The family of an asbestos victim has been awarded $1.8 million in a recent case that is considered the largest lung cancer verdict in the history of Michigan asbestos litigation.
The case involved a steel worker who worked at the historic Ford Rouge Plant in Dearborn, Michigan for 30 years. Fifteen years after retiring, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. The disease claimed the victim’s life in July of 2017. He was just 70 years old. Attorneys for the family of the victim said the defendant, a Cleveland-based engineering company, knew as far back as 1965 that the products it sold to the Ford plant caused cancer, and failed to put warning labels on those products.
According to Legal Newsline (an online publication of The Record), at the end of a two-week long trial, the jury agreed with the plaintiff’s and their attorneys, finding the company guilty of negligence and wanton misconduct, meaning, reckless disregard of the rights or the safety of others, accompanied by the knowledge that damage or injury will likely result.
The suit began with 65 defendants being named, with all except the Cleveland-based company agreeing to resolve their cases prior to trial. The jury blamed only the Cleveland-based company in the case and chose to hold it “wholly accountable for this judgment despite their defense that 81 non-parties caused” the workers “fatal condition,” reports Legal Newsline.
In addition to the $1.8 million judgment awarded to the victim’s family, the act of awarding costs represents the first such finding in an asbestos case in Michigan's history.
Have you been exposed to asbestos? If so, please see your doctor right away. Your doctor can assess your risk of developing mesothelioma, check for early warning signs, and even administer tests such as blood tests and fluid and tissue sample tests that could detect the disease much sooner. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, early detection could lead to better treatment options and outcomes. See your doctor to assess your risk today.
Sources
"Mesothelioma: Tests, Diagnosis, and Treatments." WebMD. WebMD LLC, 2018. Web. 19 June 2018.
Minnis, Glenn. "Recent Verdict Awarding $1.8 Million to Man's Family in Asbestos Lung Cancer Case Largest in Michigan's History." Legal Newsline. The Record Inc., 07 May 2018. Web. 19 June 2018.
"Wanton Misconduct." BusinessDictionary.com. WebFinance Inc., 2018. Web. 19 June 2018.
