A St. Louis jury heard opening statements Tuesday in a lawsuit where consultant Mark Avent and his wife, Lisa, are seeking $5 million in damages (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).
A California cannabis consultant is alleging he suffered permanent heart damage after a 2022 laboratory accident at a St. Louis-based marijuana cultivation and manufacturing facility.
A St. Louis jury heard opening statements Tuesday in a lawsuit where consultant Mark Avent and his wife, Lisa, are seeking $5 million in damages, arguing the incident triggered a medical emergency that ended his career in the cannabis industry.
The incident in question happened at the facility at 5401 Bulwer Ave., owned by Blue Arrow Missouri LLC, where marijuana is grown and manufactured into products.
In 2022, a lab technician accidentally mishandled the commercial vacuum used to clean the lab equipment. The vacuum blew fine marijuana dust particles into the air, and Avent suffered a severe asthma attack.
He was taken to the emergency room and lost consciousness in the ambulance. Doctors inserted a stent in his heart to save him, Meehan said, and he still hasn’t fully recovered four years later.
“This was an accident that shouldn’t have happened,” said William Meehan, Avent’s attorney. “It was preventable, and they haven’t taken responsibility for it. That’s why we’re in trial.”
On the stand Tuesday, John Wilbers, founder and chairman of Blue Arrow, testified that the company acknowledged the incident. He read portions of the report the company submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which described how the technician didn’t immediately shut down equipment when he saw the particles enter the air.
The report also states that the door should be closed during “all processing activities.”
Wilbers told The Independent Tuesday after his testimony that the company isn’t trying to “sweep it under the rug.” Wilbers is a personal injury attorney in St. Louis who started the company with his mother, Kathy, who died last week.
His mother was the majority owner of the two cultivation, one manufacturing and one dispensary licenses the state awarded them in 2019, according records obtained from the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation.
Wilbers said he understands how companies “play games” in personal injury lawsuits.
“I deal with them on the other end,” he said, “and I don’t live my life like that. So if somebody’s injured, we’re going to help them.”
The point of conflict, Wilbers said, is how much the company should pay. Wilbers said Avent had a previous “asthmatic condition.”
“He’s alleging that due to this inhalation, he had some asthmatic issue and medical conditions developed, and now he can no longer work,” he said. “Based upon my experience as a personal injury lawyer, that’s not supported.”
In the opening arguments, Meehan said Avent needs continued care to treat his heart damage and memory loss.
“Mark was a healthy person before this incident,” Meehan said. “He exercised regularly and he had no physical problems. He had no prior heart disease, no prior heart condition.”
On top of his ongoing medical bills, Meehan said Avent has lost at least $130,000 a year in income because he can no longer work in the marijuana industry.
“His personal life,” he said, “has been turned upside down.”
This post was originally authored and published by Rebecca Rivas from Missouri Independent via RSS Feed. Join today to get your news feed on Nationwide Report®.
