A St. Louis jury awarded a California cannabis consultant $3 million on Thursday, following a four-day trial where he argued a 2022 lab accident ended his career in the marijuana industry. The incident happened when Mark Avent of Escondido, Calif., was helping build out the cultivation and manufacturing facility at 5401 Bulwer Ave. in St. Louis, which is owned by Blue Arrow Missouri LLC.
Blue Arrow hired Avent in 2022 through a one-year, $100,000 contract to procure the necessary equipment to grow and manufacture marijuana products and train employees on the machines. During that time, a lab technician accidentally mishandled a commercial vacuum which was used to clean the lab equipment. The vacuum blew fine marijuana dust particles into the air, and Avent suffered a severe asthma attack that led to a heart attack.
The jury unanimously found that Blue Arrow was at fault for 85% of Avent's injuries, and Avent carried 15% of the fault.
"We're very pleased with the verdict," said William Meehan, Avent's attorney. "We think that the jury was very perceptive and that they realized my client had life-threatening, life-altering injuries and that he's never going to be the same."
Read more at Missouri Independent
