In a landmark decision, a jury out of St Louis, Missouri, has ruled that the Ford Motor Company and a number of associated businesses must pay $6 million to a family over claims that a woman’s death was caused by asbestos exposure, including dust generated during brake repairs.
Linda Behling of Springfield died from mesothelioma in 2019 at age 70. The trial relating to her death has lasted more than two weeks, with jurors siding with her family.
Both Behling and her husband worked in manufacturing roles in the Springfield area, with the lawsuit alleging that the work was connected to Linda’s death.
Lawyers for the Behling family said that Ford failed to provide appropriate warnings that asbestos was present in the dust that was created during brake repairs on vehicles.
Ford countered that Behling’s exposure to the dust was limited, and that the family had failed to prove it had contributed to her illness.
Ford offered their sympathies to the family but said they planned to appeal the decision.
In a similar case that was heard in St Louis in March, a jury awarded $20 million to a St Louis County resident who also sued Ford. William Trokey alleged that he had been exposed to asbestos while fixing Ford brakes as a mechanic in the 1960s. Ford has similarly appealed that verdict.