Actor Ed Lauter, who appeared in more than 200 films, passed away in October, 2012, at the age of 74 after battling mesothelioma, a type of cancer that is primarily caused by exposure to asbestos. Now, Lauter’s widow, Mia Lauter, and some of his family members are suing Ford, CBS, and General Electric, which owns NBC, claiming the companies are responsible for exposing the deceased actor to asbestos.
Specifically, the suits claim that Ford manufactured and marketed clutch facings, brakes, and compressors that exposed Lauter to the hazardous material, and that CBS and NBC kept him exposed to asbestos in television studios over the course of two decades.
Mostly a character actor, Lauter acted in many well-known films, including “The Longest Yard,” “Seabiscuit,” and the 2011 Oscar-winning “The Artist.” With regard to his celebrity, Lauter once said, “A lot of people say, ‘I know you,’ but they don’t know my name. But I’ve had a great run.”