HEALTH

Asbestos Jury OKs Punitive Damages: A jury decided that four companies are liable for punitive damages in the country’s largest consolidation of asbestos personal injury cases. The Baltimore Circuit Court jury deliberated seven hours before reaching the verdict against GAF Corp., Keene Corp., Pittsburgh Corning Inc. and Porter-Hayden Co. The jury did not set an amount of punitive damages. Later it will establish a figure, or percentage, by which compensatory damages for individual plaintiffs will be multiplied and paid by the companies as punitive damages.