Created: 22 October 2009
The Bloomington Pantagraph (10/22, Brady-Lunny) reports, “A McLean County jury awarded three widows $5.5 million Wednesday in a lawsuit alleging their husbands were exposed to asbestos at a Bloomington factory. Merlon Dukes, Bob Blessing and John Watkins worked at Union Asbestos & Rubber Co., later called UNARCO Industries Inc., during the 1950s and 1960s. The men died of the asbestos-related disease mesothelioma, according to claims filed in civil court.” The jury “found that Honeywell International Inc, through its corporate predecessor Bendix, conspired with other companies, including UNARCO, Johns-Manville, Raybestos-Manhattan, Owens-Illinois, Owens Corning and Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., to fail to disclose information about the hazards of asbestos.”