$6M awarded in asbestos lawsuit against Ford, others

ST. LOUIS >> A St. Louis jury has ruled that Ford Motor Co. and other companies must pay $6 million to a Missouri family over claims that a woman’s death was caused by exposure to asbestos, including from dust generated during brake repairs.

Linda Behling of Springfield died of mesothelioma at age 70 in 2019. Late

Monday, jurors sided with Behling’s husband, son and daughter after a trial that lasted more than two weeks. Behling and her husband worked at manufacturing companies in the Springfield area, and the lawsuit alleged that work was connected to her illness. Lawyers for the family said Ford failed to provide warning that asbestos was present in dust created during repairs of vehicle brakes.