The widow of a fallen St. Louis (MO) Firefighter has received more than $40 million after the company that made her husband’s fire safety equipment lost its appeal. In 2007, a St. Louis jury awarded Angela Martin and her children $27 million in a judgment against Survivair Respirators Inc. and its parent company, Bacou-Dalloz S.A. Martin’s attorney argued at trial that the company had known for years of a product defect, yet failed to warn fire departments. FF ‘s Derek Martin and Rob Morrison were killed in the Line of Duty in May 2002.
An investigation by the Fire Department and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which investigates fatalities, blamed a series of accidents and mistakes by the department and firefighters for their first line-of-duty deaths in 25 years. NIOSH could not determine if the malfunction in one firefighter’s equipment happened during or after the fire but recommended that breathing gear be "properly inspected, used, and maintained to ensure they function properly when needed."
The Missouri Court of Appeals affirmed the jury verdict calling the company’s cover-up "unquestionably reprehensible." The award was paid last month after growing with interest to $40.4 million.
