A mesothelioma lawsuit filed against U.S. Engineering Co. in Missouri has been settled for $10 million. Nancy Lopez filed the lawsuit alleging that the company failed to follow proper procedures in removing asbestos from the courthouse where she worked.

Lopez—who worked at the Missouri courthouse for 27 years—filed the asbestos exposure lawsuit against U.S. Engineering Co. after she discovered the company allegedly disturbed asbestos in the building in the process of removing it. She developed a rare form of cancer known as mesothelioma, which is caused by inhaling asbestos fibers and can take decades to develop. Lopez passed away passed away from complications due to the cancer in 2010.

The asbestos settlement in Lopez’s case is the largest in Missouri and will be awarded to her family. More than 4,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year, and thousands more with other asbestos-related ailments such as asbestosis, a chronic lung disease.