Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

This week a Bay County, Florida, jury awarded $995,600 to Betty McBride of Lynn Haven, whose husband, Woodrow McBride, died of mesothelioma in 2006 at the age of 67. Mr. McBride filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Aug. 10, 2006, but passed away on Sept. 20, 2006, before seeing the case go to trial. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma one year prior to his death.

According to a report in the Panama City News Herald, defendants in the case were Foster Wheeler, General Electric and several other companies that had products in two Panhandle area power plants, where Mr. McBride was employed between 1968 and 1996.

The jury determined that Gulf Power was 60 percent liable and Foster Wheeler 25 percent liable, with each of the other companies named in the suit 1 percent liable. The judgment includes $245,600 for Mr. McBride’s medical bills, $225,000 for Betty and Woodrow McBride’s past pain and suffering, and $525,000 for Mrs. McBride’s future pain and suffering.

According to the News Herald, Gulf Power spokesman Jeff Rogers says his company was never included in the lawsuit and the judgment is not binding. If upheld, Gulf Power’s portion of the judgment would total $597,360, according to the verdict.

Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It affects the lining of the lungs and, less commonly, the stomach and/or heart.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 1st, 2009 at 7:00 am and is filed under Mesothelioma Links, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.