A California jury recently awarded $34 million in asbestos compensation to a couple claiming that Ford asbestos-containing brakes caused mesothelioma.

Arthur and Janet P. claimed that Ford’s previous auto brakes that contained asbestos were to blame for Arthur’s mesothelioma. Arthur allegedly came into contact with the asbestos products while working as a mechanic.

A jury in California state court recently awarded Arthur and his wife $25.5 million in punitive damages after finding that Ford Motor Co. was 100 percent responsible for Arthur’s mesothelioma. This asbestos compensation joins $4.5 million awarded to Arthur for past and future non-economic damages and $4 million awarded to Janet for loss of consortium.

Due to the verdict that Ford had acted with malice, oppression, and/or fraud towards Arthur, an additional hearing was triggered to determine punitive damages in addition to the couple’s other awards.

“The jury sent a strong message with its verdict,” the couple’s attorney said in a statement after the damages were awarded, according to Law360. “Art should never have been exposed to asbestos and should never have had to suffer from mesothelioma.”

The couple’s other attorney added that they “are satisfied with the result, but no amount of money will give Art back his health.”

As a mechanic in the 1960s and 1970s, Arthur reportedly conducted thousands of safety inspections and brake replacements while working in Southern California and Indiana. Because he was working with vehicles equipped with asbestos-containing brakes, he was allegedly exposed to more of the carcinogen than was produced by normal wear and tear on the brakes.

Asbestos is a type of mineral that was previously used for numerous industrial purposes due to the mineral’s natural resistance to heat, fire, chemicals, and electricity. The mineral fibers can be pulled into thin, durable threads that were commonly used in building, construction, shipbuilding, and automotive products.

Although asbestos was widely used, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) began banning the mineral in products in the late 1970s due to concerns that asbestos was associated with cancer.

When asbestos-containing products are moved, cut, or otherwise disturbed, they can release tiny asbestos fibers into the air. These fibers can then be inhaled, swallowed, or become attached to clothing where they can cause secondhand exposure.

If asbestos fibers make their way into the lungs or other parts of the body, they can stay there for a long time and cause scarring and inflammation. Eventually, this inflammation can lead to DNA damage which in turn causes the growth and spread of cancerous cells.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) it is difficult if not impossible to tell if brake or clutch components in a car have asbestos. In order to be safe, the EPA says that “mechanics should assume that all brakes have asbestos-type shoes.”

Consumers like Arthur and Janet may be able to seek asbestos compensation from employers and other companies which may have exposed them to asbestos through their products.

The Asbestos Ford Lawsuit is Case No. 18STCV06912 in the Superior Court of California for the County of Los Angeles.