Montana Jury Awards $8 Million at Conclusion of Asbestos Trial Against BNSF Railway

HELENA, Mont. –– A Montana federal jury has awarded $4 million each to two asbestos plaintiffs at the conclusion of a trial against BNSF Railway Company, concluding that the defendant’s handling of asbestos-containing vermiculite outside of its duties as a common carrier was a substantial factor in contributing to the plaintiffs’ injuries.

In two separate verdict sheets issued April 22, jurors sitting in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana addressed the claims asserted on behalf of Thomas E. Wells and Joyce H. Walder.

Jurors found that the plaintiffs had proven that BNSF’s handling of vermiculite containing asbestos …