ST. LOUIS (AP) — A South St. Louis County man who has sued Ford Motor Co. over his exposure to asbestos has been awarded $20 million.
In his lawsuit, William Trokey, 76, claimed that his exposure to asbestos while working on Ford brakes as a gas station mechanic in the 1960s led to his being diagnosed with mesothelioma, a form of cancer.
After a two-week trial, a St. Louis jury on Thursday ordered Ford to pay Trokey $10 million and his wife $10 million in punitive damages, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Under Missouri law, $5 million of the punitive damages goes to the State Tort Compensation Fund.
A Ford spokesman said: “Our condolences go out to the Trokey family and while we respect the jury’s decision, we plan to appeal.”
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