On April 19, a Los Angeles County jury awarded $4.4 million to the family of a former bowling alley owner on finding that asbestos supplier Honeywell International Inc. was responsible for his death.
The victim, who co-owned the bowling alley with his brother, developed pericardial mesothelioma in 2012 as a result of drilling holes into asbestos-containing bowling balls. He used to regularly drill ebonite balls in a small room, without any protection, for years. He was unaware that Ebonite balls contained asbestos. Asbestos, which was used as a filler in the bowling balls, was supplied by Honeywell in the form of discarded brake lining dust. The jury found that exposure to asbestos waste was hazardous to humans, and Honeywell was negligent in providing adequate warning about asbestos exposure risks. The victim died of mesothelioma in 2013, leaving behind two adult sons and a wife. The jury held Honeywell 40% liable for the man's death and awarded $4,397,716 to the family.
Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced to put a complete ban on the use of asbestos in product categories in the automobile industry and building materials. Asbestos exposure has been reported to cause mesothelioma in several individuals, who were unaware of the risks or were not adequately protected.
