Ford Vehicle Parts Blamed for Man’s Malignant Mesothelioma
Imagine having spent a good part of your life tinkering with and repairing your own cars, only to find that in doing so, you’d exposed yourself to the risk of malignant mesothelioma. It’s happened to many people, and John DeCastro was one of them. Mr. DeCastro and his wife filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against Ford Motor Company, blaming asbestos hidden in parts of some eight Ford vehicles he’d maintained throughout his life for his terminal illness. Though the company defended itself by arguing that the asbestos-contaminated parts may have been made and distributed by third party manufacturers, the Superior Court of Delaware ruled that the company had to stand trial in the case.
Facing Off Against A Corporate Giant
Though Ford Motor Company is one of the world’s biggest and most powerful corporations, that did not dissuade the DeCastros from pursing justice for his malignant mesothelioma. The case relied upon Mr. DeCastro’s deposition testimony that he had been exposed to asbestos from multiple sources, including during his service in the U.S. Air Force, his civilian employment with Pacific Bell Telephone and United Airlines, and his personal automotive maintenance work.
Ford attempted to deny their role in the man’s mesothelioma death. They asserted that though the repairs he’d done on at least eight different Ford vehicles for himself and his friends — including a 1935 Ford coupe, a 1938 Ford coupe, and a 1936 Ford two-door — may indeed have exposed him to asbestos, that they were not responsible because the original parts and materials they’d installed in the cars may not have been contaminated with asbestos.
Court Rules in Favor of Mesothelioma Victim
Despite the arguments made by Ford Motor Company, the court sided with the DeCastros, determining that they had provided enough evidence to raise questions about whether or not they had a duty to warn of the dangers of the parts used in their vehicles. They sent the case to be decided by a jury
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