St. Louis County man awarded $20 million in asbestos suit

ST. LOUIS (AP) – A jury awarded a St. Louis County man $20 million in a lawsuit against Ford Motor Co. over his exposure to asbestos.

William Trokey alleged in his lawsuit that he developed mesothelioma in 2020 because he was exposed to asbestos while fixing Ford brakes in the 1960s.

A St. Louis jury found Ford liable on Thursday after a two-week trial. The company was ordered to pay $10 million to Trokey and $10 million to his wife.

As required by state law, $5 million of the punitive damages will go to the state Tort Victims’ Compensation Fund.

A Ford Motor Co. spokesman said the company plans to appeal.