Asbestos News Roundup: 2.11.11

February 11th, 2011. By LucyC

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of asbestos hot spots from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.

Asbestos Lawsuits

St. Clair County, IL: Anita Palmieri of Ohio has filed an asbestos lawsuit alleging that her husband’s death from asbestos-related disease was due to exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his career.

In her suit, Mrs. Palmieri names 32 defendant companies, and alleges that these companies caused Carmine Palmieri Sr., to develop lung cancer. According to the lawsuit, Mr. Palmieri worked as a tile setter and brick layer from 1952 until 1980. Mrs. Palmieri claims that those defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for his safety.

As a result of his asbestos-related disease, Carmine Palmieri Sr. incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, the complaints says. Further, he became prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him, his wife claims.

Because of Carmine Palmieri Sr.’s death, Anita Palmieri has been deprived of his society and support and incurred substantial funeral and burial costs, according to the complaint.

Mrs. Palmieri is seeking a judgment economic damages of more than $50,000, punitive and exemplary damages of more than $50,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000 and punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish the defendants, plus a judgment of more than $50,000 and other relief the court deems just. (Madison Record)

Charleston, WV:  Mary C. Ross has filed an asbestos lawsuit naming 11 companies as defendants, and alleging that those companies are responsible for her late husband’s mesothelioma and subsequent death.

On October 18, 2010, Fred Ross, who was employed at DuPont Washington Works during his working career, died as a result of mesothelioma, according to a complaint.

Mrs. Ross alleges that the defendants caused her late husband to be continuously exposed to asbestos, asbestos-containing products and/or machinery requiring the use of asbestos and/or asbestos-containing products, which caused him to contract mesothelioma.

According to the lawsuit, the defendants “negligently gave inadequate warning or instruction during and after the time of marketing, in that Defendants knew, or, in the exercise of reasonable care, should have known, about the risks associated with their products and failed to provide reasonable and/or adequate warning or instructions, in light of the likelihood that the asbestos, asbestos-containing products and/or machinery requiring the use of asbestos and/or asbestos-containing products would cause serious physical harm to Decedent.”, according to the suit.

The defendants named in the suit are: A.W. Chesterton Company; Aurora Pump Company; Buffalo Pumps, Inc.; Fairmont Supply Company; Gardner Denver, Inc.; Nagle Pumps, Inc.; Roper Pumps Company; State Electric Supply Company; Sterling Fluid Systems (USA), LLC; West Virginia Electric Supply Company; and John Does (1-5). (West Virginia Record)

New Orleans, LA: A 10-day asbestos jury trial is set to begin in Orleans Parish Civil District Court on February 14. The family of Thomas H. Jefferson Jr., is suing 13 companies, claiming his death in December 2006 was a result of “his exposure to asbestos dust and fibers…as a result of intentional misconduct of certain defendants.”

According to the suit, Thomas H. Jefferson was employed as a laborer and longshoreman. The complaint lists 28 jobs Jefferson held from 1955 to 1984. The defendants named in the original petition include American Sugar Refining, the McCarty Corp., Ports America Gulfport Inc. and Eagle Inc. (Louisiana Record)

Asbestos News

Quebec, Canada:  The Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec, Jean Charest, is defending his party’s move to have a political fundraiser hosted by businessman, Baljit Chadra, who is seeking government money to reopen the highly controversial Jeffrey Asbestos mine.

Chadra’s company, Balcorp Ltd., leads an international consortium of investors seeking to buy the mine. They are seeking a $58 million loan guarantee from the provincial government to restart the mine. Charest had not yet made a decision about re-opening the mine.

Chadra, who travelled with Charest on a government trade mission to India last year, has been exporting Quebec chrysotile asbestos from the mine to developing countries—where the majority of the Canadian fibrous product is sold. (Winnipegfreepress.com)

Asbestos Law

Des Moines, Iowa: Russell Coco, the supervisor of a renovation project in Des Moines’ Equitable Building, has agreed to plead guilty to asbestos-removal charges, according to court records.

According to The Des Moines Register, Russell Coco’s lawyer confirmed that Coco will plead guilty to violating the Clean Air Act and conspiracy to impede and impair EPA asbestos-removal procedures.

Both Coco and his boss, developer Bob Knapp, are accused of illegally removing asbestos from 2005 to 2008. The indictment says asbestos from the building was put in open bins, then dumped in a landfill. (Chicago Tribune)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Mesothelioma, asbestos_mesothelioma

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