Indiana County cancer victim's family awarded $226K by jury

The family of an Indiana County man was awarded $226,000 last week by a jury that ruled that his 2005 death was caused by exposure to asbestos.

George Baroni, 73, worked for Fisher Scientific from 1959 to 1994. He later developed mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest wall.

Fisher Scientific, which used to operate a plant in White Township, was one of five companies whose products allegedly contained asbestos fibers that were sued by Baroni's family.

The other companies, three of which settled out of court, were F.B. Wright Co., George Hamilton Inc. and the Pittsburgh Gage Co. Another company, Taylored Industries of Harmarville in Allegheny County, has not settled.

Fisher Scientific has been the defendant in several lawsuits filed in Indiana County since 2000 involving former employees who developed asbestos-related cancers.

There has been a flood of lawsuits both locally and nationally involving asbestos.

The Asbestos Alliance, a group of companies and trade associations, estimates there still are 200,000 lawsuits pending nationally out of 730,000 that have been filed. The alliance estimates the industry has paid $70 billion in claims and costs because of litigation.