Blog

Florida Construction Worker Awarded $14 Million

Asbestos Lawyers and awareness advocates are celebrating justice for a Florida man who contracted Mesothelioma after years of exposure while working in construction. A South Florida jury awarded him $14 million for his damages last week. The victory is bittersweet, however, as the terminal illness will soon end his life.

William Aubin owned a construction company and worked in the industry for decades, during which time he was regularly exposed to asbestos. He was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in recent years. His lawsuit alleged that this asbestos was manufactured and supplied by chemical giant Union Carbide.

Aubin and his employees often used products which contained asbestos but were not labeled with any warnings about the substance. Asbestos has long been linked to diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancerous disease that affects the protective lining of the organs. The disease often takes decades to surface.

A jury found Union Carbide negligent for selling asbestos fibers to other companies, which then used the asbestos to make compounds used by construction companies. They also found four other manufacturers, including Georgia-Pacific, responsible.

While this award ranks as one of the largest asbestos cases in South Florida, it is much less than a 2008 decision in which a jury awarded a retired doctor $24 million.