EL PASO, TX -- A jury in El Paso returned a $55.5-million judgment against Kelly-Moore Paint Co. in a case involving a cancer patient who had allegedly been exposed to asbestos in the mid-1970s while working in the home-construction industry in California. Kelly-Moore indicated it planned to appeal the decision.

Alfredo Hernandez Sr., 47, had filed suit against Kelly-Moore Paint Co. alleging that the company's joint-compound and wall-texture products contained cancer-causing asbestos. The jury award included $15 million in punitive damages against the company, which is based in San Carlos, CA.

Kelly-Moore Vice President Pat McDonald said Kelly-Moore "is obviously disappointed in the verdict, and it is our intent to go ahead and appeal."