Jury: BNSF Railway contributed to 2 deaths in Montana town
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A federal jury on Monday said BNSF Railway contributed to the deaths of two people who were exposed to asbestos decades ago when tainted mining material was shipped through a Montana town where thousands have been sickened.
The jury awarded $4 million each in compensatory damages to the estates of the two plaintiffs, who died in 2020. Jurors said asbestos that spilled in the rail yard in the town of Libby, Montana was a substantial factor in the plaintiffs’ illnesses and death.
The jury did not find that BNSF acted intentionally or with indifference so there will be no punitive damages awarded. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. acquired BNSF in 2010, two decades after the vermiculite mine in Libby shut down and stopped shipping its contaminated product by rail.
The pollution in Libby has been cleaned up, largely at public expense. Yet the long timeframe over which asbestos-related diseases develop means people previously exposed are likely to continue getting sick for years to come, health officials say.
Related articles
Love Island's Amy Hart reveals cruel trolls target her and one
Love Island's Amy Hart is regularly forced to hit back at trolls who offer unwanted criticism on how2024-04-23Envoy calls for upholding multilateralism
Actions: Xi's vision 'points the way forward for the world'To address global challenges, the world's2024-04-23- A noble-exclusive cemetery with stone walls and rows of burials was discovered at the Shimao site in2024-04-23
Envoy calls for upholding multilateralism
Actions: Xi's vision 'points the way forward for the world'To address global challenges, the world's2024-04-23How Impax Environmental Markets invests for profit and to improve the planet: INVESTING SHOW
Can investors combine profit from growth with improving our impact on the planet? Growth and protect2024-04-23Chinese vice premier stresses timely delivery of homes to buyers
ZHENGZHOU, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Active financing support should be extended to compliant real estate2024-04-23
atest comment