Florida Jury Awards $14 Million for Mesothelioma Caused by Asbestos

By Jim Greene

Published on May 29, 2010

A Florida man who developed mesothelioma after working with joint compounds containing asbestos in the 1970s has been awarded $14 million by a Miami-Dade County jury. Negligence in the case was assigned to four makers of the compounds and to the company that supplied the asbestos to them.

William Aubin, of Sarasota, now 59, inhaled toxic asbestos fibers while working for his parents' construction company, according to a lawsuit heard in the 11th Judicial Circuit Court, and developed an incurable form of cancer known as peritoneal mesothelioma as a result. The disease attacks the abdominal lining, the heart, and other internal organs.

Union Carbide, Georgia-Pacific Among Guilty Parties

The jury found Georgia-Pacific, Kaiser Gypsum Co., Premix Marbletite Mfg. Co., and U.S. Gypsum Co. negligent for using asbestos in joint compounds they produced and for failing to include the asbestos content in product labeling. Union Carbide was found negligent for selling the asbestos fibers to the other four companies.

Williams, a retired fire fighter, is "permanently impaired and will ultimately ... die from mesothelioma," according to his attorneys.

Mesothelioma cancer is known to be caused solely by asbestos exposure. The more common pleural mesothelioma attacks the outer lining of the lungs and the chest wall. Like peritoneal mesothelioma, it is incurable.

Most Asbestos Uses Banned by EPA in 1989

Although asbestos was suspected of being a health hazard a century ago, it wasn't until 1989 that the U.S. Environmental Protection banned it in most uses. In the years between, millions of people were exposed to it, in the workplace and in the home.

If you have developed mesothelioma or have lost a loved on to this incurable cancer, contact an experienced attorney. If you have mesothelioma, you will need compensation to protect your family's financial future. If you have lost a loved one to this disease, you need compensation for medical bills, lost income, and loss of companionship.

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