Denise Cook named several different companies as defendants when she filed her mesothelioma lawsuit in Florida state court. By the time the case went to trial, only one defendant — Hennessy Industries — was left. The twelve day trial concluded with the Fort Lauderdale jury awarding her $18 million and assigning 15% responsibility, or $2.7 million, to the brake grinding manufacturer.
Woman Blames Multiple Companies for Her Peritoneal Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Though the jury assigned 85% of the responsibility for Ms. Cook’s peritoneal mesothelioma to fifteen other entities who were not defendants at the trial, they agreed with the victim that Hennessy Industries’ brake grinder, which her father had used for years, was negligent in its failure to warn of the dangers of asbestos in their equipment. The other companies that were originally named in the lawsuit included Johnson & Johnson and several auto parts manufacturers.
Ms. Cook’s attorneys explained to the jury that her father had used the brake grinder when he worked in an auto shop in the 1960s and 1970s, and the secondary exposure she suffered as a result of him carrying asbestos dust into their home on his hair and skin and on his clothing that she’d been exposed to while doing his laundry.
Brake Grinder Company Argues that Chrysotile Asbestos Doesn’t Cause Mesothelioma
Though Hennessy Industries attempted to convince the jury that the chrysotile asbestos found in the brakes that Ms. Cook’s father had worked on does not cause peritoneal mesothelioma in women, her attorney presented expert witness testimony from an occupational medicine professional who contradicted the company’s assertion.
Similarly, the company argued that her mesothelioma was caused by genetic risks or other natural causes, but the jury saw evidence of decades worth of studies indicating that asbestos in brake dust causes the rare form of cancer. The company will pay her $2.7 million in compensation.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
