$850,000 Awarded to Widow in Asbestos Case

By Brian Cole

Published on December 06, 2006

The woman’s lawsuit said a company that made materials her husband used as a builder conspired to hide the dangers of asbestos.

From 1953 to 1960, the woman’s husband, Robert Blessing, worked for Union Asbestos and Rubber Company, also known as UNARCO, as a builder and inspector of pipe covering at the company’s Bloomington, Illinois, plant.

In June 2005, Blessing began to experience symptoms of mesothelioma, an aggressive form of lung cancer that is known to be caused only by asbestos. He died in December of that year.

Blessing filed the lawsuit while ill, and his wife Judith carried it on after his death. It accused Bendix, which supplied UNARCO with material for insulation installation, and several other companies of being part of a coverup to hide the dangers employees faced from asbestos exposure.

The jury awarded $100,000 in damages for financial losses Blessing experienced because of his disease, $50,000 for damages suffered by his wife, and $700,000 for wrongful death, according to court documents.

Lisa Corwin, one of the attorneys who represented the Blessing family, said she believes her clients are very satisfied the jury validated their claim about Blessing’s death.

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