Asbestos News Roundup: 7.14.11

July 14th, 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

New Orleans, LA: A wrongful death lawsuit stemming from asbestos exposure has been filed by the widow of a career merchant mariner. Katrine Davalie filed the lawsuit on behalf of the estate of Tookie A. Davalie, alleging that her deceased husband was, while alive, exposed to asbestos, cigarettes and tobacco resulting in pulmonary disease that caused his death.

According the lawsuit, Tookie Davalie was continually exposed to asbestos friable fibers, causing him to inhale carcinogenic asbestos dust on an on-going basis. The named defendants in the case allegedly maintained each of their respective vessels in an unsafe, unseaworthy condition causing the crewmen exposure to toxic chemicals and carcinogens including to friable asbestos and second hand exposure to cigarette and tobacco smoke.

Mrs. Davalie is seeking, on behalf of the estate of Tookie Davalie, damages for loss of earnings and earning capacity, life with fear of cancer and other disease, while living, pain and suffering, costs of being forever medically monitored for disease onset and worsening, loss of pleasurable, social and recreational amenities, exemplary and punitive damages, death, loss of love, affection and support, punitive damages, interest, attorney’s fees and court costs.

Mrs. Davalie has named the following companies as defendants in the wrongful death lawsuit: A-C Product Liability Trust, ACandS Inc., Acorn Iron & Supply Co., Alcoa Steamship Company Inc., Anchor Packing Co., Argo International Corp., Auburn Pump Division of General Signal Corp., Bethlehem Steel Corp., Black & Decker Corp., Boyd Co AB, Bryan Steam Corp., Champion International Corp., Chesterton Co AW, Coffin Pump Inc., Coltec Industries, Inc., Combustion Engineering Inc., Conhagen Inc., Alfred, Crane Co., Crosby Steam and Valve Co., Crown Cork & Seal Co., Inc., Delta Steamship Lines, Inc., Dover Resources Inc., Durabla Manufacturing Co., Durametallic Corp., EG&G Sealol Inc., Ellicott Machine Corp. International, Elliott Turbomachinery Co. Inc., Ernst Gage Co., Everlasting Valve Co., Excelsior Inc., FKI Industries Inc., Federal-Mogul Corp., Fel-Pro Inc., Felt Products Inc., Flintkote Co., Foster Wheeler Co., Garlock Inc., Gatke Corp., General Cable Co., General Electric Co., General Refractories, Goodall Rubber Co., Goodrich B.F. a/k/a Goodrich Corp., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Gould Pumps Inc., Greene Tweed & Co, Gulf Engineering Co. Inc., Hajoca Corp., Harbison-Walker Refractories Group, Home Rubber Co., IMO Industries Inc., Indian Head Industries Inc., Ingersoll-Dresser Pump, Ingersoll-Rand Corp., James Walker Manufacturing Co., Janos Industrial Insulation Corp., John Crane Inc., Robert A. Keasbey Co., La Favorite Industries Inc., Melrath Gasket Inc. Mortell Co., Mount Washington Tanker Co., Noland Co., North American Refractories Co., Norton Co., Ocean Transportation Co., Okonite Co., Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., Owens-Illinois Inc., PPG Industries Inc., Pecora Corp., Phoenix Specialty Manufacturing Co. Inc., Pittsburgh Corning Corp., Plibrico Co., Preferred Utilities Manufacturing Corp., Quaker Rubber Co., Rhopac Inc., Rockbestos Co., Sea-Ro Packing Co. Inc., Selby Battersby and Co., Sherwin-Williams Co., Sika Corp., Skinner Engine Co. Inc., USX Corp., Uniroyal Chemical Co. Inc., Vellumoid Inc., Viking Pump Inc., Vogt Machine Co., Henry Walworth Co., Warren Pumps Inc., Waterman Steamship Corp., Westinghouse Electric Corp. and Zimmerman Packing & Mfg. Inc. (Louisianarecord.com)

Jefferson county, TX: 18 companies have been named as defendants in an asbestos lawsuit filed by a Texas woman who alleges the death of a husband was due to a malignant asbestos-related disease and industrial dust diseases that he developed from working around products manufactured by the defendants.

Juanita Keith Hutto filed the asbestos lawsuit on behalf of Jimmie Jefferson Hutto, claiming he died from an asbestos-related disease. The defending companies named in the complaint are: A.W. Chesterton Company, American Optical Corp., Anco Insulation, Asten Group, CBS Corporation, D&F Distributing, Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation, General Electric Corporation, Guardline, Ingersoll Rand, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co., Owens Illinois, Oxy USA, Sepco Corporation, Tin, TexasGulf, Union Carbide Corporation and Zurn Industries.

Mrs. Hutto alleges the defendant companies caused Mr. Hutto’s disease through their failure to adequately test their products for asbestos, and through failure to warn their employees of the related health dangers resulting from asbestos exposure. Jimmie Jefferson Hutto worked as a welder, boilermaker, shipfitter, machinist and roughneck, according to the lawsuit, during which he was exposed to asbestos. Mrs. Hutto further alleges that at the time the products were manufactured, the defending companies were aware of the dangers associated with asbestos, however they failed to take their products off the market.

According to the lawsuit, some defendant companies, such as 3M and American Optical Corporation, exposed Jimmie Jefferson Hutto to asbestos by failing to provide adequate masks to protect him from the carcinogen, while other businesses forced Jimmie Jefferson Hutto to work in close proximity to asbestos.

As a result of his asbestos exposure, Jimmie Jefferson Hutto suffered pain, mental anguish, lost wages and his earning capacity, disfigurement and physical impairment before his death, the lawsuit claims.

Juanita Keith Hutto alleges she has incurred medical and funeral bills relating to Jimmie Jefferson Hutto’s death, consequently is seeking actual and exemplary damages, plus costs, pre- and post-judgment interest and other relief to which she may be entitled. (SETexasrecord.com)

Asbestos Law

Des Moines, IA: The supervisor of a renovation project at the landmark Equitable Building, located at 604 Locust St. in downtown Des Moines, has been sentenced to three years probation resulting from his involvement in the illegal removal of asbestos from the building during the renovation.

Fifty-one year old Russell Coco was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Gritzner to back-to-back three-year probation terms for improperly supervising the removal of asbestos from the Equitable from 2005 through 2008, which was in violation of the Clear Air Act.

In February 2011, Coco pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to impede and impair Environmental Protection Agency asbestos removal procedures and violations of the work practice requirements of the Clean Air Act.

Both Coco and the developer Bob Knapp were indicted by a federal grand jury on 11 counts, accusing them of gutting several floors of the Equitable Building, without having previously removed the asbestos containing materials, in accordance with the law, and improperly disposing of the material. Knapp, who pleaded guilty to two counts, was sentenced in June to 41 months in prison. (DesMoinesRegister.com)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Mesothelioma, asbestos_mesothelioma

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