More than $5 million in mesothelioma compensation has been awarded to the family of an Illinois man who died of the asbestos-related disease.

Willard K. was 81 when he died in 2012. According to Willard’s family, he worked as a window glazier from the mid-1950s to the 1990s. During that time, he installed glass on commercial buildings in Central Illinois and northeast Indiana and used Tremco 440 tape on the job sites, his family says.

The plaintiffs allege Tremco knew its products containing asbestos were dangerous but “failed to even identify asbestos as an ingredient in its products” during the time Willard worked, said representatives for plaintiffs Ruth, Mike and Jeff K., Willard’s widow and sons, in the trial that lasted two weeks.

The jury in McLean County took about an hour to determine the $5,063,324 in damages against Tremco.

Mesothelioma Compensation Seen More Often

Asbestos is a natural mineral that isn’t considered dangerous until it is physically disturbed, allowing tiny fibers to become airborne and inhaled.

Asbestos fibers that settle in the lungs irritate the tissue over the years and can lead to tumors. Issues due to asbestos exposure are often undetected for decades. Sometimes it can take up to 50 years of irritation and inflammation before genetic changes lead to cancer.

A connection between the inhalation of asbestos fibers and health problems was recognized as far back as 1930. Asbestos was popular as an insulating material in buildings until the 1970s. Today, renovation of older buildings is usually required to follow certain protocol by law to protect workers and the public from inhaling asbestos fibers.

Lung cancer and mesothelioma cancer can both develop as a result of repeated asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects a membrane that lines other organs. Asbestos mesothelioma often affects the pleura, the membrane surrounding the lungs.

Mesothelioma is primarily caused by a prolonged exposure to asbestos, usually in the workplace, which is what happened to Willard. Other workers who have the potential to asbestos exposure are those who work in steel yards, ship yards, auto repair shops, old houses, old schools, and old public buildings.

Almost 3,000 new mesothelioma cases are diagnosed in the U.S. every year. Many of those are possibly eligible for mesothelioma compensation through legal representation. Mesothelioma compensation can be warranted when manufacturers and/or employers knowingly risked workers’ lives by having them work with asbestos with inadequate protection.

Companies that place profit before people’s health can be held accountable for such treacherous actions. Equipment and clothing designed to protect workers against asbestos hazards have existed for decades. Workers need never be unnecessarily exposed to this known health hazard.

If you or someone you love has developed mesothelioma after prolonged asbestos exposure, you could be eligible for mesothelioma compensation such as that received by the grieving Illinois family. A lawyer well-versed in laws to limit the risks of those who work with asbestos could help you navigate the system and procure your own mesothelioma compensation.