Florida man wins $14M Asbestos Case

A Miami-Dade jury has awarded William Aubin, from Sarasota, more than 14 million after deciding that the asbestos he inhaled in the 1970s caused his deadly abdominal cancer. According to Aubin, his parents, who found Aubin Construction on Key Biscayne in the 1960s, used the asbestos-laden compounds. Aubin, now 59 and a retired firefighter, worked in his parents’ company after they moved it to Sarasota.

Jurors found that chemical giant Union Carbide was negligent for selling asbestos fibers to other companies, which had used the fibers to make joint compounds used by construction companies –- such as the William Aubin’s family owned.

Jurors also found that four of the compound manufactures, including George-Pacific, share some of the responsibility for causing Aubin’s illness.

Peritoneal mesothelioma - is a rare and usually fatal cancer that attacks the lining of the abdominal cavity and organs. Aubin’s lawyers argued that he is permanently impaired and will ultimately and unfortunately die from mesothelioma.

William Aubin’s attorney was Juan Bauta, who argued the case for the Ferraro Law Firm. Michael Terry, a Texas-based attorney, represented Union Carbide.