$6 million awarded in asbestos lawsuit against Ford, others

ST. LOUIS (AP) — 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 asbestos exposure, including from dust generated during brake repairs. Linda Behling of Springfield died of mesothelioma at age 70 in 2019. Her family’s lawsuit cited years of work by Behling and her husband at manufacturing companies in the Springfield area. Jurors sided with the Behling family Monday night. Lawyers for the family alleged that Ford failed to warn the public that asbestos was present in dust created during brake repairs. Attorneys for Ford say the family failed to prove the brake dust contributed to her illness.