New York mesothelioma attorneys from Levy Konigsberg LLP who represented a mother of three from Houston, Texas, obtained a $625,000 verdict against the Ford Motor Company that sold asbestos-containing brakes in the mid-1990s.
SCHENECTADY, New York, December 12, 2014 – Jury’s verdict finds Ford Motor Company reckless and 99% liable in mesothelioma lawsuit1 deriving from take-home asbestos exposure, which was rendered by the New York Supreme Court of Schenectady County after years of litigation and a 3-week trial before the Honorable Richard T. Aulisi.
The plaintiff from Houston, TX, represented by mesothelioma attorneys from Levy Konigsberg LLP (“LK”), filed a lawsuit against Ford Motor Company alleging that the asbestos-containing brakes that the defendant sold in its cars through the mid-1990s proximately caused plaintiff’s mesothelioma, a lethal cancer caused by asbestos exposure.
The plaintiff’s mesothelioma attorneys investigated possible sources of her asbestos exposure and found that she was exposed to asbestos fibers from her husband’s work clothes during his employment at an Upstate New York Ford dealership from 1994 to 1995. The plaintiff’s attorneys found that no one at the dealership knew that genuine Ford brakes contained asbestos in the 1990s. Consequently, the plaintiff was unknowingly exposed to asbestos from laundering her husband’s clothing, which became contaminated with asbestos due to the brake work he performed as a mechanic at the Ford dealership.
The trial against the Ford Motor Company started on November 17, 2014. The plaintiff was represented at trial by the New York mesothelioma attorneys Jerome H. Block and Arthur Prystowsky of LK. Testimony of the plaintiff, her family, and expert witnesses concluded on December 1, 2014. After deliberating upon the evidence, the jury found the Ford Motor Company was reckless and 99% liable for the plaintiff’s injuries. The jury awarded damages to the plaintiff for her past and future pain and suffering. “It is a pleasure and an honor to represent the plaintiff, who demonstrates each and every day of her life her amazing perseverance and strong spirit in her fight against this terminal disease,” said Prystowsky.
The Ford Motor Company began selling asbestos-containing brakes in the early 1900s. Ford continued to sell replacement asbestos brakes through 2001 despite its ability to design vehicles without asbestos in brakes since 1982. Additionally, during the 1970s and 1980s Ford received notice that asbestos could be brought home on clothing worn while working on brakes. Despite this, Ford never warned its dealers about the dangers of asbestos being transmitted home to spouses and family members.
LK is a nationally recognized asbestos litigation firm specializing in the representation of mesothelioma and lung cancer victims for close to 30 years.
For more information about the verdicts, please contact Jerome H. Block or Arthur Prystowsky at 1-800-637-6529 or submit an online inquiry at this website.
ATTENTION: Mesothelioma has no known cure and often causes severe pain, suffering, and other types of damage, such as loss of consortium, and loss of income. Additionally, due to the exceedingly high cost of mesothelioma treatments, many families exhaust savings and accumulate financial debt in order to pay for the medical expenses of their family member.
Under the law of most states, pain and suffering from mesothelioma may be compensated through the award of money damages, usually obtained with the help of experienced mesothelioma attorneys. In some states other types of damages may also be recovered.
Asbestos litigation affords mesothelioma victims the opportunity to receive financial compensation and hold accountable the companies that caused their asbestos exposure.
IMPORTANT: If you or your family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should get in touch with a mesothelioma lawyer as early as possible to determine if you have a mesothelioma case and to:
- Preserve your rights to bring a legal action against the responsible parties within the limited time frame allowed by law, known as statute of limitations;
- Obtain maximum compensation in your case by being able to:
- Preserve evidence and establish facts of the asbestos exposure while the claimant is still alive and able to provide information;
- File and resolve a lawsuit against the responsible parties before they file for bankruptcy or, if they already have, to obtain compensation before their bankruptcy trust funds run out of money;
- Expedite your case, as courts tend to give higher priority to mesothelioma lawsuits where the claimant is still alive.
Find out whether you have a case by speaking to one of our experienced mesothelioma lawyers via our 24/7 toll-free hotline at 1-800-MESO-LAW (1-800-637-6529) or by submitting an email inquiry (see form above). Our attorneys will be quick to respond to you and happy to answer all of your questions.
NOTE: While our offices are located in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Georgia, many of our mesothelioma lawyers are licensed to practice law in a number of U.S. states and have the capability and extensive experience of representing mesothelioma clients throughout the United States. You are encouraged to contact us with any questions.