A court of appeal in San Francisco has reinstated a lawsuit brought by a widow and her children against Ford Motor Co. along withtwo other possible sources of lethal asbestos dust at a Coast Guard base where her late husband worked.
Gene Lepore used to be a trainer at the Port Hueneme base in Ventura County from 1974 until his retirement in 2000. He often went to a vehicle repair shop where the mechanics used to work on brakes that emitted dust full of asbestos until new rulings came into place in 1986, which ensured protection was used. But it was too late for Lepore who died of mesothelioma in 2010 aged 62.
The suit, which was filed in San Francisco was dismissed in 2012 saying there was no evidence against Ford even though more than a dozen companies had reached settlement with Lepore’s family.
However, the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco ruled that the witnesses had offered enough evidence to let a jury decide whether Lepore had been exposed to asbestos dust from Ford, and three other defendants given that Lepore had been at the repair center when Ford vehicles were being repaired and having their brakes replaced.
If you or someone you know is suffering from an asbestos related disease, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer, contact the Law Office of Brayton Purcell, LLP at (800) 598-0314 immediately, or contact us online for a free consultation. You may be entitled to an asbestos payout as part of an individual or class action lawsuit.
