Thomas Jackson died just five weeks after being diagnosed with malignant peritoneal cancer. Not quite 65 years old, he blamed his illness on asbestos carried into his childhood home on his father’s work clothes. After a nine-day trial, the Illinois jury considering his case took less than two hours to decide that Bridgestone Firestone tire company was liable for his sickness and death. They ordered the company to pay his widow $30 million in damages.
Asbestos in Bridgestone Firestone Factory Blamed for Worker’s Son’s Mesothelioma
The case, which was heard in Chicago, highlighted the risk of malignant mesothelioma from second-hand asbestos exposure. Most people diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases are exposed to the deadly carcinogen in their workplace, through proximity to asbestos-contaminated products, materials, or infrastructure. However, an increasing number of victims are linking their illness to the mineral being carried home on the hair, skin, or clothing of loved ones who worked in those environments.
In this case, Mr. Jackson’s family linked his mesothelioma to asbestos that contaminated his father’s workplace, a Bridgestone Firestone tire manufacturing facility in Decatur, Illinois. Jim Jackson had been a manager at the plant decades earlier, and the family presented nearly 100 pieces of documentary evidence showing that the facility used talc mined in Vermont and New York to keep tires and rubber components from sticking together.
Jury Agrees that Asbestos in Firestone Tire Plant Caused Man’s Mesothelioma and Death
The mesothelioma victim’s attorneys made a clear connection between the asbestos Mr. Jackson carried into his home and his son’s death decades later. Saying in part, “For years, this Firestone facility allowed hardworking men to go home to their families covered in raw asbestos materials, endangering the next generation and, in Mr. Jackson’s case, causing a sudden and painful death.”
The mesothelioma victim and his wife had known each other since they were each 15 years old, and before his death, he’d owned a wealth management company that he’d founded after putting himself through college. After considering the facts, as well as the impact of his death, the jury delivered its verdict in just an hour and a half. They awarded the mesothelioma widow $5.25 million in economic losses, $11.14 million in wrongful death damages, and $13.6 million in survivor damages.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help you get the justice you deserve. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
