Roger Hammett was awarded $1.45 million on Thursday after a jury ruled that his mesothelioma cancer was caused by asbestos exposure from a job that he held 45 years ago. The case also revealed something interesting that is not often seen in most mesothelioma cases: Hammett developed mesothelioma after only working 67 days around asbestos.

The December 15 verdict may provide Hammett with some justice now that he is only expected to live for one more year, but it may also provide some clarity into the relationship between asbestos exposure and this aggressive cancer.

Mesothelioma is a rare disease of the lining of the lungs that is primarily caused by asbestos exposure. It is often associated with industrial workers, asbestos factory workers, miners, Navy veterans and construction workers. In the case of Hammett, about two months of exposure yielded the same effect as many other patients who worked with asbestos for years.

In 1966, he worked on a ship known as the SS Seattle, which traveled from Seattle, Washington, to Anchorage and Kodiak Island, Alaska, and back. During this 67-day period, he states that he was exposed to asbestos, which caused his mesothelioma decades later. The jury agreed that his asbestos exposure during his service on the SS Seattle was to blame for his cancer, despite the short period of exposure.