Jury Awards $32.7 Million to Widow of Tire Plant Worker With Mesothelioma

Just 2 1/2 years after Franklin Finch and his wife Ann learned that he had malignant mesothelioma and a year and a half after Mr. Finch’s death, a North Carolina jury has awarded his widow $32.7 million. The couple filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against Covil Corporation in August of 2016, accusing the now-defunct pipe insulation supplier of failing to provide warnings about the dangers of asbestos in its products.

The federal mesothelioma trial that the Finch’s filed against Covil lasted five days, but it only took the jury two hours to send a loud and clear message in determining that the widow deserved a settlement. Mr. Finch’s exposure to asbestos came when he was working at a Firestone tire factory between 1975 and 1995, where he worked in the company’s curing room. He was exposed to asbestos-containing insulation Covil supplied that was covering steam lines. After listening to evidence in the case, the jury agreed that Covil had been unreasonable and negligent in its failure to warn about the dangers of the asbestos in their product. The company went out of business in 1991.

When the Finches initially filed their mesothelioma lawsuit, they named additional defendants. These included McNeil and NRM Inc., a tire press maker whose products Mr. Finch had come into contact with during the course of his daily work. However, the judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Eagles allowed dismissal of that claim based on insufficient evidence that their products containing asbestos or of Mr. Finch being exposed to parts that did contain asbestos. Similarly, the Finches agreed to drop their claims against Pfizer Inc.

The federal jury in the Finches mesothelioma lawsuit decided that Covil’s negligence in their handling and sale of their product was worthy of generous compensation to those who were affected by it. There are many others in this community who support those affected by malignant mesothelioma. If you need support or information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.

Written by Terri Oppenheimer

Terri Heimann Oppenheimer is the head writer of our Mesothelioma.net news blog. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in English. Terri believes that knowledge is power and she is committed to sharing news about the impact of mesothelioma, the latest research and medical breakthroughs, and victims’ stories.

Learn more about and contact Terri