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April 22, 2024
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With a record setting $33 million award, asbestos liability in California has been taken to a new level. Former electrician, 60-year-old Alfred Todak and his wife sued more than 25 companies with ties to the cancer causing fibrous mineral.

The line-up of defendants with asbestos related liabilities is varied. Many companies that never had anything to do with asbestos are being sued because they own companies that once had ties to asbestos. These are companies that either manufactured products that included asbestos or exposed employees to asbestos through their work related duties.

This time around the litigation pulled in entertainment giant, Viacom. Through its 2000 acquisition of Westinghouse Corp., the parent company of CBS, Viacom according to its latest annual report took a hit of $21 million in 2001 attributed to 60,000 claims. With these claims out of the way, Viacom can now focus on the 106,000 claims that remain open on the asbestos front. Reportedly the company paid Todak $1 million to settle its portion of his claim.

Although the San Francisco jury awarded Todak $33.7 million, he will not receive this in full. Prior to the verdict, all of the companies involved, except one, settled for a combined total of $4.2 million.

Foster Wheeler Ltd., an engineering construction firm is holding out on appeal. Out of the 25 companies named in the suit, Foster has the largest portion of liability.

A former construction worker in Texas holds the claim for the single largest asbestos related claim in the U.S. of $55.5 million.