According to the website PRnewswire.com, tire manufacturer Bridgestone Firestone was ordered to pay $30 million to the wife of a man who died of mesothelioma.
Thomas J. died of peritoneal mesothelioma at the age of 64. He was a victim of secondhand asbestos exposure due to his father working at a Firestone tire manufacturing facility in Decatur, Illinois. His wife filed a wrongful death lawsuit after Thomas passed away, and the lawsuit proceeded to trial, resulting in a mesothelioma verdict.
The Cook County jury awarded her $30 million for her husband’s mesothelioma cancer death. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare cancer that forms in the lining of the abdominal cavity. It usually spreads to organs within this cavity, such as the large and small intestines, kidney, spleen and liver. The only cause of peritoneal mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos.
Peritoneal mesothelioma takes 20-50 years to form, which explains how the victim developed the cancer as an adult even though he was exposed much earlier in life through his father’s work.
How Talc Led to Asbestos Exposure
Talc and asbestos are naturally occurring minerals often habitating in the same geographic areas. The two minerals can often mix together, leading to asbestos contamination of talc mixtures for tire manufacturing and many other industries.
Asbestos exposure can also occur in talc health products such as Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder. Some types of cosmetic items, such as blush or mascara, can contain talc and risk asbestos exposure.
During the mesothelioma trial, the wife’s attorneys showed how the tire facility used talc to prevent tires and rubber components from sticking together. While working as a manager at the plant, the deceased’s father handled talc that contained asbestos. He then carried the asbestos home on his clothing and exposed his son.
Tire manufacturing is one of the occupations linked to asbestos exposure. Aside from the use of talc, some tire manufacturing jobs during the 20th century involved using asbestos, which is a durable mineral and able to resist fire damage.
Details of the Wrongful Death Mesothelioma Verdict
Wrongful death mesothelioma cases, such as this one, often favor the victim due to the hardships associated with the loss of life. Death from mesothelioma cancer often leaves the surviving loved ones with medical debt, lost wages, and funeral costs, in addition to the emotional toll of the cancer.
Juries usually consider these factors when awarding damages to the surviving loved one who files the lawsuit. In this Bridgestone Firestone case, which lasted just nine days, the jury awarded the victim $5.25 million in economic losses, $11.14 million in wrongful death damages, and $13.6 million in survivor damages.
Sources & Author
- Illinois Jury Awards $30 Million Verdict in Mesothelioma Case Against Bridgestone Firestone. PRnewswire.com. Retrieved from: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/illinois-jury-awards-30-million-verdict-in-mesothelioma-case-against-bridgestone-firestone-302021975.html. Accessed: 12/26/2023.
Sources & Author
