After just one hour of deliberation, a Louisiana jury ordered Ford Motor Company to pay Steven “Joe” Aaron Sr. $8,261,874 as compensation for the malignant mesothelioma he blamed on asbestos hidden within the company’s vehicles. The quick decision followed three weeks of testimony about Aaron’s repeated exposure to asbestos while servicing brakes and clutches installed on Ford buses and vehicles.
Ford Motor Company Cited With Negligence in Mesothelioma Lawsuit
Mr. Aaron was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma over a year ago, and quickly filed a negligence and strict liability lawsuit against the manufacturing giant. He had worked as a gas station mechanic at Evans Shell service station and as a school bus mechanic for the Ouachita Parish School Board. That work, performed in the 1960s and 1970s, repeatedly exposed him to carcinogenic asbestos dust from the company’s auto parts.
Ford’s failure to warn of the presence of asbestos or of its dangers was at the heart of his mesothelioma litigation. His attorneys noted that the dangers of asbestos were known by manufacturers long before Mr. Aaron’s exposure, and that the failure to provide any warning of the hazard made them financially responsible for the injuries that he had suffered.
Jury Hears Emotional Testimony About Mesothelioma Victim
In addition to highly technical information about how asbestos exposure leads to malignant mesothelioma, the jury also heard of Mr. Aaron’s life prior to his illness. A grandfather and great-grandfather, he had been actively engaged with his family, frequently taking them on camping or fishing outings and helping them with various challenges. Now he is unable to do those things. “I want to help them more,” Joe Aaron testified about his grandchildren. “They’re just starting out in life and they need help, but I just got to where I couldn’t do the things I wanted anymore.”
Speaking of the tragedy of malignant mesothelioma, Mr. Aaron’s family representative told the jury, “In his life, Joe made all the right choices; he did everything right to provide for his family. He should be enjoying the reward of those choices, but now he can’t because he’s got a fatal disease called mesothelioma. And the reason why he has mesothelioma is because of the choices made by Ford Motor Company.”
Malignant mesothelioma robs victims of their future. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with this rare and fatal form of cancer and you need information about the options available to you, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
