John-Russell Bart Pate

I wash my husbands coverall when he worked at Hess in the 1980s. Those clothes were dirty, dusty and smelled so bad. But I never know that the dust was damaging my lungs. I learned that the 1972 law that OHSA law that Hess was supposed to have showers and changing rooms for all the workers so they... could change out of the asbestos clothes and put on clean clothes to come home. But Hess never build the showers and changing rooms. They just sent the men home. They never tell the men they are taking hom asbestos to their families! These men went to work to support their families - not to bring danger home to their families. So so many woman like me, been washing their mans clothes and now we exposed to the asbestos in our lungs. Many of my friends who washed coveralls like me, start having breathing problems too. And we never smoke and we do morning walking. Attorney Pate is the first attorney who start to look out for us, as we had been forgotten. Thank you Attorney Pate.

We came to St. Croix on a bond and we did whatever we were told so we could stay with our wives and families. No job too big or too small. We worked very hard. Dirty, hot, oily, dusty, smelly, sweaty jobs. But we did not know we were working with asbestos in insulation. We were not told about th...e 1972 OSAH asbestos laws. Now in our silver years, when we should be able to rest, but we are out of breathe, with scarred lungs. Thank you Pate for Fighting for us. You and your team effort have enhanced the life of many of us. May God continue to bless you all.

Attorney Pate is a fighter. He and his team from the states fight for me and my daughter because in those days everyone wore their coveralls home. Many workers got exposed and many of the children too from work clothes. Money can not bring back your lungs. But if a company does not pay for what it... do wrong to its worker and their families no one can have safety. I wish there was more attorneys like Mr. Pate, trying to help normal people like me and my family My prayers to him.

My father got cancer. He was an operator and maintenance man. He was working with asbestos and benzene and no one every told him of the dangers or gave him the right protective equipment. We look for many attorneys, until someone sent us to Attorney Pate. He spent time with my father and my famil...y and brought a lawsuit. I wouldn’t wish asbestosis or leukemia on even my worst enemy. It is a very emotional and stressful time, but at lease we have Attorney Pate and his team on our side. And maybe some justice one day.

I was hurt in a car accident. Attorney Pate explained to me the problems with car accidents in the VI... that insurance policy coverage is lower than any of the States... usually $10,000 for everything; my medical bills, my missed work time, my continuing therapy. Even for my car, the insurance com...pany only pays "BlueBook" value. Now think about that... cars have to be shipped to the VI, then there's customs and road taxes. That's thousands of extra dollars in cost for a car! BlueBook might work for getting a car as it rolls out of the factory in Detroit, but there's no way on St. Thomas you can get a decent replacement car for BlueBook value. It's a slap in the face for people in the VI. It should be Bluebook plus at least 25%! The last car accident 10 years ago in Florida, I got like $5,000 right away as no-fault coverage for my medical bills and then there was under-insurance coverage. I also got a rental while my car was being fixed. All in all, getting hurt in a car accident is never a good experience, but in the VI there really is no safety net for people. The insurance requirements are way lower than any State -- and with it being legal to have a alcohol drink while you drive on the left -- there are accidents were people get hurt and sometimes killed. The driver's car insurance did not cover all my medical bills, so I ended up having to set up a payment plan for the bills even though the accident was not my fault. The only silver lining was Attorney Pate and his office took to the time to help me, explained to me the issues, and let me know it was not just me getting screwed, but really everyone who gets hurt in a car accident in the VI. It's a small place in the VI so please excuse me for not posting my initials.