Secondhand Asbestos Exposure Results in $3.6 Million Verdict in Florida Mesothelioma Lawsuit

A Florida woman who developed mesothelioma as a result of secondhand asbestos exposure was awarded $3.6 million by a state court jury this week.

Lynda Daly, 57, was diagnosed with mesothelioma last year and claimed that she developed the condition as a result of asbestos-filled brakes manufactured by Ford Motor Company and Pneumo Abex.

In the mesothelioma lawsuit, Daly alleged that she was exposed to the asbestos brakes at a Ford Dealership where she worked for two years in the 1970s and from her husband performing brake repairs at their home.

A Broward County, Florida jury awarded Daly $3,606,000.00 as compensation for the deadly form of cancer.

The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos, which can be caused by direct or indirect exposure. In many cases, family members of individuals who worked directly with the toxic fiber before it was banned in the 1980s, were exposed to particles when they were carried into the home on the clothing, skin or in the hair of the workers.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is found in the lining of the chest and lungs. In most cases it takes years after asbestos exposure for a diagnosis to be made, as the symptoms are not always recognized until after it has progressed to a very advanced stage. As a result, the survival time after a mesothelioma diagnosis is often under one year.

Daly was diagnosed with mesothelioma in May 2007.