Reason to Hope: Historic $53 Million Settlement to Mesothelioma Victim's Family

Nine years ago, the family of Cambridge brake mechanic Stephen Brown received "one of the largest compensatory verdicts for a single plaintiff in the history of asbestos litigation" for the husband and father's untimely death at age 51. Brown sued 48 friction companies (the producers of brake lining which were the source of Brown's asbestos exposure) in 2000, and after his death, his wife and two sons continued the case on his behalf.

Brown was able to use his untimely death to ensure the financial stability of the family he left behind, and to remind large corporations that there will be an economic cost for every short-cut they take, deeming asbestos exposure an acceptable human cost.

Nothing commands corporate responsibility like the thought of being held financially accountable for their misdeeds. Brown's case, successfully made by famous New York law firm Weitz & Luxenberg, served as a warning to all producers of asbestos products: worker safety matters, and the law is on our side.

If $53 million to the widow and children of a mesothelioma victim is not a reason to hope, I don't know what is.