popcorn is dangerous.
@Tattooed_Angel This has been known for a long time...and the bags of Orville I have do in fact have a warning on them to not inhale the steam.
Microwave popcorn.Â
If it doesn't grow naturally or isn't killed in the wild, dont eat it. Â Pretty simple. Â I would be willing to bet that 95% of all diseases we face now are from food we eat and the crap that is put in it. Â
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In the United States, Canada and most of Europe, the risk of breast cancer for women is 30%. Â In Japan where their diet consists mostly of raw or natural foods..... 1%. Â You do the math. Â If you cant pronounce what's in it, dont eat it.Â
@The206 Even natural things can have names most people can't pronounce, especially if they are in chemical form. That doesn't mean they're harmful. That being said...just about anything in excess amounts can be harmful. But when it comes to processed foods....it's easier to just say no...or severely limit ones consumption.Â
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 @The206 Sad but true. Crap food = obesity = mounds of health problems. Doctors won't tell people what they really need to hear.... stop eating crap food and get off your butt... instead they'll just hand them another prescription.
 @The206 Maybe it is many people's solution to take a drug for everything, even if they do not have an issue. When in doubt, take a pill is the solution many people have.
Few years back when they first came up with this "popcorn lung" disease, there was a guy who claimed he ate 3 or more bags a day. I am not saying he deserves to be sick and that these companies should be using a deadly chemical but come on, 3 bags a day is excessive even if the chemical was not used.
I think I got the Popcorn Lung, Dad. <<cough cough>>
So apparently some folks are confused about what Popcorn Lung is. Its medical name is bronchiolitis obliterans and it can be deadly. It's caused by the chemical diacetyl. When diacetyl is inhaled, it can cause severe and even deadly obliterans. it's a pretty well known condition. This condition has come up with the liquids used in e-cigarettes as well... several manufactured in China contained diacetyl, and caused popcorn lung after a very short period of usage. Today, you'll see most niquids are marked with "diacetyl free" Diacetyl is a problem... what is unknown, is how MUCH of it is too much. Possibly huffing the buttery goodness a couple of times a day from a bag of micro popcorn could be too much, we just don't know until studies are done.
Somebody just made this up, right????? **facepalm**
@TreeTopFlyer This is the first I've heard of this.
He developed lung problems just from inhaling that crap, who knows what else it does when people eat the poisonous artificial butter
cough cough!
Yet more proof that america is indeed circling the drain.
 @Surveyor1 What, are we supposed to "know better" than to smell and enjoy our food?
If he had sued because he had inhaled a *piece* of popcorn, I'd agree with you, but the smell of hot popcorn is one of the greatest smells in the food world!
I think, though, that I'll stick with popping mine in a pot and then buttering it with real melted butter.
 @Fooey Patooey!  @Surveyor1 Every time someone at work would pop one of those bags (except the boss, she always burned it) and walked through the building I would claim it was chemical warfare. Nothing like popcorn, homemade or bagged, to start the salivary glands working.
 @Fooey Patooey!  @Surveyor1 Microwave popcorn tastes like soap to me. I give in to my popcorn cravings at least twice a week and when I do I make it the old fashion way; in a pan on top of the stove.
@alexcrowley Wow - that brought back the memories of the way my Mom used to make it except for the coconut butter. :) We'd eat that once or twice a week. None of us got fat until all this artificial everything became so popular, that's for sure!
 @alexcrowley Alex, I don't use it that much, but if you do, you might want to look into buying it from one of the companies who supply theaters. When I used to manage a little popcorn shop we could get a 5-gallon drum of pure coconut oil for about $40 and as you know, it lasts forever. Harlan Fairbanks is a good, Seattle based vendor if you want to give that a try.
Just a thought.
 @Petwlkr You are very welcome! ;-)
 @alexcrowley Cool! Thanks for the info.
Â
 @Petwlkr  @Fooey Patooey! Not at all, and it's one of the most beneficial fats out there; I cook * everything* with it. It is spendy but my health and body are worth it.
 @Fooey Patooey! Does it taste like coconut though? Not a big fan of coconut and certainly don't want my popcorn tasting like it.
 @Petwlkr  Bigger, fluffier popped kernels that don't feel or taste greasy. The oil also has a high smoking temperature.
 @alexcrowley What's the advantage of using coconut butter?Â
 @Petwlkr  @Fooey Patooey!  @Surveyor1 Ya know, the best popcorn is made as you say on top of your stove, a real one that doesn't nuke your food. Alex uses a old fashioned cast iron skillet, lots of coconut butter lovingly lapping the kernels, put on the top and let her rip and pop. Then REAL WHOLE butter, then sprinkle with nutritional yeast (or hot sauce for parties) and it's the best popcorn around. Keep the artificial stuff for land fill I say, it's GROSS.
Punks are gonna be huffin popcorn now too. Geez. I could easily be a billionaire from the crap I could sued over in my life. Ever see a rat in a Pepsi can? Oh yeah, witnesses on tap. Took a spinning 2ft diameter steel pipe to the chest at a refinery while walking through a high noise zone in another area. Knocked me 40 ft into a slag pile. The guy next to the lift operator ran over and said, Don't move, that's time loss injury if I ever saw it. But personally, I wouldn't even have gone to the hospital if they hadn't made me. I was at work next day. Wussies. American millionaires created through forced popcorn lung. We should be so proud.
 @FreeCoffeeNow! Yes, I'm sure that your experience working at a refinery makes you an expert at diagnosing pulmonary diseases.
Not at all, but the voluntary state I was in on every job I ever did guides me to what's right. The idea that people don't want to know what their work environment is, is just plain stupid. I'll be taking my lumps like regular folk and liking if others do the same, thanks. Mebbe I'll die of Mesothelioma. Maybe a radioactive compound. Maybe benzene. Maybe osteoporosis will be my undoing at the end. While life in general may have forced the decisions I've made somewhat, no one in particular ever forced me to do anything.