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It has been reported that Asbestos compensation claims and lawsuits for illnesses such as mesothelioma against major auto manufacturers have risen, with millions being paid out on out of court settlements as well as through successful law suits.
The Ford Motor Company is one of the auto manufacturers that has seen a massive rise in the number of lawsuits being filed against it. Figures have risen from around 25,000 claims in February 2003 to around 41,500 in February 2004. Many of the claims have been made by auto mechanics who have worked on brakes, notorious for containing asbestos.
General Motors Corporation has also confirmed that lawsuit figures had risen dramatically, although no firm figures have been given. In addition to these lawsuits, General Motors may face claims from railway workers who have been affected by brakes on trains, also known to contain asbestos.
Ford has already paid a ten million dollar lawsuit recently to the family of a victim (now deceased) who contracted mesothelioma through washing her father’s clothes as a child. Her father used to work at a Ford plant in the 1950s and 1960s. Many other cases will be settled out of court in order to try and stop spiralling court costs.
It is expected that the figures will continue to rise as those who worked with brakes and asbestos related products in the last twenty to thirty years may be diagnosed with a related disease, mesothelioma, or other cancer over the coming years.
